Search
Bishop ALEXEI Makes his Archpastoral Visit to Saint Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral
-
December 8, 2023There was much joy in Sitka over the weekend of September 18-19 (Julian Calendar: November 5-6), culminating with a hierarchical Divine Liturgy on November 21st, the secular calendar date for November 8th, the feast of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and other Bodiless powers. During those days, His Grace, +Bishop Alexei made his archpastoral visit to the Cathedral that has been the historic see of the Diocese since 1840.
The visit began with His Grace celebrating the Resurrectional Vigil after which he spoke about the value of vigils, the joy of singing the eulogitaria, the blessing of venerating the Holy Gospel at Matins, and the special grace that accompanies the singing of the Magnificat before the wonderworking Sitka Icon of the Mother of God. In the morning after the ringing of the beautiful bells from the Saint Michael bell tower, Vladika led the faithful in the celebration of Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. He also awarded three faithful parishioners, Katherine Erickson, Marina Young, and Ana Dittmar with a Diocesan Gramata for their many years of dedicated service offering their talents that have in their own ways preserved the living treasure that Saint Michael is for the people of Sitka and the Diocese as well. Then, at coffee hour Vladika gave a spiritual talk and answered questions of the faithful on the topic of “thoughts and the spiritual life”.
Later that evening, the Parish held a grand banquet with about one hundred in attendance, celebrating the feast of Saint Michael with food and dance. His Grace opened the banquet by presenting back to the faithful and to the community the Holy Gospel that was a treasure of the Cathedral during the time of Saint Innokenty, but was in the past removed from the Cathedral. The faithful came forward to venerate this Holy Gospel while singing, “O Lord save thy people and bless thine inheritance/ Spasee Gospodee lyoudee tvoyah.”
After blessing the food, all present were able to enjoy the outstanding performances by the Unangax, Yupik, and Tlingit dance groups beautifully rousing traditional song and dance.
The next evening His Grace served a candlelight only vigil for the feast of Saint Michael, followed in the morning by the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. In the candlelight without any electric lights, the Cathedral sparkled with a special beauty and grace. The many faithful in attendance were deeply moved by the heavenly atmosphere of the service, and the special joy of celebrating the patronal feast with the Bishop of Alaska who sat on Saint Innokenty’s cathedra.
The next day, the high day of the feast, Vladika read in Old Church Slavonic from the newly-returned Gospel that Saint Innokenty had once read from, and then communed the faithful from the chalice the same Saint had once used.
When asked about this time of celebration, one parishioner responded “It's a new day. His Grace bringing back Saint Innokenty’s Holy Gospel is the first significant item to return to Saint Michael’s. It was wonderful to see so many shining faces at the candlelight vigil. So much has been taken from us here, it brings me a lot of joy to see something come back.”
