The joint committee, comprising members of the Western American Diocese (ROCOR) and the Diocese of the West (OCA), who are organizing the Centennial Anniversary of Pilgrimage to Fort Ross on Saturday, October 4th, 2025, is announcing a fundraising drive to cover the cost of replacement windows for the chapel at Fort Ross State Historic Park.

The current chapel is a reconstruction, lovingly built in part with the help of volunteers from the Russian Orthodox community in Northern California, which replaced the former one that was destroyed by fire in 1970.

At that time, much care and research went into replicating the original chapel erected in the early 1800s, including the three windows, by using old photographs and available documents.

Approximately 55 years have passed since the chapel windows were fashioned and installed. Over time, the coastal climate had taken its toll on the weather-beaten frames and broken or cracked window panes.

The ever-memorable and greatly loved Protodeacon George Balaban, of the St Herman of Alaska parish in Sunnyvale, CA, has reposed in the Lord.

Fr George was born on May 26, 1941 in Bucharest Romania. He was a graduate of the National Musical Conservatory in Bucharest in 1965. In 1966 he married another talented musician, Raluca Cautis… they were married for almost 60 years. In 1980, George and Raluca emigrated to the United States, fleeing Communism. They ended up settling in the Bay Area and began attending services at the Church of the Redeemer in Los Altos. They, along with a few others, left the Church of the Redeemer to be founding members of the St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in 1984. In 1988, Fr George was ordained to the deaconate by Archbishop Antony (Medvedev). Fr George served faithfully for over 35 years until declining health began to slow him down. Even when it became difficult for him to serve, he continued to faithfully attend, sat in the altar and blessed us with his prayerful and peaceful presence.

Fr George reposed on September 5th, 2025. He is survived by his Matushka Raluca Mariana, their son Matthew and his wife Rebecca - who gave them their beloved granddaughter, Sophia.

Funeral will take place at St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church, Saturday September 13th at 9:30am. Burial to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Los Altos Hills.

May his memory be eternal!

For the first time in its history, the ROCOR Western American Diocese St. Herman’s Conference was held in the summer, from August 7-11, 2025. The conference was hosted by St. George Russian Orthodox Church in West Jordan, UT. Participants came from all around the diocese, from as far west as Hawaii and as far east as Denver, from as far north as Seattle and as far south as Tucson.

After his meeting with American President Donald Trump at the Elmendorf-Richardson army base in Anchorage, Alaska, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with His Eminence Alexei, Bishop of Sitka and Alaska. The Russian President conveyed heartfelt greetings from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of All Russia, and gifted the bishop an icon of St. Herman of Alaska, Enlightener of America, reports the Russian news agency Vzglyad.

Concerning Patriarch Kirill, Mr. Putin told His Eminence, “We met before our trip, and he himself told me how the Orthodox Church was born here [in Alaska]. He told me that he has been to church services here; he spoke of you very warmly, and asked me to convey his very best wishes to you,” the Kremlin Telegram channel cited.

Mr. Putin gave Bishop Alexei an icon of St. Herman, the beloved saint of Alaska and all America. Bishop Alexei in turn also presented President Putin with the icon given him by his brother monks on Mount Athos when he was consecrated a bishop. He said that he has prayed before this icon in his icon corner for four years, and would like to present it to the the Russian leader from all the people of Alaska as a token of appreciation for the Russian leaders who brought to Alaska the most important and precious thing: Orthodox Christianity.

A live stream of the meeting can be found here on Mint.

Source: orthochristian.com

On Saturday, July 26, 2025, the Synodal School of Liturgical Music completed its 34th year, with a Moleben of Thanksgiving at the main church of the Holy Dormition Convent (Novo Diveevo) in Nanuet, NY. In the absence of the school’s Founding Director, the Very Reverend Father Andre Papkov, the Moleben was served by Father Artemy Siss, to the antiphonal singing of combined choirs of students and faculty and in the presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas and the Abbess of the Convent, Mother Makaria.

This year the school graduated five students: Alexey Campbell, Elizabeth Campbell, Thomas Venkatesh, and Alison Sailor were awarded certificates as Conductors/Precentors and Olga Filatova as Precentor... 

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