On Friday, June 24th, 2022, the monastic communities and parishes of the Western American Diocese served a panykhida for newly-departed Metropolitan Hilarion who governed the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia from 2008-2022. Memory Eternal to our beloved Frist-Hierarch.

On the great feast of Pentecost, June 12, 2022, Father Rector Archpriest Paul Volmensky introduced to the parishioners a new member of the clergy, Priest Maxim Filippov. Father Maxim will serve at the Holy Ascension Church as a non-salaried member of the clergy. He has come to Sacramento with his wife Matushka Anastasia and their three young children, Dimitri, Olga and Alexander. Besides his education as a priest, Father Maksim has training in computer programming and intends to support his family in this manner.

The Great Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the patronal feast of Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Church, was marked on June 2, 2022, with His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill presiding over the festivities.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were the Father Rector, Archpriest Paul Volmensky, Archpriest Michael Boyle, Priest Philip Plowman, and Priest Elijah Drake (Wu). Archdeacon Peter (Karakozoff), Deacon Paul Kozachenko, Deacon Nicholas Stoltz, and Deacon Seraphim Torruella also concelebrated.

Our church school, the Cossack Cadet School in honor of the “Don” Icon of the Mother of God, held its final day for the academic year 2021-2022 on Saturday, June 4, 2022. 

The event began with Thanksgiving Molebin and a group photograph in the church and then the teachers and pupils of the school along with their parents went to the church hall for the program and a final meal.

On Memorial Day, May 30th, 2022, clergy and faithful of the Western American Diocese took the annual trek to Fort Ross Historic Park to participate in the Divine Liturgy, procession to the cemetery and a litya for those departed who are buried at Fort Ross, who lived, labored and reposed at there about 200 years ago.

His Grace Theodosy Bishop of Seattle presided over the festivities. Concelebrating with him were Archpriests Peter Perekrestov, George Kurtow, Paul Volmensky, Alexander Krassovsky, Priest George Kaplanov and Deacons Nicholas Stoltz, Paul Kozachenko and Alex Baranoff. The choir was conducted by Konstantine Pavlov and its members consisted of the pilgrims of the diocese.

His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill greeted the pilgrims on their way back from the fort at the agape meal offered at the Kazan Church in Guerneville, CA.