In the Life of the Church

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2 The North Star Published three times a year with the blessing of His Grace, the Right Reverend NIKOLAI Bishop of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska P.O. Box Anchorage, AK Office: (907) Fax: (907) NEW WEB ADDRESS Publisher His Grace, Bishop NIKOLAI Editor-in-Chief Priest Innocent Dresdow Editorial Staff Archpriest Chad Hatfield Mrs. Anna Jarlson Questions or comments? Send to: thenorthstar@innokentii.org In This Issue On Holy Ground Memory Eternal St. Herman Seminary ~ Class of 2005 A letter from His Grace The Right Reverend NIKOLAI Bishop of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska Remembering Archpriest Peter Bourdukofsky Archpriest Patrick Reardon delivers a powerful message to Graduates By Land, Sea and Air Priest Marc Vranes interviews helicopter pilot Jon Osgood Highlights from Saint Herman Seminary A full year of Activities and Growth in a Vibrant Community Interior Renewal of Holy Resurrection Cathedral Your invited to be a part of renovating the parish St. Herman established Russian Orthodox Museum Opens Downtown Anchorage has a new Museum and Coffee Shop Summer Pilgrimage Schedule A Season of Spiritual Celebration and Renewal His Grace Bishop NIKOLAI, and the editorial staff of The North Star wish to express their gratitude for the continued support of this publication. If you would like to contribute please send donations to the Chancery (address above) and mark your donation North Star. Thank you for your generous support that allows us to continue to publish and distribute The North Star throughout the world. The North Star W onderworking Icon to Travel Throughout North America The Sitka Madonna, she is called, is currently traveling throughout the Diocese and will embark on a two month pilgrimage of the lower forty-eight that begins on September 7th and ends on November 7th By the end of August a schedule will be posted online at: In the Life of the Church Ordinations Priest Andrew Kasheverof To the Holy Diaconate February 12, 2005 To the Holy Priesthood February 13, 2005 Priest Alexei Knagin To the Holy Diaconate February 13, 2005 To the Holy Priesthood February 14, 2005 Deacon Alexander Larson To the Holy Diaconate June 3, 2005 Deacon Elia Larson To the Holy Diaconate June 5, 2005 Elevations Hieromonk Isidore Elevated to the rank of Archimandrite Deacon George Nelson Elevated to the rank of Protodeacon Memory Eternal Archpriest Peter Bourdukofsky Anchorage, Alaska March 12, 2004 On the cover: The Sitka Mother of God, Wonder-Working Icon, which is currently touring Alaska, will be in the lower 48 beginning this September and returning to Alaska in November.

3 On Holy Ground Dear Faithful, An open letter to my Dear and Faithful Children of the God-protected Diocese of Alaska Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever! The year is 1788 and Gregory Shelikov is visiting Valaam Monastery. At that time there were hundreds of monastics. I can only imagine how overcome he must have been in that spiritual haven, Holy Valaam, the Mount Athos of the north. Of course, even the name Shelikov is familiar to those of us living here in Alaska, the Shelikov Straits. In fact, all over Alaska are the remnants of the Russian period with Russian names and reminders of the faith that first brought Christianity here. Five years later in 1793 the plan was already in motion to send monastics to the new land so they could bring Christ to the unenlightened. Those unenlightened were our ancestors here in this great land, the Aleuts, the Tlingit and the Yupik peoples. Not so unlike the days centuries earlier when Christianity came to other parts of the world as we recall with our own heritage, the Baptism of Rus, when Vladimir had an entire nation baptized in 988. The New Valaam Monastery was founded in 1806 at Icon Bay on Spruce Island by St. Herman as the first monastery on this continent. It was so named because that was the monastery from where St. Herman himself came Valaam. A hearty group of eight monastics led by Archimandrite Ioasaph traveled from Valaam Monastery on the western part of Russia all across Siberia and boarded a ship for Alaska. They departed St. Petersburg on December 25, Ten months later and after some 7,327 miles they arrived on Kodiak Island and the Kodiak Mission began. Can you imagine making such a trip, ten months and thousands of miles to bring Christ to a new land; to an unknown place? These were the first missionaries we are the continuation of that mission. What they brought here is what we are celebrating this year, the 35 th anniversary of the canonization of our Father among the saints, the Venerable Herman Wonderworker of Alaska and All-America and one of the original monastics. Soon after landing on Kodiak a school for girls was organized by Father Herman and the first Church was built in Kodiak Holy Resurrection. Today this church is the resting place of St. Herman. Hundreds of pilgrims will gather this year as they have in years past. Pilgrims from afar and from our own people, who revere the first saint of America and the patron of our great land will converge upon Kodiak to venerate his holy memory. A connection to Valaam will also be present for this Pilgrimage. The Wonderworking Icon of the Valaam Monastery, which is presently at New Valaamo Monastery in Finland, will be brought by His Eminence Archbishop LEO of Finland to bless us. During the communist yoke, the monks had to flee old Valaam and the monastery wasn t re-opened until after the fall of communism about fifteen years ago. The Monastery was used to house the mentally ill and prisoners. Even on my first visit there in 1998 parts of the Monastery were still occupied by these people but gradually through time, the monastery is being refurbished. The presence of St. Herman on Spruce Island and others who came Summer 3

