The Latest News in the Diocese

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.

Message from the Brotherhood in Manton

“The Brotherhood of St. John would like to thank everyone sincerely for all of the prayers and gracious support we have received in our time of difficulty. The monastery was evacuated safely before the fires arrived, and we have been lodging with friends until the fire department considers it safe for us to return. The last few days have been a valuable chance for us to strengthen relationships with area parishes, see old friends, and also to experience being the Brotherhood while outside the walls of the monastery, as we strive to maintain the same attitude of prayer that we keep while we are at home.

“We will be returning very soon to inspect the property. As far as we know, all the buildings were saved, and the facility has provided a good place for the fire department to use as a base while they continue their heroic and much appreciated efforts for the larger community. We wish to extend especial thanks to the many firefighters who have risked their safety in this effort, and we are glad that the monastery grounds could be of service. The fires continue to travel other places and threaten other homes and lives, so please continue to pray for all who are affected by this. There are still many who are in danger.

“The Brotherhood also wishes to express sincere condolences to all of our neighbors who have lost buildings and other property to this fire. We will be of service in any way we can. As yet we have limited information about when we will be allowed to return and resume our normal schedule, and what our capacity will be for hosting visitors and guests, but we will be sure to keep everyone posted as to how things turn out.

“Glory to God for His benevolence and care for us in all things, teaching us the path of salvation in every circumstance! We ask for the continued prayers of all our friends and supporters, and may the prayers of the Theotokos and all the Saints be with all of us.”

Manton Fires Threaten Monastery – UPDATED

The monks from St. John of Shanghai Monastery in Manton, California are confirmed to be safe, and the buildings are safe. For local updates, look here.

Rocky Mountain Youth Camp 2012

by Fr. Philip Halliwell

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt.18:20)

When the young people in our Church gather together, God sends a particular blessing on everyone present – Christ loved children and He was present in the midst of these kids in the Rockies. The joy and excitement on the faces of the kids when they arrived showed that they had really been looking forward to this camp and to the fun and fellowship with other Orthodox Christians in a safe environment.

The first evening set the tone: Fr. Anthony proclaims outright at the orientation session, “We have no rules here, only strong suggestions, but with . . .” and everybody yells the response “severe consequences!!!”. The ice-breakers would have broken the ice in the North Pole! The boys get into a “ruck” on the floor and the girls have to pull them apart!

Job Opening: Martha and Mary House

Martha and Mary House, the only Orthodox Maternity Home in the United States, is seeking a strong, Orthodox, female House Director to fulfill a critical need: ministering to women seeking adoption in anonymity.

For more information, click here.

Saints of Fort Ross

As the celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Fort Ross celebration draws near (August 25th), the following has been published on the website of the Western-American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

The Saints of Fort Ross

Learning is a two-way street at Project Mexico

by Seraphima Karbo

I recall preparing myself to move to Mexico – not just physically but gearing up mentally as well to begin that chapter of my life. What I did not realize – looking back on it – is that even when I got down here God set me into a long stage of preparation. I started out the year last fall as something of an academic aid to the woman in charge of the Classroom (we call it “el Salón”) – I was a homework helper with a lot of extra time on her hands for afternoon games of hide-and-seek and finger-painting. I was even fitting days helping out at the office in San Diego. In the mornings while the boys were at school I would help the Mexican ladies clean or cook or do laundry; in the afternoons I would help some of the boys with their homework, and then assist with whatever else needed to be done, such as make dinner or get everyone shampooed and showered. I collaborated with other members of the community to expand the Church school program; I was able to focus on some of the boys who had key learning disadvantages – four of them, for instance, had arrived at St. Innocent’s never having been taught to read by their parents or in school.

Then, suddenly in February, after a series of unforeseen events beginning in December, I found myself the person in charge of the elementary school department. I can’t even imagine what a shock that would have been to receive had I been placed in that position back in August; being responsible for the academic success of seventeen grade school boys is a daunting task. Out of sheer necessity, I dropped the model for the daily routine we had previously followed for homework – I was literally incapable of keeping seventeen 7-10-year-old boys quiet and focused in a room at the same time -- and began to work with them in smaller groups of two or three at a time. I found this to be much more effective; the boys not only enjoyed the small-group setting but made a surprisingly fast upward swing in progress and productivity. I began to think about changes that could be made to the academic program that would make it both more productive for the boys and less hectic for me.

