Thanksgiving Lunch Prepared by our Sisterhood

After Liturgy in downstairs Hall

Sunday, November 23, 2025

Nativity Fast starts on Friday, November 28, 2025

Welcome to the 2025 Annual St. John Benevolent Virtual Fundraiser!

Saturday, Nov 1, 2025 through Monday, Dec 15, 2025

Click here to access 2025 Fundraiser Presentations on-Demand —>

The Virtual Fundraiser features updates on the Fund’s causes, and interviews with special guests: His Grace James, Bishop of Sonora, and a family member of one of the first Bethany School graduates.

Our Fundraiser GOAL is to raise $70,000 to support these URGENT needs:

Bethany School for Girls (West Bank, Palestine): Replace broken cabinets, desks, and chairs, and contribute to replacement of the roof, and funds to purchase water
Shelters for the Elderly & Disabled (Ukraine): Replace outdated kitchen appliances and purchase 25 new beds
Orphans & Destitute Children in Africa (Uganda): Cover next year tuitions for 50 kids through our partnership with Orthodox Africa
Meals for the Elderly (San Francisco): Contribute to meals co-pay for vulnerable local seniors through our new partnership with RACS

Donate

Upcoming Services (see Schedule of Services Tab for details)

Priest Dimitri Jakimowicz of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Stratford, Connecticut, emails weekly church service texts in both Russian and English. Contact him at frdimitrij@gmail.com to request being added to his distribution list.

Saturday, November 22 6:00pm Vigil Service

Sunday, November 23 9:00am Liturgy

Thursday, November 27 11:00am - Moleben/Prayer Service Thanksgiving

Saturday, November 29 6:00pm Vigil Service

Sunday, November 30 9:00am Liturgy

Stewardship Projects News - Inaugural Issue

This inaugural issue of the Stewardship Projects News is intended to spotlight projects which have been completed during the 2025 year, projects which are in process, and projects which are currently in the planning stages. Future issues will be published as needed.

Click here to read or print the issue.

100th Anniversary Celebration of Services at Fort Ross

On Saturday, October 4, 2025, hundreds of Orthodox Faithful from churches in California and beyond celebrated 100 years of Divine Liturgies served at the Historic Chapel of Fort Ross.

Metropolitan Nicholas of ROCOR, Metropolitan Tikhon of OCA, and Metropolitan Maximilian of Irkutsk (MP) led the prayers which were said at an altar in tents and at the historic cemetery reached by a steep cliffside path. Members of St. George Pathfinders led the procession.

The day ended with an outdoor banquet where celebration organizer Robin Joy-Wellman was invited to join the hierarchal table. Singing Russian songs, under the direction of Snezhana Wilson, were children from San Francisco and Burlingame Russian Schools.

Photos Courtesy of Irene Bogoslovsky, Aleksey Kovalenko, Pavel Denisov, Katya Able, and Liza Sinkevich-Mistuloff.

Welcome Reception for His Eminence Metropolitan Maximilian of Irkutsk

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Metropolitan Maximilian will officiate the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 12 in our Church, as well as Vigil on Saturday evening

Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko welcomes His Eminence Metropolitan Maximilian of Irkutsk. Behind them is Robin Joy Wellman, organizer of the 100th Anniversary of Church Services at the Fort Ross Chapel.

Robin gifted Metropolitan Maximilian with the exact copy of the epitrachelion which was worn by St. Innocent.

Metropolitan Maximilian presents Matushka Tatiana Pavlenko with jars of jam & nuts from Siberia. In the foreground are members of the Burlingame Church Choir.

ROCOR Synod Building in New York City.

Financial Breakdown. Click on picture to expand detail.

Update: October 6, 2025

MAJOR WORKS BEGIN!!! Click here to see the latest video (Part 3) on progress!!!

As of beginning of October, a little bit over $1,000,000 has been raised of the $15,000,000 needed to fully repair the building. Click here to see an ealier video (Part 2); also, click on the Financial Breakdown image above to see the project list.

Your help is urgently needed! To Donate, click here.

Also see last year's message from our Rector, Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko.