4 Ss. Sergius & Herman of Valaam Church Spruce Island, Alaska after him extended that presence to Alaska. Even today we share that connection with New Valaamo Monastery, as much has had to be done to refurbish our own monastery on Spruce Island. For the original missionaries this was more than just a journey across the world to settle in some unknown land. Work began in earnest after arriving in Alaska and I want to make mention of some of those high points. We know that thousands were baptized by the missionaries in those early years; perhaps most notable among them was the work of St. Juvenaly who traveled from Kodiak to Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and back across Lake Iliamna until he met his heavenly reward at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, killed by the local shaman and his followers. This should be a reminder even today, hundreds of years later, that there are still those against the cross that was firmly planted in America here in this land. We must follow the saint s example by arming ourselves as warriors of Jesus Christ through Holy Orthodoxy. The New Valaam Monastery was founded in 1806 at Icon Bay on Spruce Island by St. Herman as the first monastery on this continent. It was so named because that was the monastery from where St. Herman himself came Valaam. In 1821 the Russian Government spelled out in detail their obligation in maintaining the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska and the propagation of the faith. Governor Wrangell, head manager of the Russian American Company, in 1831 gave St. Herman the east end of Spruce Island dated in his letter #354. This was not only a gift it was the assurance that what was established here was to remain a Holy Ground to the glory of Almighty God and the Orthodox Church. St. Herman died on December 13, 1837 (o.s.) but his presence remains to this very day. Our own Ouzinkie people who began their presence on Spruce Island during St. Herman s time still speak of him as if he were still living among them and in the present tense. Their love for him is still alive. What needs to be awakened is the life of monasticism on Spruce Island. It is written in the Akathist to St. Herman, that his vision was for a monastery to be built on this place where he struggled. May God give us the strength to accomplish this vision! In 1894 a small chapel was built over the grave of St. Herman. That church has recently been renovated and restored. God-willing, on July 11, 2005, the consecration of this temple will be celebrated. The old altar table inside the church shows no signs of ever having been consecrated. There s also been no evidence that the building was ever consecrated so the service will take place this July. This chapel was built to mark the 100 th anniversary of Orthodoxy in America. Today we celebrate the third century of Orthodox presence in America. We invite all to participate in this glorious celebration of Orthodoxy and the canonization of St. Herman. His Beatitude our Metropolitan HERMAN and many of the hierarchs of our own Orthodox Church in America will be attending the celebration this year in Kodiak from August 7-9. All are welcomed to make the Pilgrimage and if not physically then surely by prayer. Join us in giving glory to Almighty God and his faithful servant, our Venerable Father Herman of Alaska, the Wonderworker! Love and blessings, +Bishop NIKOLAI Icon Bay, Spruce Island 4 The North Star

