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[[Image:Herman of Alaska.jpg|right|frame|St. Herman of Alaska]]
Our venerable father '''Herman of Alaska''' (1756 - [[December 13]], 1837) was an 18th century missionary to [[Alaska]]. He is also , in 1970, became the first [[saint]] to be [[Glorification|glorified]] by the [[Orthodox Church in America]], concurrent with parallel services in another location by the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]]. St. Herman is remembered by the Church on [[August 9]] and [[December 13]].
==Life==
Herman of Alaska was a Russian Orthodox [[monk]] from [[Valaam Monastery]] in Russia who traveled with eight other monks in 1793 to bring the [[Gospel]] to the native Aleuts and Eskimos in the Aleutian Islands. As part of the Russian colonization of the Americas, Russians had been exploring and trading there since at least 1740. Thus, he marks the first arrival of Orthodox Christian missionaries in North America. He built a school for the Aleutians, and he often defended them from the injustices and exploitation of the Russian traders. He was known to them as ''Apa'' which means "Grandfather." He lived most of his life as the sole resident of Spruce Island, a tiny wooded island near Kodiak Island.
{{orthodoxyinamerica}}
[[St. Herman's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Kodiak, Alaska)]] is named in his honor. A portion of his [[relics]] are enshrined at the St. Ignatius Chapel at the [[Antiochian Village]], where he is regarded as one of their [[patron saint]]s.
==Hymns==
[[Troparion]] (Tone 7)
:Joyful North Star of the Church of Christ,
:Guiding all people to the Heavenly Heavenly Kingdom;
:Teacher and apostle of the True Faith;
:Intercessor and defender of the oppressed;
:Adornment of the Orthodox adornment of the Orthodox Church in America:
:Blessed Father Herman of Alaska,
:Pray to our Lord Jesus Christ
:The eternal light of Christ our Savior
:guided you, blessed Father Herman,
:on your evangelical your evangelical journey to America
:to proclaim the Gospel of peace.
:Now you stand before the throne of glory;
:intercede for your land and its people:
:Peace for the world and salvation for our souls!
== External links ==
* [http://www.angelfire.com/nv2/carthusian/Akathist/herman.html St. Herman of Alaska] Life and [[Akathist]]
* [http://dioceseofalaska.org/pdf/liturgical/StHermanAkathist-FullPage.pdf The Akathist Hymn to St. Herman of Alaska] (PDF)
* [http://www.asna.ca/alaska/research/zhizn.pdf Life of Monk Herman of Valaam, American Missionary (Russian, 1894)] (PDF)
* [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/herman.htm Life of Monk Herman of Valaam, American Missionary (English translation of above, 1997)]
=== Icons ===
* [http://images.google.com/ Google Image Search] of St. [http://images.google.com/images?q=Herman%20of%20Alaska%20icon Herman of Alaska icons]
* [http://www.comeandseeicons.com/h/cap38.htm Icon and Story of St. Herman of Valaam Wonderworker of Alaska]
* [http://www.comeandseeicons.com/h/saintsh.htm#phm20 Several Wonderful Icons by American Iconographers]
[[Category:Russian Saints]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Modern Saints]]
[[Category:Wonderworkers]]
[[Category:19th-century saints]]
[[ro:Gherman din Alaska]]
