On Tuesday, June 16, His Grace had the opportunity to visit the town of Sitka AK, the see of the first Orthodox bishop in the western hemisphere and home to several American saints.

Though most of us know that Orthodoxy first came to the western hemisphere in the late 18th century by Russian Hieromonk Herman and his companions, the real spread throughout all of Alaska occurred in the early to mid 19th century from Sitka, the then-capitol of Russian America.

Saint Innocent (then Father John Popov-Veniaminov) was born, raised and ordained in Irkutsk (far east Russia). In 1823, he began his missionary work to the peoples of Kamchatka, and all across Alaska. In 1840, upon the death of his wife, he was made Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands, serving the peoples of America by translating the Gospel and the services into the languages of the native peoples. His house still stands today, maintained by the US National Park Service, and beautiful Saint Michael Catherdral that he design still operates as the see of Diocese of Alaska. READ MORE

Saint Yacob (Father Jacob Netsvetov) was born on Atka Island in 1802 of a Russian father and an Aleutic mother. Educated at the seminary in Irkutsk, he was ordained and sent by his bishop to continue missionary work in his home Alaska in 1829. Starting first on his home island, he later move to the Alaskan interior and then down to Sitka, he learned new languages, embraced new peoples and cultures, devised another alphabet, and for the next twenty years, until his health and eyesight failed, continued to be an evangelical beacon of the grace of God in southwestern Alaska. READ MORE

Following them, Saint Tikhon of Moscow, Venerable Sebastian Dabovich, and Hieromartyr Seraphim (Samoilovich) of Uglich all served the faithful of Sitka. 

Special thanks go out to Priest Herman Belt, dean of the Cathedral, showed His Grace all around the Cathedral and Sitka.

The following day, His Grace visited Juneau, modern capitol of Alaska and home to St. Nicholas Church there. St. Nicholas Orthodox Church was founded in 1893, at the request of the local Tlingit community. Constructed locally by Tlingit people and Serbian miners in 1893-94, the church was built on land donated by Yees Ganalax and using plans and funds sent from Russia. Furnished, decorated, and outfitted by generous gifts from the Russian Mission Society, the church was consecrated by Bishop Nikolai (Ziorov) in 1894, the church has been a fixture of the Juneau community and landscape ever since. Special thanks go out to rector Priest Maxim Gibson who hosted His Grace.