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[[Image:Innocent of Alaska.jpg|right|frame|St. Innocent of Alaska, depicted holding his book [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/kingdomofheaven.aspx "The Indication of the Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven"], which he wrote in [http://www.asna.ca/alaska/aleut/indication-of-the-pathway.pdf Aleut], but which became a popular text in [http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/russian/king_r.htm Russian] as well.]]Our father among the saints '''Innocent of Alaska''', [[Equal -to -the -Apostles ]] and [[Enlightener ]] of North America (1797-1879), was a Russian Orthodox [[priest]], [[bishop]], [[archbishop]] , and [[Metropolitan ]] of Moscow and all Russia. He is known for his missionary work, scholarship , and leadership in Alaska and the Russian Far East during the 1800s. He is known for his great zeal for his work as well as his great abilities as a scholar, linguist , and administrator. He was a missionary and , later a bishop and archbishop in Alaska and the Russian Far East. He learned several native languages and was the author of many of the earliest scholarly works about the natives and their languages, as well as dictionaries and religious works in the these languages. He also translated parts of the [[Bible]] into several native languages.

St. Innocent, ''né'' '''Ivan (John) Evseyevich Popov-Veniaminov''', was born on [[August 26]], 1797 , into the family of a church server in the village of Anginskoye, Verkholensk District, Irkutsk province, in Russia. His father died when John was six.

In 1807 , John entered the Irkutsk Theological Seminary. In 1817 he married, and on [[May 18]], 1817 he was ordained [[deacon]] of the Church of the Annunciation in Irkutsk. He completed his studies in 1818. He was appointed a teacher in a parish school, and on [[May 18]], 1821 he was ordained [[priest]] to serve in the Church of the Annunciation.

At the beginning of 1823, Bishop Michael of Irkutsk received instructions to send a priest to the island of Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands of [[Alaska]]. Father John Veniaminov volunteered to go , and on [[May 7]], 1823 , he departed from Irkutsk, accompanied by his aging mother, his wife, his infant son Innocent, and his brother Stefan. After a difficult one-year journey, they arrived at Unalaska on [[July 29]], 1824.

Father John's parish included the island of Unalaska and the neighboring Fox Islands and Pribilof Islands, whose inhabitants had been converted to Christianity before his arrival, but retained many of their pagan ways and customs. Father John often traveled between the islands in a canoe, battling the stormy ocean of the Gulf of Alaska. His travels over the islands greatly enhanced Father John Veniaminov's familiarity with the local dialects. In a short time he mastered six of the dialects. He devised an alphabet of Cyrillic letters for the most widespread dialect, the Unagan dialect of Aleut and, in 1828, translated portions of the Bible and other church material into that dialect. In 1829 he journeyed to the Bering Sea coast of the Alaskan mainland and preached to the people there.

In 1834, His travels over the islands greatly enhanced Father John was transferred to Sitka Island, to Veniaminov's familiarity with the town local dialects. In a short time he mastered six of Novoarkhangelsk, later called Sitkathe dialects. He devoted himself devised an alphabet of Cyrillic letters for the Tlingit people most widespread dialect, the Unagan dialect of Aleut and studied their language , in 1828, translated the ''[http://www.asna.ca/alaska/aleut/gospel-saint-matthew.pdf Holy Gospel of St. Matthew]'' and customsother church materials into that dialect, which were eventually published in 1840 with the blessing of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. His studies In 1829, he journeyed to the Bering Sea coast of the Alaskan mainland and preached to the people there produced . In 1836, his travels even extended to the scholarly works ''Notes on south, to the Kolushchan Ross Colony north of San Francisco and Kodiak Tongues'' and ''Other Dialects to the Spanish missions of the Russo-American Territoriesnorthern California. At Ross Colony he conducted services at its small, wooden [[Holy Trinity Chapel (Fort Ross, with a Russian-Kolushchan Glossary''California)|chapel]].

