On December 24, the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in Protection of the Mother of God Church in Rochester, NY. Having officiated at the All-Night Vigil the evening prior, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad was greeted at the doors of the church with the traditional bread and salt.

On Monday the 18th and Tuesday the 19th of December, the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora, visited St. Nicholas Diocesan Cathedral in Montreal, QC, Canada, on the occasion of the cathedral’s patronal feast day

On Saturday the 28th and Sunday the 29th of October, the 25th annual pilgrimage of the parishioners of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY took place in a spirit of thankful prayer to God.

The 30th North American Church Music Conference was very productive and a great success, uniting church choir directors, singers, and readers. Approximately 60 people gathered in the Ottawa, ON suburb of Kanata.

On Saturday, September 30, the feast of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Charity and their mother Sophia, a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of the Holy Hierarch John, Archbishop of Shanghai & San Francisco the Wonderworker, took place in the Diocesan Cathedral of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in San Francisco, CA.

On Sunday, September 17, the feast of Holy Prophet Moses the God-seer, the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Holy Trinity Seminary concluded with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in Holy Trinity Cathedral in Jordanville, NY.

On Saturday the 2nd and Sunday the 3rd of September, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York paid an archpastoral visit to St. Andrew Stratelates Cathedral in St. Petersburg, FL. His Eminence’s visit was timed in connection with the celebration of the parish’s patronal feast on September 1, the 75th anniversary of its founding, and the 30th anniversary of Archpriest Igor Chitikov’s rectorship.

From Sunday the 16th to Saturday the 29th of July, the Synodal School of Liturgical Music (SSLM) held its 32nd annual summer session in the refurbished rooms and halls of the former Old Persons’ Home at Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY.

On Sunday, July 30, a multitude of diocesan clergy and faithful of the tristate area gathered for the annual celebrations and Divine Liturgy in St. Vladimir Memorial Church in Jackson, NJ, officiated by Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York.

From Friday the 14th to Monday the 17th of July, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, visited the clergy and faithful of the Nativity of Christ Old Rite Community in Erie, PA. His Eminence was accompanied by His Grace John, Bishop of Caracas & South America.

On June 29/July 12, the Holy Church commemorates the Holy Preeminent Apostles Peter & Paul. On this day in 2003, Archimandrite Peter (Loukianoff) was ordained Bishop of Cleveland, vicar of the Diocese of Chicago & Detroit (now the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America) at the diocesan cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God in Des Plaines (Chicago), IL.

The 75th school year at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY has been successfully completed, and on May 28, the 7th Sunday after Pascha – that of the Holy Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council, the seminary celebrated its annual commencement.

On May 29, the Monday of the 7th week after Pascha, coinciding with the observance of Memorial Day, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, visited St. Tikhon Stavropegial Monastery of the Orthodox Church in America in South Canaan, PA.

On Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th of May, Brisbane celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first Orthodox parish in Australia. Hundreds of parishioners of this and other Orthodox churches from different cities of Australia and invited high-ranking guests gathered at St Nicholas Cathedral. The service was attended by three bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and about 70 clergy. Orthodox Christians of Brisbane had never seen such a large-scale event.

On Tuesday, May 16, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York performed an archpastoral visit to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY to commemorate the first anniversary of the repose of Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral), sixth First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

On Friday, May 12, the Eastern American Diocese Assembly was held at Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY. Officiating the Assembly was the Diocese’s Ruling Bishop, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.

We have gathered during these Paschal days for the first time in five years. I am glad we are able to meet and hope that we will be able to discuss our diocesan affairs for the benefit of all.

The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia held its regular teleconference on Thursday, May 4, chaired by its Primate, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York. During his first visit as First Hierarch to Germany

On Thomas Sunday, April 23 ‒ the feast of Antipascha – the patronal festal celebrations of Holy Resurrection Diocesan Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina were officiated by the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York, who arrived from New York accompanied by the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora – the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.

NEW PHOTOS! The Diocesan Media Office will publish photo-reports of Holy Week & the Feast of feasts – the Lord’s Pascha in the parishes and monasteries of the Eastern American Diocese on the diocesan website. 

On the night of Sunday, April 16, the clergy and parishioners of the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City celebrated the principal feast of the Christian world – Christ’s Glorious Resurrection.

With a sense of Paschal joy and special spiritual closeness, despite the distances separating us, I greet you, Eminent Brother-Archpastors, reverend fathers, dear brothers and sisters scattered throughout the world, on this great and light-bearing day of the Pascha of Christ!

On the great feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York officiated All-Night Vigil on Saturday the 8th and celebrated Divine Liturgy on Sunday the 9th of April in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City.

On Wednesday, April 5, the Great Lenten Retreat for clergy of the southern deaneries of the Eastern American Diocese concluded with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts in St. Mary of Egypt Church in Roswell (Atlanta), GA.

Almost two and a half years after breaking ground, the local building inspection office granted the parish of Holy Myrrhbearers Church in Harrisonburg, VA a temporary occupancy permit, allowing them to move into their new church edifice at 5004 Cross Keys Road, Mount Crawford, VA. It is only seven minutes from where they had been renting, just outside the city limits of Harrisonburg.

On Wednesday, March 22, the feast of the Holy 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, the Great Lenten Retreat for clergy of the northern deaneries of the Eastern American Diocese concluded with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.

On Thursday, March 16, the 15th anniversary of the repose of Metropolitan Laurus (Škurla) of blessed memory, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, visited Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.

On March 5, the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy and officiated the Rite of Orthodoxy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City.

On Thursday, February 16, the feast day of the Holy Equal-of-the-Apostles Nicholas, Archbishop of Japan, the namesday of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York was solemnly celebrated in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City.

The great feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany) was celebrated in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America & New York officiated the All-Night Vigil on Wednesday the 18th and celebrated Divine Liturgy on Thursday the 19th of January.

On Monday, January 9, His Eminence Nicholas, Metropolitan of Eastern American & New York, paid his first official visit following his election as First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad to the Mid-American Diocese. His Eminence accompanied the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God on his visit, to the joy of the local faithful.

The Diocesan Media Office has begun publishing photo-reports of the Nativity of our Lord in parishes and monasteries of the Eastern American Diocese on the diocesan website. 

On Saturday, January 7, the great feast of the Nativity of Christ, a multitude of parishioners and faithful from other churches in the city gathered in the cathedral; in comparison with past years, many more families were in attendance with their children. All came to express their love for the newborn Divine Infant Christ.

In these days of great joy, the thoughts of the archpastors, pastors, monastics, parishioners, and faithful of the churches and monasteries of our dioceses, scattered like God’s wheat over the vast earth, meet in the meek Bethlehem cave, in the semi-darkness of which was lit the unquenchable Light of the world ‒ our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God!