The Eastern Orthodox Church in Alaska

[Akathist]

Recently there was a brief discussion on the Orthodox Church in Alaska and I thought perhaps we might discuss it more as I have always been interested in Alaska and hope to someday visit there. I have also heard that there are many opportunities for missionary work there through the Orthodox Church.

We have members who could talk about the history of the Church in Alaska including how it started, and the effects the various world wars have had on the people in the Church.

The only thing I know about the history of the Church in Alaska is a child's book on the life of St. Hermon of Alaska that I read in our parish's library.

[Orthocat]

wow, there is a rich history there and many books written about it.

Go to the St Herman of Alaska bookstore online...that may help.

Also we have St Peter the Aleut from there - the martyred child...

Fr Gerasim lived there pretty much alone for some time taking care of St Herman's place, if memory serves me, -- there is a book about him, and I believe he actually sent a relic or something from there to Fr Seraphim Rose in Platina for their mission work.
My memory slips...but there is a rich rich heritage of Russian Orthodoxy there, and others may be able to fill it in much better.

[Julina]

the first missionaries came to Alaska in 1794.

i'm too tired to think of much more, but i think i'd be interested in this discussion too.

[Orthocat]

He answered and said unto them, "Give ye them to eat"... And they all ate and were filled (Mark 6:37,42).

The Aleuts told me also the following incident, which took place on Spruce Island not long before Father Herman's death. Two American natives came to the Elder on the island, either hunters or fishermen. In any case, they came to look at the Elder, because much was said about him even during his lifetime. They were very hungry and, having greeted the Elder, asked him to feed them. The Elder readily agreed, but told them that they would have to wait a little, to which they agreed. Father Herman went to the little canal not far from his cell, which flowed into the creek, and that into the ocean. The Elder went down to the water and caught a little fish with his hands. He brought it to his cell and began to prepare it. The natives, seeing that one such little fish would hardly satisfy their hunger, called the Elder's attention to this. But the Elder only replied that they should not worry. And what happened? When the meal was ready and the Elder served it to them, he not only fed them until they were full, but there was a great deal left over from this little fish. Astonished and miraculously fed, they left and told many people of this. This story came down to me.
Everything set down here I personally, being three years in Alaska, heard from the local Aleut inhabitants.

Archpriest Prokopy Povarnitsyn

[Orthocat]

http://www.sainthermanpress.com/images/Book%20Covers/0938635824-Abba.jpg


“…Yes, I love my quiet hermitage and leave it with bitter tears, rejoicing when I return to it; and solemnly, with tender feeling. I kiss the holiness there. All of these years I have never tired of being there, although I do not see people for weeks, even months. I was never sad even during the winter months, there in the snow-covered hermitage.”
—Archimandrite Gerasim, 1964



Great spiritual men lived there...

[Sphinx777]

Another thread that may interest you...

http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=6573798


:angel:

[ProScribe]

I read that Orthodox missionaries journey from Russia to the frontiers of Alaska on Apostolic commission, then they began teaching the Natives about the Faith. Watch out for Grizzly bears . . .I know about St. Herman's Academy and Brotherhood from reading Christian literature.

[Lukaris]

This link seems to have access to valuable info re Orthodox mission to Alaska: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/russian/s1a.html

[Mary of Bethany]

If you can find podcasts or articles by Father Michael Oleksa, he is a wonderful source for the history of the Church in Alaska, and a very interesting speaker.

Mary

[E.C.]

What is often "brushed under the rug" in the history books, is the fact that after the US purchased Alaska, they sent missionaries up there to "de-Russianize" it. Sadly, their definition included Orthodoxy and thusly the Orthodox Natives were heavily persecuted.

Many of the books and Bibles which St. Innocent has written in the various languages and dialects in the alphabet he created based off of Cyrillic; gone. Many churches; looted. Many icons; destroyed. And many families; separated in the name of "Americanization".

I even heard that during the Cold War the US Coast Guard would use icons as target practice because they were "Russian".

Yes, such a long, sad, yet glorious history of Orthodoxy in Alaska.