WESTERN EUROPEAN DIOCESE: 11 November 2025
The great consecration of SS Peter and Paul Church in California by the First Hierarch

The long-awaited great consecration of the Church of the Holy Primary Apostles Peter and Paul in the city of Santa Rosa, California, was performed by His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, on November 11, 2024. Concelebrating with the First Hierarch were Archbishop Kyrill, ruling hierarch of the Western American Diocese, and the vicar bishops Theodosy of Seattle and James of Sonora. Also participating in the great consecration were: Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Head of the Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem; Archpriest Martin Person, dean of the First Deanery of the Western American Diocese, who “grew up” in Santa Rosa; Archpriest Paul Volmensky, whose grandfather and great-uncle were among the founders of the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, and the current rector, Archpriest Alexander Krassovsky.

The parish of Sts. Peter and Paul was founded, with the blessing of the ever-memorable Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev +2000), in November 1977. When a plot of land was donated by the Javoian family in 1980, a hall and a rectory were built for the first time. The hall was divided in half—one side served as a temporary church, and the other as a space for meals and other gatherings. Through the efforts of the parishioners, by means of weekly luncheons, raffles, and similar events, it became possible to begin construction of the church; however, there were not enough funds to complete it. From a burning desire to have their own spiritual home, their own church, some parishioners mortgaged their personal homes and donated the money to the building fund. By God’s mercy, the church construction was completed in 1987. Unfortunately, after the first winter, problems appeared with the new church building, and only after a thorough investigation were a number of serious construction errors discovered, which had caused significant damage to the structure. By the end of 1998, these damages were repaired, and the church was, in fact, rebuilt for a second time. Many years passed as efforts continued to cover the costs of the reconstruction. During that time, painting of frescoes in the altar and the front part of the church began, and by 2016 it became possible to begin designing a new iconostasis and planning the great consecration of the church. It took approximately six years to design, construct, install, paint the icons and pay for the new iconostasis. A new altar table, table of oblation, and analogia were commissioned; new vestments for the church were prepared; and new church items were acquired in final preparation for the long-awaited, great celebration.

The festivities began several days before the actual consecration with the arrival of the First Hierarch together with the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God, the Hodigitria of the Russian diaspora, who were solemnly welcomed at the church on Saturday evening before the all-night vigil. After the Sunday Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Nicholas had lunch with the parishioners in the church hall and greeted them on the joyful beginning of the upcoming great consecration. Metropolitan Nicholas also participated in the solemn all-night vigil of the Dedication of the Church in Jerusalem, combined with the feast of the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul, and emerged for the polyeleos.

The next morning, in the presence of a large number of faithful and clergy, the First Hierarch was solemnly greeted at 8:00 AM. The parish choir, with the help of singers from the Cathedral, sang magnificently under the direction of Vladimir Krassovsky, director of the Hierarchal Choir. In his welcoming remarks, the rector, Archpriest Alexander Krassovsky, asked the First Hierarch and all present hierarchs to pray to the Holy Primary Apostles Peter and Paul, who are not only the heavenly patrons of the parish but also patrons of the hierarchs themselves—our contemporary apostles—together with the parishioners, who in turn pray for them and for the entire Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

After the greeting, the clergy brought into the altar the table that had stood in front of the closed royal doors, along with the sacred items for the altar and for the performance of the rite of great consecration, where the hierarchs began the service. With a hierarchical blessing, a camera was installed in the altar to allow those present to witness what was occurring during this rare and sacred rite. At the conclusion of the consecration, Metropolitan Nicholas emerged onto the ambo with all the bishops and clergy and blessed the newly consecrated church on all four sides, after which the festive Divine Liturgy began. The solemn service concluded with the proclamation of a Synodal gramota of blessing to the entire parish, the awarding of the Synodal Order of the Kursk Icon of the Mother of God – Second Class – to the rector for his pastoral labors, and the awarding of the Order of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco – Third Class – to warden Paul Johnson for his many years of outstanding service to the parish. The celebration concluded with a grand banquet at the “DoubleTree” hotel near the church.