5 The Very Reverend Archpriest Peter Bourdukofsky, died March 12, 2005 at Alaska Regional Hospital from complications of pneumonia, he was 61. Funeral services were celebrated Thursday, March 17th at St. Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Anchorage. His Grace, The Right Reverend NIKOLAI, presided over the service with many of the diocesan clergy in attendance as well. Pallbearers included, Diocesan Clergy, son, brothers, brother-in-law, sons-in-law, and nephews. Archpriest Peter was laid to rest in Anchorage on Bright Tuesday. A lifelong Alaskan Father Peter was born May 27, 1943 in the Funter Bay Internment Camp, in Admiralty, Alaska, after the Aleutian people were forcibly relocated during World War II. He lived on St. Paul Island for 16 years and in Anchorage for 35 years. The last seven years, he lived in Unalaska. Father Peter was a graduate of Mt. Edgecumbe High School and went on to attend Haskell Indian Nations Junior College and St. Herman Seminary. After 31 years in the service, he retired as a civil service supervisor of the V&W shop at Fort Richardson. He was ordained a Deacon Memory Eternal November 15, 1987 and a Protodeacon in He entered the Priesthood November 28, 1993 and in 2002 was elevated to Archpriest. Most Father & Matushka in Russia recently, he had been the rector of the Holy Ascension Orthodox Cathedral in Unalaska. He was also the Dean of the Unalaska Deanery of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska.. In Loving Memory Memorial Bequests, to provide scholarships, may be sent to: st. Herman Seminary 414 Mission Road Kodiak, Alaska He was a man of great faith and His love for the Orthodox Church was unquestionable. He touched the lives of many through his words and kind acts. He is greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. Together he and Matushka Catherine were able to tour Russia last October on a pilgrimage with His Grace. Memory Eternal, dear Father, your presence is missed here in Alaska! Summer 5

6 A Commencement Call to Courage An exhoration delivered by Archpriest Patrick Reardon It is to the ministry of this Redemption that men are chosen and ordained by the Church. What qualities do we hope to find in such men? Let me suggest that we start with what the ancient Greeks called andreia. We correctly translate that word as courage, but it is worth bearing in mind that its etymology means manliness. How important is manly courage in the ministry of the Gospel? To answer that question, let us consider the deeper meaning of that virtue. It must first be said that courage is not a self-sufficient virtue. It is not self-glorifying, nor does it revel in its own sense of power. It properly derives its worth, rather, from what it serves, which is beyond and above itself, something adhered to in fidelity and protected with discernment. Saint Ambrose warned the clergy of the late fourth century: Although courage (fortitudo) is a virtue higher than the others, it is not such as can stand alone, His Grace, Archpriest Patrick Reardon & Graduates Protopresbyter Joseph Kreta Scholarship In honor of Protopresbyter Joseph Kreta a scholarship has been established for the furtherance of educating Alaska s future clergy. Contributions can be made by contacting the seminary at: Saint Herman Seminary 414 Mission Rd Kodiak AK (907) of the virtue consists rather in what is good than in what is difficult (... ratio virtutis consistit magis in bono quam in difficili Summa Theologica IIa IIae, 123, 12, ad 2). Ambrose, born and raised during the stormy decades between the councils of Nicaea and Constantinople, took it as obvious that there could be no adequate Christian pastoring without courage. Inspired by the recent examples of Athanasius and Basil, Ambrose himself consistently illustrated this virtue, perhaps most notably when he resisted the Arianism of the Empress Justina at Milan and called on the Emperor Theodosius to do public penance for the massacre at Thessaloniki. We should insist, with Ambrose and other Church Fathers, that elementary manliness is an essential, irreplaceable requirement of the pastoral office. It is not sufficient to contend that ordained Christian pastors must be males. It is also imperative that care be taken that ordinands be manly persons, loyal and discerning...courage is not a self-sufficient virtue. It is not self-glorifying, nor does it revel in its own sense of power. It properly derives its worth, rather, from what it serves... because it never depends solely on itself (De Officiis 1.35). That is to say, it is not the arduousness of courage that renders it honorable, but the superior good to which it ministers. Commenting on courage in this respect, Thomas Aquinas wrote that the reckoning men armed with the disposition and the cultivated habit of virile, red-blooded fortitude. If these remarks seem to strike too martial a tone, it is perhaps because we no longer sense the significance of military metaphors 6 The North Star

