His Grace, Bishop Alexei, Returns from Raising Funds for the Clergy Stipend Fund

His Grace, Bishop +ALEXEI recently returned from a tour of the Pacific Northwest, blessing the faithful with a visit of the wonderworking icon, Our Lady of Sitka, and a relic from the hand of Saint Herman of Alaska.

At each stop, which included Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Paulsbo, Kirkland and Vashon Island, the faithful arrived in the hundreds to attend divine services and hear a word from His Grace about the many needs of the God-protected Diocese of Sitka and Alaska. 

    Bishop Alexei shared a presentation on the history of the Diocese as well as its current needs. The faithful, moved by the presentation, were exceedingly generous. 

The journey started at the Romanian Diocesan Congress, where His Grace gave a talk to the priests about the relationship between the bishop and the priest and a talk to the entire congress about the history and present of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska. He also served the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with His Eminence, Archbishop +NATHANIEL and His Grace Bishop +ANDREI. 

   From there His Grace traveled to Vashon Island to the All Merciful Savior Monastery, where he was greeted by Abbot Tryphon on the brotherhood. At the monastery, the newly composed Akathist to Our Lady of Sitka was sung, followed by the local clergy brotherhood gathering in which Vladyka again spoke about the needs in Alaska.

    His Grace completed the trip by visiting five other parishes across the greater Seattle area.  

    Reports followed each visit of miracles that occurred when the faithful asked for Our Lady of Sitka’s intercessions. One man’s back was healed. One woman reported being prompted in her spirit to go to the hospital when praying before Our Lady, only to find out her appendix was moments from bursting.  One child was even miraculously healed of cysts on the brain, the before and after scans even being shown to His Grace shortly after they were taken. 

One priest said. “His Grace worked tirelessly over this thirteen day journey to bless the faithful of the Northwest with these holy treasures of Alaska, and to advocate on behalf of his Diocese, with an emphasis on the need to support his priests who often undergo heroic labors for the Lord for very little material reward. The Clergy of the area were warm and gracious, and had a real love for Christ’s Holy Church in Alaska.”

   His Grace remarked, “Due to the shared history between our Dioceses, and the relatively close proximity, there has long been a real love and connection between the Diocese of the West and the Mother Diocese in Alaska. With this visit, that connection is not only renewed, but now strengthened for further work in behalf of the Holy Orthodox faith.”