That same day marked the feast of the Placing of the Honorable Robe of our Lord Jesus Christ in Moscow (1625). In the Cathedral of the Sign, to the right side behind the icon of the Holy Hierarch Nicholas the Wonderworker, is kept an icon with a piece of the precious robe of the Savior. This icon and the relic within were ordered and presented to the cathedral by the ever-memorable Monk Joseph (Lambertsen).

Divine services were led by Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, who himself once graduated from Holy Trinity Seminary. The solemn hierarchal service was a witness to the beauty of Orthodoxy to the many pilgrims: the youth who had participated in the monastery’s summer youth program and were departing for home, the students of the annual Summer Music School who were already one week into their program, and the hundred or so scouts of St. George Pathfinders of America, who had gathered in the monastery for their annual pilgrimage. It is interesting that the Holy Royal Martyrs brought together these various groups of people, all of whom are part of summer life at the monastery.

On Tuesday, August 1, the feast of the Finding of the Relics of Venerable Seraphim, Wonderworker of Sarov, Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal & Canada visited Holy Dormition "Novo-Diveevo" Convent in Nanuet, NY, and celebrated the festal Divine Liturgy in the convent’s St. Seraphim Cathedral.

The Eastern American Diocese has a longstanding tradition of hosting various children’s camps throughout the summer months. When we talk about summer camps, we usually think of scout camps, particularly the camps of St. George Pathfinders of America (ORUR) and the Association of Russian Explorers Outside of Russia (NORR). But over the past 25 years, a new camp in honor of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov has emerged in the Pocono Mountains. Founded in 1992 by the parishioners of Christ the Savior Church in Wilkes-Barre, PA, St. Seraphim Camp has grown to become the single largest summer camp in the Eastern American Diocese, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

On Wednesday, August 2, the feast day of the Holy Prophet Elijah, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, vicar of the Eastern American Diocese, arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of clergymen and laity of the Russian Church Abroad from the U.S., Canada, Australia. On Thursday, August 3, His Beatitude, Patriarch Theophilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem & All Palestine, warmly received His Grace, after which the pilgrims proceeded to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where they venerated the Life-Giving Tomb of the Lord, Golgotha, and other holy sites.

On Thursday, August 10, the patronal feast day of Our Lady of Smolensk Church in Jackson’s Point, ON, Canada – which this year celebrates the 60th anniversary of the parish’s founding – the blessing of the cornerstone of a future chapel dedicated to the Holy Royal Martyrs & Passionbearers was performed.

In the opinion of the rector and parishioners, such nature trips are a great help in strengthening the community; having withdrawn from the daily hustle and bustle, they are able to hold spiritual talks around the evening bonfire, take in the sights of nature, learn to build a campfire, and acquire various other skills needed in the wilderness.

On Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th of August, the feast of the Holy Great-Martyr & Healer Panteleimon, the brethren of Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV celebrated the memory of their Heavenly patron. Leading the divine services this year was His Grace Irenei, Bishop of Sacramento, vicar of the Western American Diocese.

On Sunday, August 13, a special celebration in honor of Abbess Moisseia (Boubnoff) was held at Holy Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives. The day began with Divine Liturgy in the convent cathedral, celebrated by Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan. His Grace was co-served by Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky; head of the Ecclesiastical Mission of the Russian Church Abroad in Jerusalem) and clergy accompanying Bishop Nicholas on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

On Monday the 8th and Tuesday the 9th of August, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, paid an archpastoral visit to the Church of the Holy Great-Martyr & Healer Panteleimon in Hartford, CT. His Eminence led the All-Night Vigil and celebrated Divine Liturgy in honor of the church’s patronal feast day.

On the feast of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY was granted a special blessing: during the festal services, the brotherhood and faithful prayed before an icon of the beloved Russian saint with segments of his hair, a piece of the rock upon which he prayed, and a part of his clothing.

On Monday, August 14, the feast of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord, after Divine Liturgy in Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, a procession was held for the blessing of water and newly harvested honey. The moleben and water blessing were led by monastery Archimandrite Luke (Murianka), joined by monastery clergy. From this day, the newly harvested honey is blessed and tasted.

On Sunday, August 13, the eve of the feast of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York celebrated Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City.

On August 1-14, His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan, led parishioners of the Russian Church Abroad from the U.S., Canada, and Australia on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Among the pilgrims were Priest George and Matushka Elizaveta Temidis from the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY. Matushka Elizaveta is a regular contributor to the Eastern American Diocesan website, and her photographs are well known to our readers. The editors wish to express their sincerest gratitude to Matushka for sharing her photographs of the pilgrimage.

On Thursday, August 17, clergy and faithful from all dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, joined by guests from abroad, gathered in the capital of Ukraine in order to congratulate His Beatitude Onufry, Metropolitan of Kiev & All Ukraine, with the third anniversary of his election to the Kievan Metropolitan See. Among the guests were Eastern American Diocesan Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan and Archpriest Serafim Gan.

On Saturday, August 19, the great feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, celebrated Divine Liturgy in Holy Transfiguration Church in Baltimore, MD in honor of the parish's patronal feast day.

On Saturday, August 19, the clergy, monastics, and parishioners of Holy Dormition Convent "Novo-Diveevo" in Nanuet, NY, celebrated the great feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

On Sunday, August 20, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, paid an archpastoral visit to Holy Trinity Church in Mebane, NC. At Divine Liturgy, the Metropolitan was co-served by Archpriest Alexander Logunov (rector of Reigning Mother of God Church in Charlotte, NC), parish rector Abbot Gabriel (Kvasnikov)...

On Saturday, July 15, with the blessing of its rector, Archimandrite Maximos (Weimar), and of Archpriest John Townsend (dean of Georgia, Alabama & Mississippi), St. John Cassian Chapel in Bessemer, AL, hosted the other Alabama ROCOR missions in the first-ever Alabama Missions Conference.

Back in 2008, my parents brought up Saint Seraphim Camp to me and I shot it down. I never spent more than one night away from home, and forcing me to go to some camp I had never heard of sounded ridiculous. Then it was 2009, and the day came for my parents to drop me off in the middle of the woods. I didn’t understand why they thought it would work out. Who sends a shy 10-year-old girl to a place where she only knows two people, neither of whom is in her group?

Construction continues on Holy Transfiguration Church in Nicaragua’s Orthodox mission. The church is located in the region of Río Negro ("Black River"), 35 miles from Managua, the nation’s capital. Divine services there are performed by Hieromonk Marcos (Cantillano-Calderón).

On Thursday, August 31, the feast of the Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus and the Afterfeast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, celebrated Divine Liturgy in St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ.

On Monday, August 28, the great feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, parishioners of Holy Dormition Church in McKeesport, PA celebrated their patronal feast day.