7 Newly ordained: Priest Andrew Kashevarof & Deacon Alexie Knagin, with His Grace, fellow clergy & servers respecting the ordained ministry. Some time has elapsed, apparently, since the arts of pastoring have been perceived as methods of combat (as in 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7). Long gone, it appears, are the days when a Christian pastor could refer to his associates as fellow soldiers (Philippians 2:25; Philemon 2) and describe the Christian ministry in terms of doing battle (2 Timothy 2:4). As models for the Christian pastor, St. Ambrose did not hesitate to cite the manly examples of David standing up to Goliath and Daniel facing the lions (op. cit., 35). He cited the exhortation that Job received to gird up your loins like a man (citing Job 40:2 in the LXX and Vetus Latina), going on to describe the pastor as Christ s warrior, and speaking of the pastoral ministry as fighting for God (ibid., 36). The courage we are talking about may be raw, but it is not reckless, nor is it cultivated as an end in itself. It is not a self-glorifying attitude, nor a temper of soul that revels in its own sense of strength and sufficiency (what 1 John 2:16 calls alazoneia tou biou pride of life ). Pastoral courage is certainly not what today is known as machismo. Guided by fidelity and discernment, rather, this courage is put to the service of something higher, nobler, and vastly more important the pastoral ministry to the Gospel in the Church. We regard this godly courage as essential if the bishop or pastor is to speak with the Newly ordained Deacons Elia Larson & Alexander Larson with Priest Nikolai Larson from Napaskiak authority inherent in his ministry. Without this basic level of biblical manliness, it is not easy to see how a pastor can fulfill even the minimum oversight contained in the ancient admonition, Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:2-5). (A special thank you to Archpriest Patrick for permission to publish this portion of his address) SHS Alumni Association The Saint Herman Seminary alumni association is active in supporting the ongoing efforts at the seminary. In 2003 the association announced the Associate Alumni Program. This offers an opportunity for anyone who did not attend SHS to become associate alumnists. Annual dues are $25 per year or $500 for a life-time membership. These funds will be used to provide continuing education opportunities to Alaskan clergy. By joining this group members will receive an Associate Alumni Certificate issued at graduations and they will enjoy all of the privileges of regular alumni. This adoption by SHS is yet another way to support the work of Orthodoxy in Alaska. Applications can be obtained by calling or ing Archpriest Chad Hatfield (907) frchad@hatfield.net 2005 Summer

8 Jon L. Osgood is a retired U.S. Army helicopter pilot. By his own admission, he flew some mighty dangerous rescue missions in Korea, Viet Nam, and Alaska during his 34- year flight career. That he has lived to tell about them, would obviously be a sign he was protected by God s loving right hand especially during Viet Nam flights in Danang and Saigon through more than 10,000 career flights and 14,000 hours of flight time. So, when a telephone call came 36 years ago, Osgood, an experienced bush pilot, thought nothing of it. It was just another flight, in an otherwise uneventful early spring morning, with the exception of that day s weather conditions. Or so Osgood, then 31 years old, thought. Osgood was told his Kodiak Airways Bell Jet Ranger helicopter would take one passenger that day, a then 39-year-old priest, Fr. Macarius Targonsky, and fly him to Monk s Lagoon on Spruce Island and then return to Kodiak Island, a short trip, about 10 miles one-way. March 26, 1969 was an ominous and foreboding day. It was cold and windy; the sky was gray and threatening. It was, quite frankly, a menacing day and by Osgood s own recollection, not a particularly good one for flying. Fr Targonsky had previously received an order from the Orthodox Church s administration in New York to accompany Osgood to transfer the relics of St Herman from Spruce Island and transport them to Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Kodiak Island to ensure their protection. Fr Herman s relics, it had been reported, might be stolen and needed to be removed immediately from his grave on Spruce Island. According to Osgood, because the weather was so unfavorable that day, it actually created ideal conditions in which to remove the relics. No one, he felt, would suspect anything like that would be happening on such a harsh day. What is especially significant to this story is the helicopter Osgood piloted on this day. The helicopter Osgood flew to retrieve St Herman s relics would eventually make its way into Orthodox iconography. The well known icon of St Herman, the one which is bordered by 18 scenes from his life, has in the lower right hand corner a helicopter. It is Osgood s Bell Jet Ranger. In all likelihood it is perhaps the only helicopter written into Orthodox iconography. Keep in mind, Osgood, now 66, Jon with Metropolitan JUVENALY reminded a group of Orthodox Christian Fellowship Real Break college students on the morning of March 8, 2005, that flight was simply part of my secular job. I really did not think anything extraordinary about it. I had no idea that what I was being asked to do would eventually become so meaningful. It was just part of my secular job. When I was asked to go, I remember thinking, it s just another flight on another bad weather day. For more than 35 years, Osgood s flight was a part of the Orthodox Church in America s history, yet he was truly not aware of his role. In August, 2004, the significance of Osgood s contribution came to light. As current owner and operator of the Tutka Bay Wilderness Lodge, along with his wife, Nelda, in Homer, Alaska, the Osgood s were hosting their lodge guests at a family style dinner. The North Star

