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.

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.

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.

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.

St. Eugene’s Camp will be taking place this summer July 5-11, 2009 at St. Nicholas Ranch in Dunlap, CA. With the blessing of His Grace Bishop BENJAMIN, St. Eugene’s is inviting all parishes in California to send campers and staff. It is the hope of His Grace that youth from throughout California will take this opportunity to come together for an incredible week of Christian fun fellowship, education, and worship.

The clergy of the greater Bay Area gathered together on Saturday 9 May 2009 at Saint Nicholas Orthodox church in Saratoga CA to celebrate the saint’s “summer feast” with the faithful in the community there.

Bishop Benjamin hosted the 5th Meeting of the Canonical Bishops of the West Coast here at the Chancery of the Diocese of the West on 23 January 2009.

San Francisco, CA

Annual Celebration
July 4, 2007, Ft. Ross, California

V. Rev. Protopriest Victor Sokolov fell asleep in the Lord at home during the night of March 12, 2006, after a long bout with small-cell lung cancer, a bout the length of which astonished his doctors and everyone else. He stayed at his post as the Dean and Rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, until the last, doing everything that he had done before he had been struck with the cancer until the end; reading/studying, writing, archiving, teaching, and enlivening all with whom he came in contact with his Faith, Love, and Hope.