ROCOR observed the first finding of St. Seraphim of Sarov’s relics with an all-night vigil and at the same time wrapped up another academic year at its European Church Music School. In Cleveland the Orthodox Church in America hosted the 99th Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America convention. The Serbian Orthodox Church gave public thanks to the benefactors who support St. Sava College, while the Romanian Orthodox Church marked Metropolitan Iosif’s name day in Western and Southern Europe. These quiet milestones show steady parish and diocesan rhythms across continents. May the communities of ROCOR, the Orthodox Church in America, the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the Romanian Orthodox Church be granted strength for the fast now beginning.

The Dormition Fast begins today across the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and the Romanian Orthodox Church. In Antioch, clergy marked the start with services remembering the newly departed Deacon Barsoum Barsoum. Romanian hierarchs framed the two-week period as a call to prayer and inner renewal; Archbishop Atanasie urged the faithful to rediscover the altar of the heart, while Bishop Macarie invited families to place themselves under the protection of the Mother of God. Elsewhere the Serbian Orthodox Church expressed thanks to the benefactors who support St. Sava College, and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church welcomed the Hawaiian myrrh-streaming Iberian icon, which Patriarch Daniil described as a great blessing for the laity. These quiet openings of the fast show how different dioceses turn toward the same feast with practical steps of charity, remembrance, and renewed devotion. How is your own parish observing the first days of the Dormition Fast?

Someday I will reach Cetinje Monastery.

Serbian Orthodox Church leaders have publicly thanked a group of benefactors whose donations keep St. Sava College running and help restore the historic Osovica monastery. The college continues to educate young people in the faith while the monastery draws pilgrims to its quiet hillside. At the same time the Romanian Orthodox Church began a major pilgrimage centered on the miracle-working icon from Adam Monastery, and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church welcomed the Hawaiian myrrh-flowing Iberian icon with Patriarch Daniil calling it a true blessing for the faithful there. In North America the Orthodox Church in America wrapped up its 99th Fellowship convention in Cleveland, while the Church of Greece asked prayers for those suffering from summer fires. Different corners of the Church move forward in their own ways.

Digital fence: why the Church needs rules for networks The Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Church Abroad has issued a Regulation on the conduct of clergy on social networks. The document has been published in its entirety - in Russian and in the English original - and it deserves to be read before judging it. There is a lot of sober in him. He warns against the same tightening tape that is designed for the sake of continuous attention and impetuous response. He says that confession and spiritual care are carried out in a personal meeting, and not in correspondence. He cites St. Isaac the Syrian about the hidden heart and St. John Chrysostom about the tongue, which can deeply wound. He directly stipulates that he does not prohibit clergy from teaching and preaching about faith and morals. This is not a prohibitive document in itself - it is an attempt to put a fence where many walk on the edge. At the same time, the document raises a question that faces the entire Church, and not just one diocese. For millions of people today, the Internet is the only door through which they enter the Church: a teenager who is embarrassed to cross the threshold; a person ashamed of his life; one whom illness keeps at home. How to guard this door without closing it? In the coming week we will look at how different Local Churches answer this question - the Moscow Patriarchate, the Romanian Church, the Orthodox Church in America, the Greeks, the Serbs. Not to set someone up as an example, but to reproach someone: everyone has their own path and their own difficulties. And so that the reader can see different solutions to one problem and judge for himself. Review of the week “Church and digital space”, part 1 of 7.

St. Sophia Bulgarian Orthodox parish in Chicago is busy with final preparations for the feast of the Unmade Image of Christ. At the same time the miraculous myrrh-streaming Hawaiian icon of the Theotokos has arrived in Sofia and is now venerated at the Cathedral of Holy Sunday. In Bresnica the Serbian Orthodox Church marked the feast of Great Martyr Marina with liturgy and procession through the village. The Church of Greece observed the memory of St. Timothy, Bishop of Proikonisos, at the parish in Nea Palatia-Oropou with the usual vigil and local faithful gathered since early morning. Meanwhile the Orthodox Church in America wrapped up its 99th Fellowship convention in Cleveland, reviewing ongoing work among parishes across the country. These four distinct communities show the steady rhythm of feasts and everyday church life continuing without pause. May these parishes and their faithful be remembered in prayer.

