Paschal Epistle of the Ruling Hierarch
of the Western American Diocese

Beloved Clergy, Monastics and Faithful!

CHRIST IS RISEN!

In the early hours of this Paschal morning we greet one another with the proclamation that neither death, nor time, nor the powers of darkness have ever been able to silence: Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! The Apostle Paul declares with absolute certainty: "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain" (I Cor. 15:14) — but He is risen, and therefore our Faith is not in vain and nothing is without hope. As the Holy Hierarch Philaret of Moscow declared on this very feast: "Christ is risen! In saying this, what more can I say? All has been said!" (April 18, 1826).

Today we look out upon a world suffering beneath the weight of its own unbelief. The Middle East bleeds from a war that has brought devastation to countless innocent souls; the economies of nations tremble; and a spirit of confusion has settled over our age, as though no firm ground could be found anywhere. Yet the Lord Himself said: "In the world ye shall have tribulation — but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). It is precisely into this darkness that the light of the Resurrection blazes, not dimly, but as "the eternal lightning of the eternal light illuminating all things" (St Philaret of Moscow).

Saint Philaret declared that the Holy and Glorious Feast of Feasts — Pascha — "creates hope, ignites love, inspires prayer, calls down grace, illumines wisdom, destroys all calamities and even death itself, gives vitality to life, makes bliss not a dream but a reality, glory not a phantom" (St Philaret of Moscow). Saint John the Theologian wrote simply: "The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:5). No war, no human fabrication, no human despair has ever comprehended the Light of Christ — and nothing grounded in the cares of this world ever shall. The tomb remains empty,

Venerable Brother Archpastors, Venerable Fathers, Dear Brothers and Sisters scattered throughout the world, I greet you all with Christ's love with the Paschal kiss: “CHRIST IS RISEN!"

“I wish you all that is bright in these days," writes St Theophan the Recluse, "and in all the days to come. The Lord is always sweetness, and joy, and peace! Strive always to be with the Lord, and you will always celebrate the Bright Pascha."

“Your Resurrection, O Christ Savior, the angels proclaim in the heavens” – we sing on this night, with trepidation asking that the Lord grant us to glorify Him with a pure heart. Alas, the peoples of this age do not heed this call, struggling in a deadly battle for earthly goods, they do not heed the call of the Divine to arrange life on the foundations of Christ’s teachings and the Holy Gospel. The current conflicts, when people seek temporary goods through enmity, divisions, and cruelty, are distressing, but they shouldn’t frighten us today, nor should the conversations about various prophecies concerning the end of the world.

For the Lord says: “You will also hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for it is necessary for all this to happen, but the end is not yet...” (Matthew 24:6-7). Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), who passed away 90 years ago in the cradle of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad – in Sremski Karlovci, Yugoslavia, said that the confidence of the ancient Christians in God's mercy and the ultimate victory of Perfect Good over evil, of Life over death, was so strong that “they seemed not to take their eyes off contemplating His future victory, and therefore imagined this very future as something bright and joyful, when Christ the Savior will wipe away the tears from every human face.”

to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monks,
Nuns and All the Faithful Children
of the Russian Orthodox Church

Beloved in the Lord Your Graces the archpastors,
all-honourable presbyters and deacons,
God-loving monks and nuns,
dear brothers and sisters,

CHRIST IS RISEN!

Moscow. On Sunday, March 15, 2026, the Sunday of the Cross, the Russian premiere of a new film about St. John, the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco – “The Aroma of Holiness,” took place at the Sobornaya Palata Hall of the St. Tikhon Orthodox University (PSTGU). Registration for the film closed a few days after the screening was announced, as all 500 seats were filled – a complete sell-out – which testifies to the love and veneration of St. John in Russia.

The film’s director, Archpriest Peter Perekrestov, Dean of Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco, spent over 10 years gathering material for this film – form public sources and private archives. The film is special due to the amount of footage featuring the St. John himself. The film “The Aroma of Holiness” contains neither personal recollections from people who knew St. John nor private reflections on the significance of his life and work. Instead, the movie contains only St. John’s words and teachings, rare photographs of Vladika, as well as video footage of the holy Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II and his family, St. Patriarch Tikhon, the holy martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, and over 14 minutes of Vladika John himself. In 2024–2026, the film was. shown in Poland, Switzerland, France, and at numerous parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in the United States and Canada: Washington D.C., Montreal, and Los Angeles, as well as Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, and St. Vladimir’s Seminary in Scarsdale, New York.

The XV Annual Lenten Retreat at Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco, California, was held on Sunday March 22, 2026. This year’s retreat was titled: “Hieromonk Seraphim Rose of Platina: His Life, Teachings & Legacy”. Over 100 people were in attendance, many of whom attended the English-language Divine Liturgy in the morning. They came to hear from Bishop James of Sonora and Archpriest Martin Person, Rector of the St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in Sunnyvale, California. Both clerics knew Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) personally during the last few years of his earthly life, which ended in 1982. 

The first talk, titled “Biography of a Man Transformed in Christ,” was given by Fr. Martin. He provided a detailed overview of Fr. Seraphim’s life, adding throughout stories of his personal experiences with Hieromonk Seraphim. Father Martin was a student at UC Santa Cruz when Hieromonk Seraphim was invited to the university to give two talks. For Bishop James and other friends of theirs, encountering Father Seraphim struck something deep in their hearts, changing the entire course of their lives. Many of these young men became bishops, priests, and monks. Fr. Martin expressed deep regret that he did not attend those talks, noting that he was not yet interested in such a thing at the time. However, his friends who did attend later inspired him to travel to Platina to visit the American-born hieromonk. When visiting Platina, the young Martin took long walks with Fr. Seraphim, who provided clarity regarding eastern religions and the syncretistic, philosophical worldview Fr. Martin was then drawn to. Through Father Seraphim’s clear and direct words, and the Holy Spirit’s presence in him, Father Martin’s heart began to be formed in the ways of Christ, Who Himself is Truth. 

At its two most recent meetings—held on December 30, 2025, and February 17, 2026—the Diocesan Council of the Western American Diocese, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Archbishop KYRILL, heard reports concerning decisions of the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and adopted a number of resolutions:

At its winter session of 2025, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia resolved to transfer His Grace Bishop THEODOSY of Seattle from the Western American Diocese to the Eastern American Diocese, with the title of Bishop of Manhattan. Members of the Diocesan Council expressed their gratitude to His Grace for his zealous service to the Western American Diocese over the course of 25 years. Bishop Theodosius of Manhattan will remain in our diocese through the impending consecration (see below).