Message from Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko, Rector! - August 30, 2024

Dear Friends and Members of our Parish and supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia,

We come to you today with a heartfelt appeal for your support. The Synod of Bishops building in New York City, our beloved headquarters, is in need of urgent repairs and restoration. This historic building holds immense cultural and spiritual significance (it is the home of the Holy Kursk Icon) for our community, and we must act now to preserve it for future generations.

We ask that you consider making a donation, however big or small, to help undertake this important work. Your generosity will not only help protect our heritage but also ensure that this sacred space continues to serve as a beacon of hope and faith for years to come.

Thank you for your support and God Bless you!

Click here to read Appeal by Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York. Donation button is at bottom of that page.

Click here to see 27-minute video "Telling the Truth" about the Synod of ROCOR building in New York (in English and Russian)

A Big Thank You to Our Dedicated Rummage Sale Crew

The Church of All Russian Saints Sisterhood held a very successful Rummage Sale on September 6 and 7, 2025 inside and outside the Church Hall. The two day event raised $6,297 in sales of goods and $513 in sales of piroshki and pirogi for a grand total of $6,810.

We are grateful to the following parishioners for their long hours of service:

Matushka Tania Pavlenko and Tanya Bolshakoff for donating the ingredients, baking the piroshki and pirogi, and selling them on Saturday and Sunday.

Kostia Belonogoff, Nina Eyevazov, Andrei Fedorov, Mara Klestoff, and Vova Kondrasheff for manning the cash box.

Helping shoppers and negotiating prices in the hot sun were Elena Bederov, Nina Fedorov, Marina McKee, and Natalia Vovchuk.

Inside sales were handled by Irene Bogoslovsky, Tania Buick, Olga Cane, Natasha Klestoff, Lana Kondrasheff, Natasha Loukianoff, and Maria Sky.

The jewelry department raised about $1,000, thanks largely to the beautiful pieces from Marina Plissak’s estate and Natasha Klestoff’s salesmanship.

Helping the Setup and Cleanup Crew were Oleg Bolshakoff, Andrei Fedorov, Nick Ionoff, Peter Klestoff, and Vova Labusov. Prior to the Sale Days, Galina Erneta, Eugenia Greiner, Nina Maslenova, Tamara Sheremetov spent many hours folding, sorting and displaying items on tables. Working two weeks straight were Nina Eyevazov and Lena Gauschieldt.

And finally, thank you to our church parishioners who supported this endeavor by donating items and shopping at our Rummage Sale.

With deep gratitude,

Co-chairs Tania Ionoff and Luba Gauschieldt

Parish Russian School Registration is now open for 2025 - 2026 Year.

Click on Russian School Tab for details!

An Excellent New Film about

Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco

by famous Arcady Mamontov Studio (only in Russian).

To watch, click here (1 hour and 8 minutes long)

2024: 30th Anniversary Year of the Canonization of Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco!

Please Support and Donate to the St. John Benevolent Fund

The Fund currently supports the following Causes:

* Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine - Shelters for elderly and disabled

* Bethany School for Girls in Palestine

* Education for Orphans and Destitute Children in Africa

To donate, click here

To see an hour and 24 minute video of Life of St. John (in Russian only), click here

www.stjohnbenevolentfund.org

Did You Know .............?

* You can listen and watch all of the professionaly filmed Burlingame Church Choir Concerts from 2008 through 2022 by clicking on the Choir Tab, and then clicking on "Video Materials", and then "Choir Concerts".

* You can interactively explore all of our Burlingame Church inside and outside by scrolling down and choosing the 360 image in the left column. Use your mouse to move left and right, up and down, and click on the circles to explore. Neat?

* To see Upcoming Events in our Burlingame Parish, please click on the Sisterhood Tab, then click on "Sisterhood Schedule/Upcoming Events".

* Find answers to many of your theological questions by clicking on Newsletter Tab, and then clicking on "Index to Theological Questions".

* You can find the Burlingame Church By-Laws by clicking on the About Us Tab, and then click on "Parish By-Laws".

Useful ROCOR Websites for Current News:

Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco: http://sfsobor.com/

Western American Diocese (WAD): https://wadiocese.org/

Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia: https://www.synod.com/synod/indexeng.htm

Our Kiots and Choir Loft Crosses have been gilded with 24K Gold Leaf!