9 Jon Osgood has always made it a point not to delve into his guest s personal lives. They are visiting, he feels, to relax and forget the anxieties that can often accompany ever day life. If the guests want to speak of what they do, and where they are from, then Jon and Nelda are willing listeners. I will never forget that evening last August, Osgood recalled. There were two doctors, a husband and wife, from New York City visiting. Dr. Lila Kalinch and her husband, Dr. Ramon Murphy. We began to talk. Lila, who is Serbian, and Ramon were very well read about the Orthodox Church. They spoke of their affiliation with the Orthodox Church in America throughout our conversation. As they spoke, I began to leaf through a stack of Alaska memorabilia I had. Finally, I came across what I was looking for. It was a color copy of an icon commemorating the canonization of St Herman in We carefully examined the picture until we came across the scene with the helicopter and the priests carrying the relics. When Lila and Ramon began to make the connection that I was indeed the helicopter pilot who flew St Herman s relics from Spruce Island, a very warm feeling began to sweep over us. I remember being at a loss for Jon & Nelda Osgood Homer, Alaska feelings today. words. Even today, I am not capable of describing the strong feelings that came over me that night. I still have those same indescribable I has taken 36 years, but now I am fully capable of seeing how the hand of God has been involved in these events. Over the past few months, I have been blessed to understand how I fit into a very small piece of the American Orthodox Church s history. The idea St Herman s relics could actually be transported on March 26, 1969, is a story in itself. Strong winds were whipping heavy seas into the normally protected Monk s Lagoon. Osgood identified a small landing area on the beach, but the weather was simply too severe to land, so he maneuvered the helicopter up the trail and near the chapel. Osgood circled the Bell Jet Ranger Jon with Icon of St. Herman in buffeting winds while he and Fr Targonsky searched for an alternative landing spot. Neither, quite naturally, wanted to return empty handed. West of the chapel they spotted a small frozen pond. It was only large enough to land a small helicopter. The approach into this small clearing, surrounded on all sides by trees, is what rotary wing pilots refer to as a confined area. Osgood, who retired in 1997, said. I slowly hovered the helicopter down through the trees and onto the icy pond. I tested the strength of the ice before shutting down. We stepped out into the cold wind. Slowly, and silently, Osgood and Fr Macarius moved towards the chapel. Neither said a word. Once inside the chapel, the 5- foot wooden casket which Archimandrite Gerasim Schmaltz had placed St Herman into in the early 1900 s, was removed with great reverence and piety. St Herman s relics were taken from the church, placed into the helicopter, and flown to Kodiak Island where they have remained to this day. The eerie silence in the helicopter, in the chapel, and on the return trip home to Kodiak Island, was palpable. To know Fr Macarius is to know someone who loves to talk. He has many, many stories to tell, Osgood said, smiling. On this day however, I can remember him never saying a word. He was extremely concerned very nervous. He was so quiet that it made me a bit uneasy. I thought he Summer

