On Saturday, November 17, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern American & New York, led the celebrations in honor of the 40th anniversary of the founding of St. Nicholas Monastery in North Fort Myers, FL.

On Wednesday, November 14, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, paid an archpastoral visit to Sts. Cosmas & Damian Church in Passaic, NJ, and led the parish’s patronal feast day, as well as the official farewell for its former rector, Priest Dmitri Don.

Rector of Dormition of the Mother of God Church in Bluefield, WV, Priest Mark Tyson left the Patriarchate of Constantinople and joined the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

On Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th of November, His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Manhattan, paid an archpastoral visit to the Church of Our Lady "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in Cumming (Atlanta), GA. His visit was timed to coincide with celebrations of the parish’s patronal feast day, which had taken place on November 6.

In 2018, the children of the Church mark the 36th anniversary of the appearance of the myrrh-streaming Montreal-Iveron Icon of the Mother of God (November 24, 1982), the 21st anniversary of the martyric death of its guardian, Brother Jose Muñoz-Cortes

This year, the patronal feast day celebrations at St. John of Kronstadt Memorial Church in Utica, NY were particularly eventful, and included two separate hierarchal visits.

On Tuesday, November 6, the feast of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow," Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan paid an archpastoral visit to Joy of All Who Sorrow Church in Philadelphia, PA, where he led its patronal feast day.

On Sunday, November 4, the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan paid an archpastoral visit to Our Lady of Kazan Church in Newark, NJ, where he led its patronal feast day.

On Thursday, November 1, the feast of Venerable John of Kronstadt, clergy and believers triumphally commemorated the namesday of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America &New York, in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City. Since the feast of Venerable Hilarion, Schemamonk of the Kiev Caves (Nov. 3) coincided this year with St. Demetrius Soul Saturday, the celebration of His Eminence’s namesday was moved to November 1.

On Wednesday, October 31, and Thursday, November 1, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan paid an archpastoral visit to St. Elizabeth the New-Martyr Church in Rocky Hill, NJ, where he led the parish festivities in honor of the centennial of the Venerable Martyr Elizabeth and Nun-Martyr Barbara.

About five years had passed since we first began to look for a location for the administrative center of the Eastern American Diocese; on September 12, 2014, it was officially opened. Today we prayerfully open the second Diocesan Assembly in this God-preserved town of Howell, NJ.

On Tuesday, October 30, Monk Cornelius (Mattei) of the Monastery of St. Dionysios the Areopagite in St. James, NY, reposed in the Lord. He was 68 years old.

The 27th Annual North American Church Musicians’ Conference for church conductors, singers, and readers, which was held at the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Albany, NY, from October 3-7, took place with great success and prayerful enthusiasm.

From Monday the 22nd through Wednesday the 24th of October, the triennial Eastern American Diocesan Assembly was held at the Diocesan Center at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ. Hierarchs, clergy, and parish delegates met there to discuss the state of the Diocese and various affairs relating to Church life.

On Wednesday evening, October 24, Archpriest Thomas Andrew, chancellor of the Diocese of Alaska of the Orthodox Church in America, paid an informal visit to the Synodal Headquarters in New York City.

On Tuesday, October 16, the feast day of the Holy Hieromartyr Dionysios the Areopagite, marked the very first patronal feast day to be celebrated at the newly acquired monastery property of the ROCOR Brotherhood of St. Dionysios in St. James, NY.

On Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th of October, the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Grace, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, visited Holy Virgin Intercession Church in Glen Cove, NY, where he led the divine services in honor of the parish’s patronal feast day.

On Saturday, October 13, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, flew in to lead the parish celebrations in Rochester, NY – this year, the patronal feast of the Protection of the Mother of God Church fell on Sunday, which added to the solemnity of the holiday.

On Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th of October, the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, His Grace, Bishop Jerome, led the patronal feast of Holy Virgin Protection Church in Nyack, NY.

On Sunday, October 14, the major feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, Holy Protection Skete in Buena, NJ – once a Cossack church – celebrated its patronal feast day. This year, the patronal feast day celebrations were celebrated over two days, in order to give the clergy and pilgrims and opportunity to come to the skete and pray before the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian-Iveron Icon of the Mother of God which visited the skete for the feast day.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople does not have the right or authority to lift anathemas from the heads of Ukrainian churches, because that contradicts the canons of Orthodox Christianity.

On Monday, October 8, the feast of the repose of Venerable Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh and Wonderworker of all Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, celebrated Divine Liturgy in St. Sergius Chapel in the Synodal Headquarters in New York City.

On Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th of October, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, performed an archpastoral visit to the capital city of New York State to participate in and lead the 27th Annual Russian Orthodox Church Musicians’ Conference.

On Sunday, October 7, His Eminence Alexander, Metropolitan of Riga & All Latvia, co-served by Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, guardian of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God celebrated Divine Liturgy in Nativity of Christ Diocesan Cathedral in Riga, were the wonderworking icon is currently visiting.

On Friday, October 5, with the blessing of His Eminence Alexander, Metropolitan of Riga & All Latvia, the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God was brought to Lativa.

This is now the tenth visit of the great holy icon of the Kursk region – which became the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora in the 20th century – to the Metropolitanate of Kursk.

when it came time for this year’s visit, I have to admit that I was a bit more relaxed and nonchalant in my journalistic approach. I thought to myself, "Since I covered the camp so extensively last year, there really should not be much for me to see this year." Needless to say, I was wrong.

On September 29th & 30th, the annual Pilgrimage Weekend was presided over by His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York. The monastery was greatly blessed with the presence of the Holy Myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, which arrived on Saturday afternoon and was greeted with the festive pealing of bells and incense.

On the great feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Creating Cross of the Lord, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan participated in the divine services in Kursk, Russia.

On Tuesday, September 25, a delegation of the Russian Church Aboard – led by His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan – continued its pilgrimage to the lands of Kursk.

On Monday, September 17, the sole church in the entire vast Eastern American Diocese dedicated to the Holy Hierarch Joasaph of Belgorod in Brooklyn, NY celebrated its patronal feast day and the fifth anniversary of its founding with festal divine services. 

On Saturday, September 22, a delegation of the Russian Church Aboard, led by His Grace, Eastern American Diocesan vicar Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, began its pilgrimage to Russia.

On Friday, September 21, the great feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad led the Great Consecration of the Diocesan Cathedral dedicated to the feast in London. 

On Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th of September, the parishioners of the New Kursk Root Hermitage in Mahopac, NY held their annual celebrations in honor of the forthcoming patronal feast day of the hermitage’s main church, dedicated to the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.

On Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th of September – the feast of the Translation of the Relics of the Holy Right-Believing Great Prince Alexander Nevsky – Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York led the All-Night Vigil and celebrated Divine Liturgy in St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