From 29 April - 5 May 2026 in the Convent of the Venerable New-Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth in Buchendorf, Germany, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia met, convening in connection with the celebration of the centenary of the German Diocese. The proceedings of the Council, presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, were participated in by His Eminence Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany, Their Eminences Archbishops Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America and Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, Their Graces the Bishops John of Caracas and South America, Irenei of London and Western Europe, Theodosy of Manhattan, Luke of Syracuse, James of Sonora, Job of Stuttgart, Spyridon of Toronto, Michael of Boston, and Peter of Seattle.

At the session of the Council of Bishops on Thursday, 30 April, having discussed various liturgical and calendrical questions, it was resolved: 1) To entrust Bishop Peter of Seattle and Archpriest Seraphim Gan to review the text of the prayers “Save, O God, Thy people…” and “O Master, Most Merciful…”, proposed by Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), to introduce amendments to the same, and to present them for consideration by the Synod of Bishops; 2) To propose to the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church that the commemoration of the translation of the relics of the Holy New-Martyrs of Alapaevsk to Jerusalem (17 / 30 January) be included in the general Church calendar.

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).

Editor's Note: It is reported that the Church of the Holy Sepluchre in Jerusalem has been closed to Divine Services since February 28, 2026, "because of the continuing war." The article below reports on how His Holiness Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III and the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepluchre celebrated the Sunday of the Cross.