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. The hierarchs and monks celebrated an All-Night Vigil and Liturgy in the newly-consecrated chapel of Sts. Sergius and Eugene. The chapel was originally located at Point Reyes and was moved to the site of the St. John of Shanghai Monastery.

Since His Beatitude left for the Diocese of the South, Archiimandrite Meletios (Webber) has been the acting superior of the monastery. In accordance with the Typikon or Rule of the monastery, an election for abbot took place late that day. Fr. Meletios was elected abbot of the monastery. The time and date of the service of installation will be announced shortly.

While at the monastery, His Beatitude and His Grace were shown plans for a building which will provied additional housing for the growing community. In the brief time of its existence, God has certainly blessed the monastery in that it has become the largest monastic community in the Orthodox Church in America.