The first church founded in the Eastern American Diocese (itself organized in 1934) was dedicated to St. Alexander Nevsky, founded in Howell, New Jersey, in 1936, with the blessing of Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko). Eighty years later, the parish, which once had comprised a handful of parishioners gathering in a humble wooden chapel in the woods, has grown to be a cathedral, currently the Diocesan Center.

On Sunday, December 4, the great feast of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan celebrated Divine Liturgy in St. Seraphim Memorial Church in Sea Cliff, NY, in the presence of one of the most ancient holy icons of the Russian Church – the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

For Release: At the December 8-9, 2016, session of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which was held at the Synodal Headquarters in New York City, Synod members reviewed the case of Abbot Alexander (Frizzell), formerly dean of Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV. 

On Friday the 9th and Saturday the 10th of December, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York led the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy for the patronal feast day of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. His Eminence was co-served by archpastors who had recently participated in the December session of the Holy Synod. In these festal days, the divine services proceeded under the aegis of the marvelously adorned wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God – Protectress of the Russian Diaspora. 

On Saturday, December 17, the feast day of the Holy Great-Martyress Barbara, Holy Annunciation Church’s new altar table was consecrated and its table of oblation and iconostasis blessed. Leading the consecration and celebrating Divine Liturgy was Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad. His Eminence was co-served by Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan...

On Sunday, December 18, the feast of Ven. Sabbas the Sanctified, His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan, visited St. Nicholas Church in Stratford, CT, on the eve of the parish’s patronal feast. The vicar of the Eastern American Diocese was met by children with baskets of flower petals and was greeted by parish warden Leo Dexter Peavy, who welcomed His Grace to the parish and thanked him for coming.

On Monday, December 19, the feast day of the Holy Hierarch Nicholas, Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia, the Divine Liturgy in St. Nicholas Stavropegial Monastery in North Ft. Myers, FL, was celebrated by the monastery’s abbot, Archimandrite Alexander (Belya).

With the blessing and under the patronage of His Beatitude, Patriarch John X of Antioch & All the East, staff of Holy Trinity Publications in Jordanville, NY participated in a week of festivities culminating in the patronal feast of the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand in Tripoli, Lebanon.

On Thursday, December 22, the feast day of the Icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy," Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese, celebrated Divine Liturgy in the church of the same name on Staten Island, NY.

With the blessing of His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, St. John the Russian Church in Ipswich, MA hosted its 6th Annual Old-Fashioned Christmas Carol Sing-Along on Friday, December 23.

From December 25-28, as part of his archpastoral visit to Florida, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York visited St. Nicholas Monastery, where he celebrated three Divine Liturgies. Upon his arrival at the monastery on Sunday evening, December 25, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad served a panihida for those who died in the tragic plane crash near Sochi (92 people were on board).

At its autumn 2016 meeting, the Board of Trustees of Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville, NY has resolved to open the search for the vacant position of Dean of the Seminary, and formed a Search Committee for this purpose, under the chairmanship of the Very Reverend Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), Rector of the Seminary.