The Diocese of New York and New Jersey of the Orthodox Church in America invites all women of the Diocese to participate in the 2026 Lenten Women’s Retreat, to be held Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29, 2026 at St. Andrew’s Camp and Retreat Center.

This year’s retreat is titled “Becoming Myrrhbearers,” inviting participants to reflect prayerfully on the witness, courage, and devotion of the Myrrhbearing Women as we journey together through the holy season of Great Lent.

January 30 – February 1, 2026
Stony Creek, NY – Adirondacks

From Friday through Sunday, January 30 to February 1, Fr. Martin Kraus and six other men gathered in the Adirondacks for their annual Mountain Men Respite. They were graciously hosted at Delbert Clement’s family homestead in Stony Creek, NY — a beautiful 60-acre property surrounded by winter woods and centered around a large frozen pond.

The weekend brought true Adirondack winter conditions. Daytime temperatures ranged between 10–15 degrees, and nighttime temperatures dropped to between –15 and –20 degrees. The men slept in hot tents, each heated by wood stoves that required steady tending throughout the night. Thanks to Dell’s generous preparation, there was abundant firewood for both the tent stoves and the large outdoor fire that became the heart of the retreat.

Fifteen women, of varying ages, from four different Diocesan parishes, braved the weekend’s frigid weather to attend this retreat which centered on the life and witness of St. Olympia the Deaconess.  This intimate gathering offered the opportunity to reflect on the steadfast faith, courage, and service of, not only St. Olympia, but also St. Matushka Olga of Alaska. 

His Grace Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist), former Bishop of Sendai, fell asleep in the Lord on the morning of February 6, 2026.

Bishop Seraphim was born Joseph Sigrist on December 13, 1941 in New York and baptized in a Presbyterian Church. He was brought up in Pleasantville, NY and studied at Nyack College. While studying at Nyack he began to attend the Orthodox Church…

The faithful of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey are warmly invited to gather for the celebration of Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers on Sunday, March 1 at 4:00 PM, hosted at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

Jacob’s Well is looking for a new Print Designer to do layout and graphic design. Ideally, this person would have some experience in layout for print and magazine publications. They should also have familiarity with Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop. It is a volunteer position that comes with a modest honorarium dependent on budget capacity. For more information, to recommend someone, or for those interested in the role, they should contact Fr Matthew Brown at editor@jacobsmag.org.

[Watertown, NY] - On 31 January 2026, Father Gregory Fedorchak celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St John the Soldier Mission in Watertown, NY. Forty-one faithful gathered in our chapel, the largest service held so far at St John the Soldier. The deep snow and ice-like cold couldn’t stop the gathering. Many of the faithful are soldiers in the US Army’s 10th MTN Division who will deploy in the spring on a regularly scheduled overseas rotation. The liturgy was followed by a parish meal. Going forward, we will hold regularly scheduled liturgies on the last Saturday of each month, in addition to our readers' vespers on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and Hours and Typica on Sundays at 9:45 a.m.

On January 18, 2026, the St. Olga of Alaska Orthodox Mission marked a historic milestone by celebrating the first Divine Liturgy in its new permanent home. Following a rapid two-week transition after acquiring the property on December 30, a dedicated crew of volunteers quickly prepared the space with a donated iconostasis and furnishings to ensure the building was ready for worship. Despite the hurdles of addressing immediate infrastructure needs, 23 faithful gathered for the inaugural service, which included the blessing of the building and the Great Blessing of Water. With regular Sunday services now established at 9:30 AM, the mission community looks forward to a new chapter of spiritual life and growth in their own dedicated sanctuary.

[Brooklyn, NY] - On Sunday, January 25, the Transfiguration Cathedral in Brooklyn celebrated the feast of the Holy Martyr Tatiana, maintaining its remarkable 117-year tradition of never closing for a Sunday service—even amidst the pandemic or natural disasters. Despite severe weather and city-wide storm warnings, parishioners gathered from across the five boroughs for the Divine Liturgy, while others joined via a live online broadcast. The day concluded with a special prayer service for students, honoring St. Tatiana as their patron saint and reaffirming the cathedral’s role as a resilient spiritual home for the New York community.

[Jewell, NY] - The faithful of Saints Peter and Paul and St. Andrew's Camp went to the shore of Lake Oneida on January 18th, 2026 for the Great Blessing of Waters, followed by the third annual Theophany Cross Plunge. There was a youth division, where five brave youths plunged into the icy cold waters to retrieve the cross, followed by an adult division. Many hours were spent beforehand carving out the ice path for the plunge. This year's path was the largest to date. The event was captured on video and compiled with interviews from some of the participants.