10 might be wondering, Is it right to remove the bones of Father Herman from such a sacred site? After taking St Herman s relics to Holy Resurrection Church in Kodiak, several months later Osgood returned a second time to Monk s Lagoon and Spruce Island. On this occasion, several Orthodox priests retrieved St Herman s few earthly possessions, the 15 pounds of chains he wore, his cassock and klobuk. The Kodiak Airways Bell Jet Ranger helicopter that Jon L. Osgood piloted on March 26, 1969, has laid at the bottom of Cook Inlet in Alaska, s o m e w h e r e b e t w e e n Kenai and N i n i l c h i k, since A few years after Osgood and V. Rev. Macarius Targonsky boarded N1416W to transfer the relics of St Herman from Spruce Island to Holy Resurrection Church on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Airways began to lease the helicopter with an option to buy. According to Osgood, the helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing one day. The pilot hastily landed the helicopter on an oil rig platform. I recall that the pilot had been drinking a lot of coffee. You know, there is no bathroom on a helicopter, Osgood said. So the pilot landed, raced out of the helicopter, and was in such a hurry, he failed to bring the rotating blades to a complete stop and tie them down. It was a windy day and the blades were still rotating when he jumped out. The helicopter began to rock back and forth. While the pilot was still in the bathroom, the helicopter tipped over into Cook Inlet. To my knowledge, Kodiak Airways never bothered to retrieve it. And from what I understand, N1416W is still at the bottom of Cook Inlet. Priest Marc Vranes Bristol, Connecticut The paper print icon was the only reminder Osgood had for several decades. Now, his home has an icon of St Herman. Centrally located in the Osgood s home in Homer is a beautiful hand written icon of St Herman, a prayerful gift from Lila and Ramon to Jon and Nelda. Osgood looked often at the icon as he spoke. Finally, he walked over to the icon, took it off the wall, examined it closely, and shook his head I don t look at what I did as that essential, Osgood said. What I have done is nothing compared to what St Herman, and other saints, have done. It is their holy lives which deserve to be examined. It has taken 35 years for Jon L. Osgood, a humble, Christian man, to fully understand what he did on March 26, The impact now however, is not lost on him. If a monastic community were ever again to be established on Spruce Island - as was the case in September, 1794, when St Herman came to America, giving birth to the Orthodox faith on the North American continent - and the relics of St Herman of Alaska were to be returned to their original burial site, a helicopter pilot would be needed. Jon L. Osgood would be overwhelmed if he were to be the one to pilot the helicopter. Only this time, the full weight of this particular flight would be known immediately. Priest Marc Vranes Bristol, Connecticut Shop Online at the: Russian Alaskan Liturgical Supply Online Store For Your Convenience... Shopping Cart - secure online ordering system Product photo Gallery Write a review or read a review Prompt shipment of your order - with confirmation The North Star

11 Seminary Community Commencement exercises held Sunday, June 5, 2005 capped another vibrant and exciting year of growth at St. Herman Theological Seminary. A unique class graduated from our Diocesan School. With the blessings of Vladyka NIKOLAI, Protopresbyter Joseph Kreta was named Dean Emeritus and all were treated to informative talks by Archpriest Patrick Reardon noted author of Christ in the Psalms (Conciliar Press) and Senior Editor of Touchstone magazine. Much was accomplished by the Seminary during the School year. Yearlong, Seminarians led a very full life being fully engaged in the daily liturgical worship of the Church services, involved in the rigors of academic work and also doing pastoral field work. This pastoral field work involved intensive training in Substance abuse counseling at Kodiak Area Native Association, hospital visitations, parish pastoral visits and teaching Church School at Holy Resurrection Cathedral. Students founded several special interest groups including a Pro-Life Group and a group concerned with Environmental Ethics. The newly resurrected St. Herman Seminary Hermits basketball team energized the Seminary community and captured its division in Kodiak City League. Students were also blessed to attend visiting lectures on Orthodox iconography, Christian Bioethics and Alaskan Church history. Great strides are being made in other areas of Seminary life including electronically cataloguing and adding volumes to the Seminary library collection. A computer lab is now available for student use. Physical renovations including siding of buildings, A Winning Team! refectory and kitchen and classroom refurbishing have been accomplished. A commitment to building new married student housing was recently made by the Seminary Board of Trustees. This will give more opportunity for Seminary growth. The final fruit of Seminary life and the measure of a school is in its graduates. In 2005 we had four graduates: Priest Andrew Kashevarof, Priest Alexei Knagin, Reader Michael Fredricks and Reader Leonty Johnston. Each of these students came from a unique background and each led a spiritual journey following their call from the Lord: You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit (John 15:16). Coming Ordination of Deacon Elia Larson from diverse areas around the vast state of Alaska, each came from a unique background whether Yupik or Aleut or Kodiak Alutiiq. With their families and children each sacrificed and worked hard in order to live up to their high calling from the Lord. With God s help these four workers in Christ s vineyard will be well equipped to make the spiritual vision of St. Herman a concrete reality in Alaskan Church communities. Priest Jon Dunlop St. Herman Seminary Make an eternal investment Support Saint Herman Seminary! We need your help in equipping Alaska s future clergy! Summer 11

