In a powerful display of unity and historical remembrance, bishops from the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) gathered at Fort Ross, California, to celebrate the centennial of annual Orthodox pilgrimages to the historic site — the first location of Orthodox worship in the continental United States.

The Divine Liturgy, held in the restored Holy Trinity Chapel within the former Russian fortress, was led by His Beatitude Tikhon, Metropolitan of All America and Canada and Primate of the OCA. Concelebrating with him were Metropolitan Nicholas of New York and Eastern America (ROCOR), Metropolitan Maximilian of Irkutsk and Angarsk (ROC), Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America (ROCOR), and six other hierarchs representing the three ecclesiastical jurisdictions.

Metropolitan Maximilian participated in the pilgrimage with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. His visit is part of a broader journey to sites connected to St. Innocent (Veniaminov), a pioneering Orthodox missionary in North America, who celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Fort Ross in 1836.

Around 400 pilgrims from across the United States took part in the celebrations. Approximately 30 clergy from the OCA, ROC, and ROCOR concelebrated the liturgy, during which Communion was offered from five chalices. Two choirs — one singing in Russian, the other in English — enhanced the deeply spiritual atmosphere of the service.

Following the Liturgy, a procession led the faithful to the historic cemetery, where a memorial service (litia) was held for the first Russian settlers and Orthodox founders of Fort Ross.

Established in 1812 by the Russian-American Company, Fort Ross served as the southernmost outpost of the Russian colonial presence in North America. The site’s first Orthodox chapel was erected in 1822, marking the beginning of Orthodox liturgical life in the continental U.S.

The tradition of annual pilgrimages to Fort Ross began in 1925, initiated by Archimandrite Vladimir Sakovich. Despite damage from earthquakes and the passage of time, the pilgrimage has endured for a full century, symbolizing the lasting legacy of Russian Orthodoxy in North America and its continued relevance for generations of faithful today.