200th Anniversary of Fort Ross Celebrated

On Saturday, August 25th, Hierarchs, Clergy, and Faithful from the OCA, ROCOR, and Moscow Patriarchate came together at the historical Fort Ross site in Jenner, CA to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Russian military outpost. His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), head of the Department of External Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, concelebrated the hierarchical liturgy with His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York (ROCOR). Also serving were His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West (OCA), His Eminence, Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada (ROCOR), His Eminence, Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk (MP), His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland (ROCOR), and His Grace, Bishop Theodosius of Seattle (ROCOR). Also in attendance were His Eminence, Archbishop Gerasimos of San Francisco (GOA) and His Grace, Bishop Daniel of Dragovitsa (Bulgarian Patriarchate). Many clergy from the OCA, MP, and ROCOR churches served, with many faithful and pilgrims attending in prayer from all over the country and abroad.

The metropolitans were greeted at 9:30 am and presided over a beautiful open-air liturgy under a tent set up in the middle of the fort. Two choirs sang the responses – one in English from St Seraphim’s in Santa Rosa led by Nicholas Custer, and one in Slavonic from Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral in San Francisco (ROCOR). After the liturgy there was a cross procession around the fort, followed by a procession to the cemetery where a panikhida was sung for the souls of those Russians, Aleuts, and native Kushaya buried there.
Finally, fellowship was enjoyed by all within the walls of the fort, where traditional Russian song and dance troupes performed and a banquet was held for the celebrating clergy.