From July 5-11 over 50 Orthodox children and youth ranging in ages from 6-17 from Northern and Southern CA gathered for a week of Christ-filled activities at St. Eugene’s Orthodox Youth Camp.

The 2009 Diocesan Assembly is scheduled to be held at the Protection of the Holy Virgin Church in Santa Rosa, CA from Wednesday, October 14, 2008 through Friday, October 16, 2009. Registration for DELEGATEs, OBSERVERs and invited GUESTs is now open, as well as the Call for Reports.

At a recent meeting of the Holy Synod, the Monastery of the Holy Assumption in Calistoga, California was returned to the Diocese of the West. The monastery is the oldest Orthodox women’s monastery in the Americas and had been in the Diocese of the West since its founding until its redesignation as stavropegial in the mid 1980′s.

On Saturday evening July 18 and Sunday July 19, Bishop Benjamin joined the clergy and faithful of the Protection/St. Seraphim parish of Santa Rosa, California for the summer celebration of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The date was also the 56th anniversary of the ordination of retired Archpriest Michael Margitich, father of Archpriest Lawrence Margitich, the rector.

The patronal feast of St. John the Baptist Church, Berkeley, CA was celebrated by His Grace, Bishop Benjamin, Archpriest Kirill Hartman, Deacon Brendan Doss and the parish faithful on Sunday, July 5.

As is our usual custom, Bishop Benjamin, clergy and faithful from the Bay Area gathered at Fort Ross to celebrate Independence Day. Following the Liturgy in the fort’s chapel, there was a cross procession to the nearby Russian cemetery where a panikhida was served for those who rest there. The services of the day were followed by a picnic and the firing of two of the four cannons in honor of the day.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH, the founding abbot of the St. John of Shanghai Monastery in Manton, CA, returned to celebrate the patronal feast of the community with Bishop BENJAMIN, Archimandrite Meletios and the monastery brotherhood.

Bishop Benjamin served the Divine Liturgy on the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost at Christ the Savior Church on Anza Street in San Francisco.

Following the celebrations of Pentecost in San Francisco, His Beatitude and Bishop Benjamin traveled to Manton, CA where the Monastery of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco is located. During this visit, they consecrated the newly reconstructed chapel dedicated to Saints Sergius and Eugene.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah made his first primatial visit to Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco for the Feast of Pentecost.