Orthodox Churches

The Commemoration of the Beheading of John the Baptist in Jerusalem

On Friday, the 29^th of August/11^th of September 2015, the Patriarchate commemorated the Beheading of John the Baptist at the Monastery dedicated to him, which stands within the Christian quarter and is adjacent to the south of the Church of the Resurrection. An underground Church dated to the 4^th c. lies within the Monastery, recently renovated by means of collaboration between the Patriarchate and Cyprus’ Leventis Foundation. Over this ancient church stands another, magnificent new church, its origins dated to the 11^th c.

Fire threatens Life-Giving Spring convent and St. Nicholas retreat center in Dunlap, California

The Rough Fire located in central California has consumed over 103,000 acres. Residents in many communities along its path have been evacuated, included staff at Saint Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center and the adjacent Monastery of the Theotokos the Life Giving Spring. The fire is approximately four miles away from the Ranch and Monastery facilities, located in Dunlap, California, and the air quality is extremely poor and is a health hazard for residents.

Russian Gov't Proposed to Bury Alleged Remains of Sts. Alexis and Maria Romanov

The Russian government recently offered to bury the alleged remains of Sts. Alexei and Maria Romanov, the Crown Prince and Grand Duchess of the last royal family of Russia. The remains are currently housed at the Russian State Archives, but could be buried on October 18 in Catherine’s aisle of the Peter and Paul Cathedral at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. Members of the Romanov family have been invited to the ceremony.

In July 1991 a grave with nine bodies was found near Ekaterinburg, with the remains being identified as the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II and the Tsaritsa Alexandra, along with their children, the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, and Anastasia, and their servants Evgeny Botkin, Anna Demidova, Alexey Trupp, and Ivan Kharitonov. Two more remains were discovered in a grave seventy kilometers south on July 26, 2007 which many analysts believe to be the remains of Sts. Alexei and Maria.

During the Visit to Kursk of the Main Holy Icon of the Russian Church Abroad, a Memorial Will Be Unveiled Honoring Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Laurus

A sculpture depicting the late Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the late First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia holding the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "of the Sign" will be unveiled in the monastery of the Nativity of the Most-Holy Mother of God, “Kursk Hermitage,” as reported by Kurskaya Pravda. The new monument expressed the main idea of the historic event which brought to an end the tragic period of division within the Russian Church in the 20 th century, the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion, which took place in Moscow on May 17, 2007.

His Holiness Irinej Patriarch of Serbia Visits the Diocesan Cathedral

On September 8, 2015, the Feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, a very special event took place in the life of our diocese.

His Holiness Irinej Patriarch of Serbia visited our Diocesan Cathedral of the Mother of God dedicated to Her Icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in the company of many Serbian Orthodox bishops, clergy, seminarians from the theological seminary in Prezren and others.

Church, Rising at Trade Center Site, Will Glow Where Darkness Fell

 What is most amazing about the World Trade Center, 14 years after the terrorist attack, is that it is steadily growing less amazing.

With the removal last year of fences around the National September 11 Memorial, the opening this summer of Greenwich Street to foot traffic and the arrival of office tenants at Tower 1 and Tower 4, the site feels as if it is being knitted back into the fabric of Lower Manhattan. To mix metaphors, it is coursing again with lifeblood.