A Brief History of Fort Ross

(Note: The celebration of the 200th anniversary of Fort Ross will take place on Saturday, August 25, 2012.)

by Father Konstantin Gavrilkin

In our celebration of the Fort Ross bicentennial, we might overlook the importance of a rather sobering fact: in its 200-year history (1), this Russian military outpost in California performed its original function only for 30 years (1812-1841), was a private property for over 60 years (1841-1903) (2), and has been an historical landmark or a museum for more than 100 years (1903 – current) (3). All three of these periods have been subject to studies from a variety of perspectives (4). It is important to remember that, as an intricate part of both Russian and American history, Fort Ross was a place where Russians interacted with Americans, Spaniards, and Indians, where people of different cultures coexisted, struggled to survive, and cooperated, and already for this reason alone it continues to inspire narratives shaped by diverse interests, agendas, and identities. Out of the three Eastern Orthodox Churches, presented in this collection of essays and related to Fort Ross historically and ecclesiastically, the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is both the fruits and the continuation of the mission, initiated by the Russian Orthodox Church in the late 18th century in Alaska and later spreading through California to the rest of the United States (5).

St. Eugene Camp

To attend St. Eugene's Camp is to experience what it is like to live in an Orthodox Christian community. We pray together, eat together, work together, learn together and play together, learning what it means to be the many members of the one Body of Christ in our daily lives.

This year from July 1-7 approximately 120 participants from northern, central and southern California (approx. 75 campers and over 40 staff, who are all volunteers) came together at St. Nicholas Ranch in Dunlap CA to
build and renew strong friendships.

Christian education sessions and other activities centered around the theme: "Icons: Windows to Heaven." We learned about what holy icons are, how they are made, how to "read" them, and how they are expressions of our faith as well as tools for living a loving relationship with our Lord and the Saints. We swam every day, went canoeing, and played sports and lawn games. We made pysanki and other interesting crafts. We answered Bible questions and brainteasers. We competed in camp Olympics and lived a week full of random acts of kindness. We participated in skits and sang joyful fun songs around the campfire. The younger and older campers helped each other and challenged each other. Twice every day we gathered to offer worship to the Holy Trinity and even visited the magnificent Life-Giving Spring Monastery adjacent to the camp where we celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Friday morning.

It was a truly blessed week.

The week, however, would not have been possible without the prayerful support of people like yourself. You have made an important impact on the lives of our campers and on our Church.

Thank you!!!

The Campers & Staff of St. Eugene's Orthodox Youth Camp 2012

To see photos from the week "like" our St. Eugene's Camp Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Eugenes-Orthodox-Youth-Camp/123795080981912

Colorado Springs Eyewitness Account

Archpriest Anthony Karbo shared the following on Thursday evening:
News reports: 346 homes destroyed...though surely hundreds more damaged by smoke, etc. By the grace of God, presently only one person reportedly died, but I only saw a headline to that end and no other information on my end.

Did the Supplicatory canon at the temple the last few nights: "protect us by thy precious veil", and spoke about the history of the Theotokos protecting the faithful over the centuries. Providentially, the winds have been calmer, temperatures slightly lower, even cloud cover most of today...enabling those fighting the fire to make significant progress.

In town today, many persons allowed to return home in some of the outlying evac. areas... though many remain displaced, and of those some will certainly be displaced for weeks and months to come. As with any tragedy, the human spirit, instilled in us virtue of God's divine imprint which remains in humanity, begins to shine...and the community is committed to helping one another and rebuilding lives together. "Worst fire in Colorado history", says the headlines, in terms of homes damaged and costs associated.

Very strange atmosphere, as in one part of town it is the closest thing to Armageddon taking place in our very midst, visible from near any vantage point in town; yet "life goes on...." movies, kids playing at the parks, etc.

Had 12 families displaced...2 from the very worst of the burn areas. NO ONE of the parish lost their homes: even when houses next door and behind them are literally "gone". Still, even their homes may be so severely smoke damaged as to be deemed uninhabitable. Still far too early for those folks to go back to their homes and actually get an assessment. Folks have only this evening been informed of the status of their homes. In addition, two persons reside at a nursing care facility near the fire that had to be completely evacuated, one of which was Mother Seraphima of Holy Protection Monastery.

One of our members is a forest service fire fighter, and is directly engaged in the continued fight....despite all the good news of today, still only "15% contained".

Agia Sophia was one block away from mandatory evacuation on the south side of the fire. Holy Theophany 1/2 mile away from the mandatory evac. zone...neither place ever was directly in danger.... It is interesting to be a "small business owner" via Agia Sophia, as you get the perspective of lost revenue due to the fire on businesses... particularly small, family owned business who are extremely dependent on daily sales, etc. Agia Sophia has had a tough week, for example... as no one wished to travel to that side of town, getting closer to the fire areas.

We will gather in the morning, pray, partake of the Holy Mysteries on the feast of the Holy Apostles, and give thanks to God for His mercy on us, and on this community.

Many thanks to all who offered prayer and support! We thank God for you all!

DIOCESE
OF THE
WEST, OCA