“This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad therein.”

On Saturday, October 4th, 2025, God blessed Fort Ross State Historic Park and its environs with beautiful, calm, and still sunny weather as the Diocese of the West (OCA) and the Western American Diocese (ROCOR) celebrated the Centennial Anniversary of Pilgrimage to Fort Ross.

The annual pilgrimage to Fort Ross was initiated by the Very Reverend Archpriest Vladimir Sakovich, of Holy Trinity Cathedral (OCA) in San Francisco, who led members of the Russian Orthodox community of Northern California in the Divine Liturgy there on Independence Day, July 4th, 1925. Since that time, annual pilgrimages have been organized by the Diocese of the West, whose members continue the visit on the 4th of July, and by members of the Western American Diocese who go on Memorial Day.

On Saturday, October 4th, organizers and volunteers arrived early to prepare the grounds for this historic event. Tents had been erected the day before. But all of the items needed for the Divine Liturgy were arranged: a specially constructed large holy table with vestment covers, holy vessels, and all the effects of a sacristy, icons, liturgical bells, and a sound system to broadcast the litanies and exclamations across the interior of the fort. Meanwhile, to the West on the bluffs outside the fort, more volunteers were setting up tents, tables, and chairs in preparation for the catered festive luncheon that was to follow the Divine Services.

SANTA ROSA, California

On October 3, 2025, after the one-day conference dedicated to the Centennial Anniversary of Pilgrimage to Fort Ross held at Saint Seraphim of Sarov Cathedral in Santa Rosa, CA, many of the clergy and faithful to the 5-10 minute drive to Saints Peter and Paul Church on Stoney Point Road.

From 4:30 pm, vespers and matins were performed in honor of the Apodosis of the Feast of the Elevation of the Honorable Cross of the Lord and Saint Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow. His Beatitude Metropolitan TIKHON, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All of America and Canada, Metropolitan MAXIMILLAN of Irkutsk and Angar (MP), His Eminence DANIEL, Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest (OCA), His Grace VASILY of San Francisco and the West (OCA), and His Grace JAMES, Bishop of Sonora (ROCOR) were present in prayer with many clergy and people who had participated in the conference.

After the Divine Service, the Father Rector of the parish, Archpriest Alexander Krassovsky and the Sisterhood prepared dinner for the hierarchs and their guests.

OCTOBER 3rd, 2025

Today I am in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco.

In the old Russian tradition, I waited until the very last minute, and when I finally decided to register for the conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the first Russian pilgrimage to the settlement of Fort Ross, I got the reply: “Sold out, no seats available.” I thought — that can’t be! But it could: Russian history in the United States has turned out to be in demand. This was evidenced by the parish hall of St. Seraphim of Sarov Church, packed with a couple of hundred guests.

The organizers gathered a magnificent lineup of speakers — from a wonderful talk by the dear Maria Sakovich (granddaughter of Archpriest Vladimir Sakovich, who organized the first pilgrimage back in the 1920s) to guests from Russia, who joined online to tell about the pilgrimage center of St. Innocent near Irkutsk. Among the honored guests were His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and Metropolitan Maximilian, hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Irkutsk and Angarsk, head of the Irkutsk Metropolia, who came with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

The joint committee, comprising members of the Western American Diocese (ROCOR) and the Diocese of the West (OCA), who are organizing the Centennial Anniversary of Pilgrimage to Fort Ross on Saturday, October 4th, 2025, is announcing a fundraising drive to cover the cost of replacement windows for the chapel at Fort Ross State Historic Park.

The current chapel is a reconstruction, lovingly built in part with the help of volunteers from the Russian Orthodox community in Northern California, which replaced the former one that was destroyed by fire in 1970.

At that time, much care and research went into replicating the original chapel erected in the early 1800s, including the three windows, by using old photographs and available documents.

Approximately 55 years have passed since the chapel windows were fashioned and installed. Over time, the coastal climate had taken its toll on the weather-beaten frames and broken or cracked window panes.

The ever-memorable and greatly loved Protodeacon George Balaban, of the St Herman of Alaska parish in Sunnyvale, CA, has reposed in the Lord.

Fr George was born on May 26, 1941 in Bucharest Romania. He was a graduate of the National Musical Conservatory in Bucharest in 1965. In 1966 he married another talented musician, Raluca Cautis… they were married for almost 60 years. In 1980, George and Raluca emigrated to the United States, fleeing Communism. They ended up settling in the Bay Area and began attending services at the Church of the Redeemer in Los Altos. They, along with a few others, left the Church of the Redeemer to be founding members of the St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in 1984. In 1988, Fr George was ordained to the deaconate by Archbishop Antony (Medvedev). Fr George served faithfully for over 35 years until declining health began to slow him down. Even when it became difficult for him to serve, he continued to faithfully attend, sat in the altar and blessed us with his prayerful and peaceful presence.

Fr George reposed on September 5th, 2025. He is survived by his Matushka Raluca Mariana, their son Matthew and his wife Rebecca - who gave them their beloved granddaughter, Sophia.

Funeral will take place at St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church, Saturday September 13th at 9:30am. Burial to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Los Altos Hills.

May his memory be eternal!

For the first time in its history, the ROCOR Western American Diocese St. Herman’s Conference was held in the summer, from August 7-11, 2025. The conference was hosted by St. George Russian Orthodox Church in West Jordan, UT. Participants came from all around the diocese, from as far west as Hawaii and as far east as Denver, from as far north as Seattle and as far south as Tucson.