1. Orthodox California: Schema-Archimandrite Ilya (Nozdrev) in the residence of St John (Maximovich) in San Francisco.
2. Orthodox California: Fort Ross: the first Russian settlement in North America, founded in 1812. A procession of the cross from the fort’s chapel to its cemetery.
3. The grave of a pious ascetic, Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), in St German’s Skete, Platina, California.
4. Orthodox California: the Greek Convent “Life-Bearing Wellspring” (under the spiritual guidance of Elder Efrem of Arizona), a 4 ?-hour drive from San Francisco, in the southern Sierra Nevada. One senses that one is not in America, but in Georgia, Greece or Serbia. There are some 25 nuns at the convent, practically all of whom grew up in America. Their strict monastic life (no “furloughs,” all-night vigils, all perform for themselves) negate the myth that “Americans” cannot live an ascetic life.
5. Orthodox California: A pilgrim at the diocesan conference to mark the 700th anniversary of the birth of St Sergius of Radonezh, Monterey, 2014.
6. Orthodox California: The Serbian Cemetery (95% of those buried there are Russian, all of our parishioners are buried there) in the outskirts of San Francisco. The cemetery contains monuments to the Royal Family, the Cossacks, the Russian Cadets and the St George Cavaliers.
7. The Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts in the Old Cathedral in San Francisco. The temple was born entirely of redwood (sequoia) and is a city landmark.
8. We recently held a three-day Great-Lenten pastoral conference in the Old Cathedral. I think these are the tallest and shortest clerics in the Western American Diocese. 
9. How good it is when clergymen have a fraternal friendship! Thank God we have a real brotherhood. The Old Cathedral in San Francisco.
10. Great-Lenten service in the Old Cathedral of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in San Francisco.
11. “Every person is an icon which needs restoration in order to behold the image and likeness of God,” said Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Photo: Monk of Holy Mount Athos.
12. Russia Abroad: Protopriest Michael Protopopoff, Dean of the Southern Deanery of the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand of the Russian Church Abroad.
13. California has many expensive cars (not as many as in Moscow, of course), and old models in excellent condition. One advantage of buying old cars here is that they almost never rust in our climate.
14. During today’s service we heard that Righteous Lazarus was already ill, but four days later would be risen from the dead: “Our FRIEND Lazarus is sleeping.” Can you imagine? For Christ our God, we are not only His children, but we are His friends! Earth-shattering! Come to think of it, how many friends do we have? Not the ones we like to have a good time with, remember our youth, those who love us and are ready to help out at any time but those who love us with a Christian love, who love our SOULS and who pray for us BY NAME before holy icons on a daily basis? I fear that SUCH friends, who care for our souls and eternal life and salvation, are rare for anyone to have, at all, including celebrities who have thousands of fans! This is sad and lonely. The photo shows an Orthodox Eritrean woman, a parishioner of a Russian church in SF.
15. Blessed California! There are the famous cities of California: Los Angeles (Hollywood) and San Francisco, but there is another California: little towns and villages, with their own traditions and ways, even if they aren’t ancient, their own identities and wonders. Photo: the town of Arcata.
16. A Californian cat.
17. A good California dog (doesn’t yet speak Russian). Arcata, California.
18. Blessed California: a chipmunk on the beach in Carmel, near the Bay of Monterey.
19. Blessed California: the Pacific Ocean, Route 1 some 35 miles south of San Francisco.
20. San Francisco: probably the most beautiful city in America.
Source: pravmir.ru