12 Moving Ahead Seminary Trustees with His Grace in Kodiak SHS Continues to Grow! During the St. Herman Seminary Board of Trustees meeting, held in Kodiak, AK, on June 4, 2005, the trustees voted unanimously to meet the needs of the increased seminary enrollment through the construction of married student housing in Kodiak and faculty development. The seminary is also actively pursuing authorization from the State of Alaska and accreditation from a regional or national agency. The school currently operates under an exemption from the state. Protopresbyter Joseph Kreta, first dean of the seminary, was awarded the honor of Dean Emeritus, following Divine Liturgy by His Grace, Bishop NIKOLAI. Fr. Kreta, who retired in 1995, was the Seminary s first Dean, when the seminary opened as the St. Herman Pastoral School in Become a Distinguished Diocesan Donor Sign up online: or call: (907) There are many needs at St. Herman Seminary. Continuous maintenance is necessary in Kodiak; wind and rain take a toll on both the seminary buildings and on the infrastructure. During graduation weekend, maintenance was performed on the seminary bell tower. A new course taught this fall, on the Theology of Marriage will include clergy wives. The Drug and Substance Abuse Counseling Program is now affiliated with Safe Harbor, under the direction of Providence Hospital. This important training provides a valuable, well-rounded graduate who is capable of both serving the church and of providing drug and substance abuse counseling in the Alaskan villages. Betty Slanta Ilaasi - Friends of St. Herman Seminary The Johnston Family who were generously sponsored by: St. Nicholas Cathedral, Washington D.C. Matushka & Protopresbyter Joseph Kreta Daily services are an intregal part of community life 12 The North Star

13 Holy Resurrection Cathedral Founded in 1794 Once in a Lifetime Opportunity How would you like to help adorn North America s first Orthodox Church? Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral is currently undergoing extensive renovations. A new iconostas is being constructed and plans are being made for frescoing the walls and ceiling! Join with us, as we prepare St. Herman s resting place for this glorious anniversary! We are seeking donations for: Sponsor an Icon (from $ $ ) Six Area Rugs ($ each) Paint ($50.00 per can) Wood Floor Restoration ($5.00 per sq. ft.) Golden Altar Chandilier ($ ) Donations & Inquiries can be sent to: Holy Resurrection Cathedral Attn: Father Innocent PO Box 55 Kodiak, AK Before (907) frinnocent@dioceseofalaska.org Thank you for sharing in this once-in-a-lifetime labor of love! After This exquisite reproduction of the official icon commemorating the 35th anniversary of St. Herman of Alaska s canonization is available for $40.00 (includes shipping by priority USPS and handling for addresses in the U.S.) Order your copy by completing this form and sending it to: RODA, P.O. Box , Anchorage, AK Name Address Phone ( ) Number of $40.00 each q Please debit my credit card $ visa or mastercard number expiration date q Check enclosed Amount $ Yes! I want to support the work in the Diocese of Alaska, please send me the commemorative poster(s). O Holy Ss. Innocent and Herman pray unto God for us! Summer 13

