According to the resolution of the Synod of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), June 19-20 was chosen for the church canonization of the righteous mother Olga of Kwethluk (1916-79) – the first officially glorified Orthodox holy woman of the North American continent. A native of Kwethluk, a village in southwestern Alaska, Olga Michael (Tanqilria...
On October 4, 2025, Fort Ross welcomed around a thousand Orthodox pilgrims from across the country. They gathered for a Divine Liturgy marking one hundred years since services were renewed in the chapel of what is recognized as the first Orthodox parish on the North American mainland. The liturgy was concelebrated by three Metropolitans together...
This September marks twenty-five years since the blessed repose of the beloved archpastor, Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev) of Western America and San Francisco. For more than three decades, from 1968 until his passing on September 23, 2000, Vladyka Anthony ministered to his flock with a gentle spirit, deep humility, and unwavering devotion. His memory is sacredly...
The recent article “St. John’s Orthodox Academy Must Stand For the Sake of Our Children, Our Church, and Our Future” struck a chord far beyond its initial readership. Alumni, parents, and members of the community from across the decades have reached out in a show of overwhelming support, reaffirming the Academy’s vital role in shaping...
The days when thousands of visitors flocked to Sonoma’s coast to witness historical reenactments at Fort Ross State Historic Park are now gone. The traditional Fort Ross Festival—which for decades celebrated the 19th-century Russian-American Company’s presence in California—has been replaced by the so-called Ocean and Art Festival. Gone are the performances by Russian artists, frontier...
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 The possible closure of Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy would mark a profound failure and a lasting shame for the Orthodox community. I can find no rational justification for...
On June 14th, the children’s dance ensemble “Matreshki D.C.”, under the patronage of the St. John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral (ROCOR), performed a new concert program in the Washington metropolitan area. The concert featured traditional Russian folk dances: “Moscow Kadrille” (Square Dance), “Kamarinskaya,” “Sudarushka” (Dance with shawls), “Volga Dance”, as well as the famous...
During their exploration of Northern California, millions annually come across a sign that reads “Russian River.” This prompts them, at some juncture during their travels in the heart of Sonoma’s wine county to ponder about the origins of the name of this splendid waterway. Why is this major artery, flowing southwest for 110 miles from...
A festive atmosphere permeated the area around the Russian Center in San Francisco on May 2nd and 3rd. From the lit windows, a chorus of music, the buzz of lively conversations, and cheerful, booming toasts of “Hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip hooray!” could be heard. This marked the long-awaited return of the legendary Russian Festival under a...
Radonitsa in the the Russian Orthodox Church is a commemoration of the departed observed on the second Tuesday of Pascha (Easter) or, in some places (in south-west Russia), on the second Monday of Pascha. The Slavs, like many ancient peoples, had a tradition of visiting family members’ graves during the springtime and feasting together with them. After their conversion to Christianity, this...