A Romanian parish in Switzerland has finished restoring its church steeple, drawing on the skills and time of local Swiss volunteers who worked alongside parishioners. The project refreshed the historic tower without straining the small community’s budget. At the same time, the Romanian Orthodox Church prepared another 140 volunteers for the ITO 2026 program through training sessions held in Bucharest, while Archbishop Atanasie reminded the faithful that the Dormition Fast is a call to return to the altar of the heart. Elsewhere, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church received the Hawaiian myrrh-streaming icon of the Theotokos with hundreds of believers gathering to venerate it; Patriarch Daniil described the visit as a great blessing for the country. The Orthodox Church in America marked the 99th convention of the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in Cleveland, and the Russian Church Abroad completed another successful year of its European Church Music School. May these parishes and their labors be kept in prayer.

A Romanian parish in Switzerland has finished restoring its church steeple, with local Swiss volunteers pitching in alongside parishioners to repair the old wooden structure and repaint the cross. The project took several months of careful work on scaffolding, blending traditional Romanian icon patterns with help from neighbors who brought tools and shared meals during breaks. In Romania itself, Metropolitan Antonie marked the 24th anniversary of the Metropolis of Bessarabia’s legal recognition with a quiet service that drew clergy from both sides of the border. The Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil welcomed the Hawaiian myrrh-flowing Iberian icon to Sofia, telling the gathered laity it serves as a visible sign of the Mother of God’s care for the country. Meanwhile, the Russian Church Abroad wrapped up another year at its European Church Music School, where students performed the final liturgy before summer break. These stories show how practical effort and steady remembrance keep parishes alive across borders.

Serbian benefactors received public thanks this week for their steady support of St. Sava College and the Osovica monastery. In the Serbian Orthodox Church, the feast of Saint Stephen the Despot drew crowds to his Belgrade shrine, while the monastery of the Holy Great Martyr Marina in Klisina marked its annual glory with quiet services and local families bringing fresh bread. The Romanian Orthodox Church heard Metropolitan Laurentiu remind the faithful that true fasting starts in the heart during the Dormition Fast, a message echoed in many parishes. Meanwhile, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia saw the academic year of its European Church Music School end with student recitals, and its Hawaiian myrrh-streaming icon reached Bulgaria for veneration. Across these corners of the Church, small gifts and steady presence keep old stones standing and young voices learning the hymns. One quiet observation remains: consistent help often arrives from the least expected hands.

An image from Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

Even in the picture there is silence.

Lord, what a beauty...

The Bulgarian St. Sophia parish in Chicago is busy with preparations for the feast of the Unmade Image on August 16, including special services, icon processions, and a community meal after liturgy. At the same time, the Serbian Orthodox Church marked the memory of Saint Stefan the Despot as the baptismal glory of the Serbian Army with prayers and talks in several dioceses. The Romanian Orthodox Church noted Metropolitan Antonie’s observation of the 24th anniversary of the Metropolis of Bessarabia’s legal recognition, highlighting its steady growth in parishes and schools. Meanwhile, the Russian Church Abroad welcomed the Hawaiian myrrh-streaming icon to Bulgaria for veneration at several monasteries before it continues its travels. These coordinated observances across distant dioceses show how local parishes and global jurisdictions keep the same calendar and saints alive in daily church life.

I look at the photo and my soul calms down. Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.

☦ Iveron Monastery on Athos - Athos, Greece Iviron Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery of the monastic community of Mount Athos in northern Greece. The monastery was founded by two Georgian monks, John the Iberian and John Tornike, between 980–983 AD. It is considered a historic Georgian monastery on Mount Athos and was traditionally inhabited by Georgian Orthodox monks for almost a millennium, until the mid-20th century. Photo: CosmoSolomon · CC BY-SA 3.0

Someday I will go there too. Novo-Diveevo.

