The Church of Blessed Matrona of Moscow in Dania Beach, FL, has turned five years old. Its history began in 2011, when on December 25, the first divine service was performed on the day that the still small church in Hallandale (near Miami) opened its doors. Over the following years, a great deal of work was done, the result of which was the consecration on December 25, 2015 of the largest Russian Orthodox Church in Florida. 

The Gateway to Latin America - Whatever else can be said, Orthodox life in America differs greatly from that in Russia. And it differs more so in Miami, the fourth most populated city in the USA after New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, where there are two Russian churches, a Greek, an Antiochian, and a Serbian church and, as of two years ago, a Spanish-speaking Orthodox mission arrived. It was from the spouse of local cleric, Archpriest Peter Jackson, Matushka Styliana, that I heard Miami referred to as the capital of Latin America. 

Holy Dormition Church in McKeesport, PA – known to locals simply as St. Mary’s – recently completed an extensive renovation to the exterior of the church building as part of its ongoing preparations for the parish’s centennial celebrations in 2017. Constructed in 1975, the church was in need of major repairs. The project began in May 2016, shortly after Pascha, and ended three months later at the end of July.

Your Eminences, the archpastors, esteemed priest and deacons, all-honorable monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters! On this holy night, I extend my heartfelt greetings to you all and from the depths of my soul I congratulate you on the great feast of the Nativity of Christ: the feast of the fulfillment of the promises of old for the salvation of the human race, the feast of the ineffable love of the Maker toward His creation, the feast of the coming into the world of the Son of God – the Messiah.

Moved by the most profound feelings of fraternal love and joy for the Savior of the World born in Bethlehem, I congratulate my brother-archpastors, clergymen, monastics, and all of the faithful children of the Russian Church Abroad with the great and sacred feast of the Nativity of Christ!

With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, a new website for the Eastern American Diocese was launched on Christmas Day by the diocesan Media Office. Teaming up with the design team from Orthodox Web Solutions, media office staff spent several months working on the new and improved bilingual website.

On the first day of St. Herman Youth Conference, the lobby swarms with strangers. But out of the chaos, a few familiar faces emerge, and over the next few days, new friends will become your family. Being young and Orthodox, after all, is not a particularly typical combination, and this common denominator transforms strangers into family in minutes. United by a common experience and faith, Americans, Russians, Canadians, Australians, Serb, and Greeks; teenagers and budding professionals; engineers and nurses; PKs (priests’ kids) and the recently chrismated – all diverse and unique – will come together.

On Saturday, January 6, the Eve of the great feast of the Nativity of Christ, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. His Eminence was co-served by diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, and cathedral and diocesan clergy.

On Monday morning, December 19, the feast day of the Holy Hierarch Nicholas the Wonderworker, the parish of St. Nicholas Church in Poughkeepsie, NY celebrated its lesser patronal feast day. Celebrating the festal Liturgy was Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan. His Grace was co-served by parish rector Archpriest Alexander Donchenko...

On Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of January, the brethren and pilgrims of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, came together in the habitation’s main cathedral to celebrate the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Leading the divine services was monastery abbot Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), co-served by monastery clergy. 

On Friday evening, January 6 – the Eve of Christ’s Nativity – the festal Vigil began quietly and triumphally in Nativity of the Mother of God Church at the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY. After the service, all of the parishioners sat down for the traditional lenten dinner: a humble meal of sochivo porridge, honey, and bread

On Thursday, January 12, an official Nativity reception was held in the Consulate of the Russian Federation in New York City on behalf of Consul General Igor L. Golubovsky and the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, His Grace John, Bishop of Naro-Fominsk. 

The Nativity of Christ was celebrated in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. On the eve of the feast, parishioners decorated the cathedral for the feast. The All-Night Vigil on Friday, January 6th, and the Divine Liturgy for the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ on Saturday the 7th were led by Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

On Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of January, festal services for the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ were held in St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ. With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, the services were led by New Jersey dean and pastor emeritus Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov, co-served by parish clergy.

On Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of January, the clergy, sisterhood, and parishioners of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY joyfully greeted the great feast of the Nativity of Christ. The All-Night Vigil on Friday evening and Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning were led by the dean of the convent’s St. Seraphim Cathedral, Archpriest Alexander Fedorowski, co-served by convent clergy: Archpriest Yaroslav Belikow and Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky.

On Tuesday the 10th and Wednesday the 11th of January, the feast of the Holy Innocents, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York paid an archpastoral visit to Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV. On Tuesday, His Eminence prayed with the brethren during the evening divine services.

On Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of Janary, the clergy and faithful of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Mayfield, PA joyously greeted the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The divine services were led by longtime cathedral rector Archpriest John Sorochka, co-served by cathedral clerics.

This past weekend was a bright and joyous one at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC. On Saturday, January 14, the local scouts held their traditional Yolka celebration. Prior to the start of the concert, the scouts visited sick and elderly parishioners, congratulating them on Christ’s Nativity and singing Christmas carols. The following day, January 15, the feast of one of the most beloved Russian saints – Venerable Seraphim of Sarov...

When bullet holes were first discovered on Monday, December 12, 2016, in the new church building and welcome sign at Joy of All Who Sorrow Church in Cumming (Atlanta), GA, parishioners believed it was likely careless shooting by locals during the area’s hunting season. On Wednesday, January 11, however, more bullet holes were discovered, leading to suspicions that the church is being maliciously attacked.

On Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of January, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, led the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy in St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ for the feast of the Repose & Second Finding of the Relics of Venerable Seraphim, Abbot and Wonderworker of Sarov.

On Friday, January 20, the feast of the Synaxis of the Holy Prophet & Baptist of the Lord John, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, led the patronal feast day of St. John the Forerunner Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY. His Eminence brought with him from St. Nicholas Monastery in North Ft. Myers, FL a piece of the relics of St. John the Baptist...

On Saturday, January 14, the Nativity Yolka was held at Holy New Martyrs & Confessors of Russia Church in Brooklyn, NY for students of St. Seraphim of Sarov Sunday School, which is attended by children both of that parish and of the neighboring St. Joasaph of Belgorod Church. Prior to the start of the concert, school director Archpriest Boris Oparin congratulated the children, teachers, and parents with the Nativity of Christ.

The parishes of the Carolinas & Tennessee Deanery celebrated the divine services of Nativity and Theophany along with their parish Yolkas, river blessings, and baptisms. This year was particularly challenging, as an unprecedented winter storm came through our deanery in the Southern United States..

On Sunday, January 15, His Grace, Bishop Jerome, celebrated Divine Liturgy in Holy Virgin Protection church in Nyack, NY. . In his sermon, Bishop Jerome recounted the Christian tradition of giving gifts on the feast of the Nativity in memory of the gifts brought to the Infant Christ by the three Wise Men, as well as the symbolism of the Feast of Theophany. After the service, students of the parish’s Russian School began to gather with their families in the parish hall for the Christmas "Yolka." 

On Saturday, January 21, Metropolitan Hilarion began his archpastoral visit to the Diocese of Great Britain. His Eminence was met at London’s Gatwick Airport by the Diocese’s senior cleric, Archpriest Peter Baulk, and chancellor, Archpriest Paul Elliott, and minor clergy, who traveled with him to Merseyside, where the Metropolitan was interviewed by the BBC on arrival at Lime Street Station in Liverpool.

On Monday, January 30, with the blessing of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, and at the invitation of His Eminence Agathangel, Metropolitan of Odessa & Izmail, His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan (vicar of the Eastern American Diocese) began his official visit to the Diocese of Odessa of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

On Tuesday, January 31, the second day of Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan’s visit to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church began with the singing of an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos before her wonderworking Icon "The Milk-Giver" (Galaktotrophousa or Mlekopitatelnitsa) in Odessa’s Holy Dormition Patriarch Cathedral.