On November 24, 2018, members of the church school and parish of Holy Ascension Church undertook an annual pilgrimage to Saint Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, California.

Hieromonk Paisius presided of the Divine Liturgy at which many of our parishioners received Holy Communion. Our Sisterhood donated the meal for some 70 monastics and pilgrims. Our pilgrims were fortified in body by the meal and edified spiritually by the reading at the time from the Synaxarion. Abbot Damascene heartily congratulated two brothers of the monastery with their Names Day, stavrophor monk Selathiel and novice Michael.

After the noon meal parishioners partook in an excursion around the monastery to venerate the grave of Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) and visit his monastic cell, the old monastery print shop and the bookstore. From the first days of the founding fo the monastery the brotherhood of St. Herman of Alaska has been involved in the publication of important works: translations, biographies, Divine Services and a liturgical calendar. Their labors in the field are well known throughout the Orthodox world.

Later in the afternoon the pilgrims headed over the Skete of Holy Blessed Xenia. Abbess Dorothea and her sisters received us with open arms. In the church we read the prayer to the Heavenly Protectress of the skete Holy Blessed Mother Xenia Fool for Christ of St. Petersburg. In the refectory we enjoyed warm hospitality and spiritual conversation.