The Latest News in the Diocese

Dormition in Calistoga

Christians celebrate the dormition ("falling asleep") of the Virgin Mary on August 15. In the Western Christian world, this feast is commonly known as the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and thus, Holy Assumption Monastery celebrates its "altar feast" every year in the middle of August.  Mother Melania and the sisters of the Monastery welcomed His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin, area clergy, and faithful to the solemn and joyful celebration of this important feast in the life of the Church.

RMOYC ’16 – Through the Eyes of a Parent

I was drawn to this year’s RMOYC [Rocky Mountain Orthodox Youth Camp] because I heard of the overwhelming positive effect it had on youth who attended in year’s past. This was my first time attending, as I wanted to accompany my son in his first camp experience.

RMOYC started by being surrounded by “Orthodoxy” - where it was acceptable to talk about God’s love to your friends and building friendships where sharing faith is the norm. It continued with the lessons, made alive and practical by the clergy and staff that put together engaging and captivating talks. Last was the “norm” of prayer and services throughout the day. Camp was simply an expression and model how we should live! After camp. We were challenged to make an effort to “take camp home” with us, by keeping the conversations going, praying and giving thanks more regularly throughout the day, and discussing the lessons learned.

REFLECTION – I learned to think about God in the little things

by Anastazie Jordan

Project Mexico and Saint Innocent’s Orphanage is an Orthodox Christian non-profit organization known for building houses for the families of Rosarito and the surrounding area in Mexico. Land is very expensive in Mexico, and many families do not have the money to construct a permanent home. Project Mexico has been building homes since 1988, and all of the houses are built with donated funds and volunteer labor. A single house takes four days to build, followed by a house blessing at the end. Groups primarily from around the U.S.A. and Canada have built over 300 homes, and, at the end of the build week, they often find that more has changed than just a family getting a home. Project Mexico not only changes the lives of the families it builds for, it also changes the lives of those who go on this incredible mission trip.

Cross Raised on Ashland Property

By the grace of God, on July 13, 2016, Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church in Ashland, OR held the official Service for the Planting the Life-giving Cross and the placing of the Cornerstone on their new church property. This was the official commencement of their planned building project of a new temple on South Valley View Road in Ashland, OR.

The service was presided over by His Eminence Archbishop BENJAMIN of San Francisco and the West, assisted by Priest Andreas Blom (Rector of Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church), Hieromonk Damascene (Abbot of St. Herman's Monastery, Platina, CA), Archpriest Isaac Skidmore (Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church), Priest Daniel Mackay (Rector of St. John the Wonderworker Serbian Orthodox Church, Eugene, OR), Priest Ian Shipley (Rector of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church, Chico, CA), Priest Theodor Svane (St. Seraphim Orthodox Church, Santa Rosa, CA) and Deacon David Greenfield (Ss. Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church, Chico, CA), as well as many faithful from Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church and other visitors.

The parish was able to buy 7 acres of beautiful property right by I-5 in 2014, and paid it off in its entirety on the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt in 2016. Currently, the parish is in the process of raising $150,000 for the Design Development Phase of their building project, with the hope of breaking ground in the near future."  

History Leaves its Traces: “A Hunger for Faith”

At various times during my time here in Gagauzia I have posted short essays about the situation of Orthodox Christianity here. This time I would like to do something different, because a friend of mine has written something that I myself would not have been able to write, because she wrote it from the perspective of a young woman who grew up here, being born just as the Soviet Union was breaking up and the churches and monasteries were being reopened, but her parents and grandparents had grown up during the Soviet period, exposed to the Communist propaganda against Christianity and with little knowledge of the Church or even interest in it. She writes about the struggle that can occur within the family when people of her age want to return to their Orthodox roots.  -Father Cosmas

by Kristina Kochan  (tr. into English by Monk Cosmas Shartz)

As we know, in our lands there was terrible hunger in the years 1946 and 1947. At that time there was a hunger for food, but now there is a hunger which has lasted longer — a hunger for faith. One hunger resembles the other. Both began in the time of the Soviet Union and the Soviets are responsible for both. In the hunger for food our bodies die, but in the hunger for faith our souls die and we become like zombies, like dead people walking around but inside, there is death in our souls and we don’t know it.

Reflections on Navigator/Orthodox Serbia Trip

From June 5-August 1, a number of young people from our diocese went on the "Navigator/Orthodox Serbia Mission trip," where they spent time visiting areas throughout Serbia, helping others learn about Orthodoxy and exposing them to young people from the West.

A blog written by the young members of that team has been uploaded with their thoughts and impressions. The bloggers are:

Mariah (Bozeman, MT)
J.P. (Colorado Springs, CO)
Mara (Colorado Springs, CO)
Matti (Calhan, CO)
Seraphim (Santa Rosa, CA)
John (Colorado Springs)

You can read their thoughts and impressions, and see some pictures from their trip here.

REFLECTION – Fort Ross Pilgrimage

Matushka Sophia Sokolov

On Monday, July 4th, faithful pilgrims from throughout the Bay Area converged upon Fort Ross State Historic Park in Jenner, California, for divine worship, memorial, and a festive picnic lunch. His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin, presided over the Divine Liturgy and was joined by numerous clergy and faithful from Santa Rosa, Calistoga, San Francisco, Berkeley, and beyond.

The morning, like many in West Marin, began under a blanket of fog with a crisp breeze nipping at our noses. We made our way through the gates of the fort and up to the chapel, a rather simple structure built from wooden boards. The original chapel was built in the mid-1820s and is heralded as the first Russian Orthodox structure in North America, outside of Alaska. In 1836, Father Ioann Veniaminov, who later became Bishop Innocent, the first hierarch in our land, visited the California settlement and conducted sacraments of marriage, baptism, and other religious services. In 1977, he was glorified as one of our first saints. How fitting it is that this year’s pilgrimage fell the day after the Sunday we commemorate our North American Saints!