San Francisco, January 22, 2026
Photo: mitropolia.us
The Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas made a small pilgrimage to holy sites associated with St. John of San Franscisco during a recent pastoral trip to California.
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae spent the week of January 4 to 11 visiting parishes under his omophorion in California. The last stop on his itinerary was San Francisco, the Romanian Metropolia reports.
His first stop there was the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s Holy Virgin “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Cathedral, home of the relics of St. John, the great American saint venerated throughout the entire Orthodox world.
Met. Nicolae with Bp. James of Sonora. Photo: mitropolia.us
St. John was formally added to the Romanian Orthodox Church’s liturgical calendar by decision of the Holy Synod in July 2023.
After venerating the relics, the Metropolitan also visited the Old Holy Virgin Cathedral, where St. John originally served when assigned to San Francisco. He was welcomed there by His Grace Bishop James of Sonora, vicar of the ROCOR Diocese of the West, the long-time rector of the Old Cathedral.
Bp. James spoke with Met. Nicolae about the history of the cathedral, and “a particularly moving moment took place in the cell of St. John, where the saint spent many hours in prayer, confession, and spiritual counsel, and very few hours in rest.”
Also in July 2023, OrthoChristian reported on the consecration of a Romanian chapel in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and St. John.
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