☦ St. Mark's Basilica - Venice Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of St. Mark (Italian: Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco), commonly known as St. Mark's Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Marco; Venetian: Baxéłega de San Marco), is the cathedral church of the Venetian Patriarchate; it became the episcopal seat of the Patriarch of Venice in 1807, replacing the earlier cathedral of San Pietro di Castello. Photo: Zairon Public domain

☦ Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai - Sinai, Egypt The Monastery of Saint Catherine, officially the Holy Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Catherine of Mount Sinai, is a Christian monastery located on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Situated at the foot of Mount Sinai, it was built between 548 and 565 and is the world's oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery. Photo: Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0

Found this photo again — what a place. Ватопед.

☦ Church of the Holy Sepulcher - Jerusalem The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The church is simultaneously the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Catholic Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Photo: Gerd Eichmann · CC BY-SA 4.0

☦ Ravenna, San Vitale - Ravenna The Basilica of San Vitale is a late antique church in Ravenna, Italy. The sixth-century church is an important surviving example of early Byzantine art and architecture, and its mosaics in particular are among the best-studied works of Byzantine art. It is one of the eight buildings in Ravenna inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Photo: Commonists · CC BY-SA 4.0

One day I will make it there.

☦ St. Isaac's Cathedral - St. Petersburg St. Isaac's Cathedral is a large architectural monument that currently functions as a museum where church services are held from time to time in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, the patron saint of Peter the Great, who was born on the day of memory of this saint. Photo: Florstein (Telegram:WikiPhoto.Space) · CC BY-SA 4.0

ROCOR observed the First Finding of the Relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov with an all-night vigil at its parishes while the European Church Music School wrapped up another full academic year. In the same week the Bulgarian Orthodox Church welcomed the Hawaiian myrrh-streaming icon of the Theotokos, with Patriarch Daniil calling it a genuine blessing for the faithful there. The Romanian Orthodox Church saw Metropolitan Antonie finish his archdiocesan visits in the Hîncești district, meeting clergy and local officials, and the Orthodox Church in America gathered for the 99th Fellowship of Orthodox Christians convention in Cleveland. These quiet markers of feast days, school rhythms, and traveling icons keep daily church life steady across continents. May the intercession of St. Seraphim strengthen every parish named this week.

The stones themselves seem to pray here.

What a beauty - Hosios Lukas!

The Orthodox Church in America has released a new Akathist to St. Olga of Alaska, published through its Romanian Episcopate. The text honors the first Orthodox saint of Alaska and is already being shared in parishes for private and communal prayer. In Romania, Archbishop Atanasie reminded the faithful that the Dormition Fast is a time to return to the altar of the heart, while students from the country brought home three bronze medals at the International Economics Olympiad. The Serbian Orthodox Church continues to draw attention to medieval monuments now at risk from neglect and development. Meanwhile, the Ecumenical Patriarchate marked the start of the Dormition Fast on August 1 with new calendar readings and services. Across the Atlantic, bishops in California spoke against state moves that restrict abortion pill reversal, calling the practice a matter of basic medical ethics. The Bulgarian Holy Synod took the unusual step of distancing itself from Archimandrite Nikanor and asking priests who opposed him to clarify their stance. These developments show quiet work.

The Dormition Fast began on August 1 across the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and the Romanian Orthodox Church, with both calling the faithful to deeper prayer and inner stillness. In Romania, Archbishop Atanasie urged rediscovering the altar of the heart during these two weeks, while Metropolitan Iosif marked his name day amid local celebrations. Antioch remembered the repose of Dn. Barsoum Barsoum with traditional prayers for the departed. At the same time, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church opened its own two-week Lent on the feast of the Maccabees, placing the Hawaiian myrrh-streaming icon of the Theotokos in Sofia’s Cathedral of Holy Sunday for veneration. The Serbian Orthodox Church observed the feast of Saint Stephen the Despot in Belgrade and honored Saint Martyr Marina in Bresnica. Elsewhere, the Orthodox Church in America wrapped up its 99th Fellowship convention in Cleveland, and the Russian Church Abroad noted the first finding of St. Seraphim of Sarov’s relics on the shared calendar date. How is the Dormition Fast starting in your own parish this year?