His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin led the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of the West in the annual (since 1925) pilgrimage to Fort Ross on the 4th of July. It was a joy to be with brothers and sisters in Christ united in thanksgiving on a beautiful day. Fort Ross is now a state historic park and is the site of the first Orthodox house of prayer south of Alaska.
(Photographs courtesy of Matushka Sophia Sokolov)