Father Stefan's 50th Anniversary of his Ordination - October 1, 2023

His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating with the Metropolitan were His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America, His Grace Bishop Theodosius of Seattle and His Grace Bishop James of Sonora, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Archpriests Stefan Pavlenko, Andrei Sommer, Alexei Kotar, Peter Perekrestov, and Hieromonk Peter Karakozoff.

At the end of the service, Metropolitan Nicholas, addressing the parish with a primatial sermon, congratulated Father Stefan on the 50th anniversary of his pastoral ministry, handing him a Synodal decree awarding him the right to serve Divine Liturgy with the Royal Doors open until the exclamation "Holy to the Holies" and a blessed letter, whose content you can read here.

Along with Father Stefan, Matushka Tatiana also celebrated 50 years since becoming a Matushka and both were awarded a Synodal Gramota.

Many Years to Father Stefan and Matushka Tatiana !!!

Message from Archpriest Stefan Pavlenko, Rector

Bring your children to church, learn the services for yourself, listen and pray along with the prayers ---- CARE TO GROW IN YOUR ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FAITH! English language translations of all services are available---take advantage of the hard work put in by others for your salvation.

Father Dimitri Jakimowicz emails weekly translations of upcoming services. You can download the translation into your smartphone and follow the service in English while standing in Church. Contact Father Dimitri at frdimitrij@gmail.com and ask to be placed on his mailing list. Father Dimitri Jakimowicz sends out weekly church service texts in both Russian and English.

For Liturgical Texts in English and Slavonic from Holy Mother of God Russian Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas click here. https://orthodoxaustin.org/liturgical-texts/

We are overcome with grief over the tragic events in Ukraine, for many of us the land of our forefathers, and for some the land where our relatives live today. We pray to the All-Merciful Lord, and His Most-Holy Mother for speedy secession of all hostilities, and for long-lasting peace.

Prayer to the Lord:

O Lord, Lover of mankind, King of the ages and Giver of good things: having destroyed the divisions of enmity and granted peace unto the human race, grant even now peace unto Thy servants, planting within them the fear of Thee and establishing them in love for one another. Quench all strife, and remove all dissensions and temptations; for Thou art our peace and to Thee do we offer up glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Владыко Человѣколюбче, Царю вѣковъ и Подателю благихъ, разрушившiй вражды средостѣнiя и мир подавшiй роду человѣческому, даруй и нынѣ миръ рабомъ Твоимъ, вкорени нихъ страхъ Твой и другъ къ другу любовь утверди: угаси всяку распрю, отыми вся разногласiя и соблазны. Яко Ты еси миръ нашъ и Тебе славу возсылаемъ, Отцу и Сыну и Святому Духу, нынѣ и присно и во вѣки вѣковъ. Аминь.

Click here to print the prayers.

Prayer to the Mother of God:

O much sorrowing Mother of God, more highly exalted than all other of the daughters of the earth, according to thy purity and the multitude of thy suffering endured by thee on earth: Hearken to our sighs and soften the hearts of evil men, and protect us under the shelter of thy mercy. For we know no other refuge and ardent intercessor apart from thee, but as thou hast great boldness before the One Who was born of thee, help and save us by thy prayers, that without offense we may attain the Heavenly Kingdom where, with all the saints, we will sing the thrice-holy hymn to One God Almighty in the Trinity, always now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

О, многострадальная Мати Божiя, Превысшая всѣхъ дщерей земли, по чистотѣ Своей и по множеству страданiй, Тобою на земли перенесенныхъ, прiими многоболезненныя воздыханiя наша и сохрани насъ подъ кровомъ Твоея милости. Инаго бо прибѣжища теплаго предстательста развѣ Тебѣ не вѣмы, но яко дерзновенiе имущая къ Иже изъ Тебѣ рожденному, помози и спаси ны молитвами Своими, да непреткновенно достигнемъ Царствiя Небеснаго, идеже со всѣми святыми будемъ воспѣвати въ Троицѣ единому Богу нынѣ и присно и во вѣки вѣков. Аминь.