14 Museum Opens On June 1, 2005, the much anticipated RUSSIAN ORTHODOX MUSEUM opened in downtown Anchorage Become a member of the Russian Orthodox Museum The Russian O r t h o d o x Museum is now open at 605 A Street (directly east from the Anchorage Mina Jacobs - Curator Museum of History and Art). The Museum features artifacts dating from eighteenth century Russian America (now Alaska) until the present day. Among the objects on display are recently restored processional banners (possibly dating to 1794); rare icons believed to have been painted in the Sitka school of iconography (19 th century); personal objects of St. Innocent (Veniaminov); a kayak frame used by missionaries traveling along the Nushagak River and beaded priest s vestments designed and sewn by the Tlingit artist, Emma Marks. Orthodox missionaries arrived in Russian America in 1794 baptizing the Native people throughout the territory. Alaska is considered the Cradle of Orthodoxy in North America and the Orthodox Church recognizes five saints who labored here during the Church s early presence. The Russian Orthodox Church is the longest surviving institution in Alaska s history. Scattered across the state, there are currently 97 Orthodox parishes, many established during the Russian American era. A large number of the artifacts in the Museum s collection were retrieved from old churches, which have been restored or rebuilt. The Museum and Shop hours are weekdays, 10:00 am 6:00 pm, Saturdays, 10:00 am 5:00 pm, Sundays, 1:00 pm 5:00 pm. The Museum Café is open weekdays from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturdays 9 am 5 pm and Sundays 1:00 pm 5:00 pm. The café offers Kaladi coffee, along with pastries and sandwiches from L Aroma Bakery. Visitors can find Russian gift items including Lomonosov porcelain, exquisite lacquer boxes, icons and many traditional Russian crafts in the Museum Shop. A wide selection of Orthodox books and liturgical music will be available soon. The Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska is grateful to the Rasmuson Foundation for a grant, which has made this project possible. Museum admission is free. Please call if you have questions, or , minajacobs@gci.net. Coffee with Hieromonk Yakov 14 The North Star

15 A Living Investment How your membership helps: Provides funds for the restoration and conservation of valuable objects Assists with our general operating expenses Allows us to pursue other collections related to the history of Orthodoxy in Alaska At any membership level you will receive The North Star, a quarterly issue published by the Diocese of Alaska Annual membership levels q Basic $25.00 Receive the official diocesan quarterly publication The North Star q Founding $ In addition to The North Star, you will receive a 10% discount in the Museum Shop & Café. q Contributing $ Same as for Founding but receive a 15% discount in the Museum Shop & Café q Benefactor $ Same as for Contributing with a 20% discount in the Museum Shop & Café q Sponsor $ Same as for Benefactor and receive a copy of the St. Herman 35 th Anniversary poster. (see pg. 13) Name Address City State Phone ( ) Credit or Debit Card q q visa or mastercard number expiration date q Check Amount $ Mail or fax this form to: Russian Orthodox Museum 605 A Street Anchorage AK Tel. (907) Fax (907) Questions? Mina at: minajacobs@gci.net Ss. Sergius & Herman of Valaam Church Nanwalek, Alaska When you donate to The North Star you help: Send it to nearly 8000 recipients world-wide Help offset printing and mailing costs Enable us to share with you life in the Diocese of Alaska Support the work of Saint Herman Seminary Please fill out the form below and send with your contribution (checks payable to: RODA) All donations are tax-deductible Thank You for your Generosity! His Grace and Archimandrite Isidore Keep in Touch! Moving? or do you know somebody who wants to receive The North Star? Simply fill out and return the form below or easily submit address changes/additions online at: and click the link to join our mailing list! Name: Address: City State Zip Code Country Phone: Mail to: Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska North Star Mailing P.O. Box Anchorage, AK Summer 15

16 SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA August 7-9, 2005 SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, :00PM - AKATHIST & BISHOP S TEA MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2005 HOLY RESURRECTION CATHEDRAL - KODIAK 8:00AM - DEPART FOR SPRUCE ISLAND KODIAK HARBOR 9:00AM - HIERARCHICAL DIVINE LITURGY SS. SERGIUS & HERMAN OF VALAAM CHAPEL - SPRUCE IS. 6:00PM - HIERARCHICAL VIGIL HOLY RESURRECTION CATHEDRAL - KODIAK Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska P.O. Box Anchorage, AK FORWARD SERVICE REQUESTED NONPROFITORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID ANCHORAGE, AK Permit No. 699 TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, :00AM - HIERARCHICAL DIVINE LITURGY HOLY RESURRECTION CATHEDRAL - KODIAK 11:30AM - GRAND BANQUET KODIAK HIGH SCHOOL COMMONS