Talk:Herman of Alaska

Can anyone explain why Greeks, Antiochians, and all the Old Calendrist jurisdictions I can find celebrate St. Herman on Dec. 12 while the OCA celebrates him on Dec. 13? The OCA date makes slightly more sense to me at first blush as St. Herman reposed on 25 Dec 1837 (N.S.), which at that time corresponded to 13 Dec (O.S.). (In 1900 the Julian Calendar lost one more day to the Gregorian calendar, so that today 25 Dec (N.S) corresponds to 12 Dec (O.S.).) —Dcn. David ^{talk contribs} 15:03, December 13, 2005 (CST)

Answer, per Daniel Olson on the Typikon list:

In 1970, the year of St. Herman's glorification (canonization), the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad issued the following directive (ukaz):

"On September 10/23, 1970, we considered: Concerning the celebration of the day of commemoration of our Holy and God-bearing Father, Herman of Alaska. Previously the Synod of Bishops had established a feast in honor of the Saint on December 13, old style. This is the traditional date under which the Life of Elder Herman has long been placed. According to certain researches this might be the date not of the Elder's repose, but of his burial, and he may have reposed almost a month before burial. But even apart from this we known, for example, that in the case of the determination of the feast of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, who reposed on November 27, inasmuch as this is the feast in honor of the Mother of God of the Sign, which was especially commemorated in Irkutsk, the feast of St. Innocent began to be commemorated on November 26. Likewise, with regard to the commemoration of St. Herman, inasmuch as on December 13, o.s., there is appointed a service with polyeelos to the Five Holy Martyrs Eustathius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius, and Orestes, and this service sometimes is even joined by a special rule to the service for the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, and consequently is not to be omitted, it is therefore convenient to fix the day of commemoration of St. Herman one day earlier.

"We have decreed: To consider the feast day of our Holy and God-bearing Father, Herman of Alaska, wonderworker, as December 12, o.s."

Although not specifically mentioned in the above official directive, apparently another consideration in moving the date of St. Herman's commemoration from 13 December to 12 December (o.s.) was the fact that 12 December corresponds to 25 December on the civil calendar, which is a civil holiday, thereby permitting greater attendance at the services held in honor of St. Herman.

—Dcn. David ^{talk contribs} 23:06, December 13, 2005 (CST)