Church bell ringing is an intrinsic and permanent part of the Orthodox liturgical and musical tradition…

The first West Coast Pan-Orthodox Clergy Advent Retreat is scheduled to be held at St Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center in Dunlap CA December 1-3, 2009.

The 2009 DOW Diocesan Assembly, meeting at Santa Rosa’s Protection of the Holy Virgin Church October 14-16, participated in the OCA’s strategic planing project. Reports are now available.

On Saturday and Sunday, October 3 & 4, His Grace, Bishop Benjamin visited the St. Innocent of Alaska Church of Livermore, California. The mission was originally established in 1991 in Fremont, CA and met in the Spanish Mission San Jose that was visited by St. Innocent himself during a visit to California in the early 19th century. Today, St. Innocent Church presently meets in a commercial space, which Archpriest Leo Arrowsmith and his parishioners have personally transformed. Two readers were tonsured Sunday morning just before the beginning of the Liturgy.

Over 140 staff and campers gathered this year for the annual RMOYC. The camp was founded by Archpriest Joseph Hirsch of blessed memory, who was present at the camp and gave his last public talks before being “taken from us”: Memory Eternal! 11 parishes, from three jurisdictions and as many states make the annual pilgrimage to share in fellowship, teaching, discussion, and worship throughout the week.

His Grace Bishop Benjamin recently traveled to Corvallis, Oregon to lead the people of St. Anne Church in the celebration of their Patronal Feast, the Dormition of the Holy and Righteous Anne, on July 25th.

On Sunday, August 16, 2009 Deacon Ian Burgess, a recent graduate of St. Tikhon Seminary, was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Benjamin at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

With great sorrow, Bishop Benjamin announces that our beloved Father Joseph, rector of the Transfiguration of Christ Cathedral in Denver and dean of the Rocky Mountain Deanery, has departed this life. Services will be held this coming weekend, August 29-31.

Memory Eternal to The Archpriest Joseph who has Fallen Asleep!

The Orthodox Christian Education Commission, in conjunction with the Antiochian Archdiocese and the OCA, will conduct their 2009 Orthodox Institute Northern California on September 26 at St Nicholas Cathedral in San Francisco. The Institute will offer two tracks of teacher training, as well as a special session entitled “Sharing Your Faith.”