In 18381834, Father John journeyed was transferred to St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia and Kiev, UkraineSitka Island, to report on his activities and request an expansion the town of the Church's activities in Russian America. While he was thereNovoarkhangelsk, he received notice that his wife had diedlater called Sitka. He requested permission to return to Sitkadevoted himself the Tlingit people and studied their language and customs. Instead, it was suggested that he take vows as a monk. His studies there produced the scholarly works Father John at first ignored these suggestions, but, on ''[[November 29]], 1840 made his vowshttp://www.asna.ca/alaska/research/zamechaniya. He chose pdf Notes on the name Kolushchan and Kodiak Tongues]''Innocentand ''Other Dialects of the Russo-American Territories, with a Russian-Kolushchan Glossary'' in honor .[[Image:Innokentii, Metropolitan of Bishop Moscow.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Innokentii (Innocent ), Metropolitan of Irkutsk.Moscow (1797-1879), called the "Apostle of Alaska"]]

On [[December 15]]In 1838, Father John journeyed to St. Petersburg and Moscow, 1840Russia, Archimandrite Innocent Veniaminov was consecrated Bishop of Kamchatka and Kuril Islands in Russia Kiev, Ukraine, to report on his activities and request an expansion of the Aleutian Islands Church's activities in Russian America. His see While he was located in Novoarkhangelskthere, which he returned received notice that his wife had died. He requested permission to in September 1841return to Sitka. He spent the next nine years in the administration of his see Instead, it was suggested that he take vows as well as on several long missionary journeys to its remote areasa monk. On Father John at first ignored these suggestions, but, on [[April 21November 29]], 18501840, Bishop lnnocent was elevated to Archbishopmade his vows. In 1852 the Yakut area was admitted to He chose the Kamchatka Diocese, and in September 1853 Archbishop name ''Innocent took up permanent residence '' in the town honor of Yakutsk. Bishop Innocent took frequent trips throughout his enlarged diocese. He devoted much energy to the translation of the scriptures and service books into the Yakut (Sakha) languageIrkutsk.

[[File:Apostle-to-aleuts.jpg|thumb|right|Apostle to the Aleuts]]On [[December 15]], 1840, [[Archimandrite]] Innocent Veniaminov was consecrated Bishop of Kamchatka and Kuril Islands in Russia and the Aleutian Islands in Russian America. His see was located in Novoarkhangelsk, which he returned to in September 1841. He spent the next nine years in the administration of his see as well as on several long missionary journeys to its remote areas. On [[April 21]], 1850, Bishop lnnocent was elevated to Archbishop. In 1852, the Yakut area was admitted to the Kamchatka Diocese, and in September 1853, Archbishop Innocent took up permanent residence in the town of Yakutsk. Innocent took frequent trips throughout his enlarged diocese. He devoted much energy to the translation of the scriptures and service books into the Yakut (Sakha) language. In April 1865 , Archbishop Innocent was appointed a member of the [[Apostolic Governing Synod|Holy Governing Synod ]] of the Church.

Innocent died on [[March 31]], 1879. He was buried on [[April 5]], 1879 , at [[Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra]].

Troparion (Tone 2) :You evangelized the northern people of America and Asia,:Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the natives in their own tongues.:O holy hierarch Father Innocent,:Enlightener of Alaska and all America, whose ways were ordered by the Lord,:Pray to Him for the salvation of our souls in His Heavenly Kingdom! [[Kontakion]] (Tone 2) :A true celebration of the providence and grace of God:Is your life, O holy father Innocent, Apostle to our land.:In hardships and dangers you toiled for the Gospel's sake:And God delivered and preserved you unharmed.:From obscurity He highly exalted you as an example:That the Lord truly guides a man in the way he should go. Kontakion (Tone 2) :Your life, O holy father Innocent, Apostle to our Land,:Proclaims the dispensation and grace of God!:For laboring in dangers and hardships for the Gospel of Christ:You were kept unharmed and exalted in humility.:Pray that He may guide our steps in the way we should go.  {{start box}}{{succession|before=?|title=Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kuril Aleutian Islands|years=1840-1853|after=[[Peter (Ekaterinovsky) of Novoarkhangelsk|Peter (Ekaterinovsky)]]|}}{{succession|before=?|title=Bishop of Yakutsk|years=1853-1867|after=[[Peter (Ekaterinovsky) of Novoarkhangelsk|Peter (Ekaterinovsky)]]|}}{{succession|before=[[Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow|Saint Philaret]]|title=Metropolitan of Moscow|years=1867-1879|after=Macarius I|}}{{end box}} == Sources==* ''Orthodox America 1794-1976 Development of the Orthodox Church in America'', C. J. Tarasar, Gen. Ed. 1975, The Orthodox Church in America, Syosett, New York ==External linklinks==* [http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/feasts-and-saints/oca/St-Innocent/Life-HSbioinnocent.asp Biography of-St-. Innocent-MP.html Life of Saint InnocentAlaska] ([[OCA]] site)* [http://www.ocadow.org/dow_events/book_offer.htm Portraits of American Saints] compiled and edited by George A. Gray, (c) 1994, 5th Reprint 2002. (ISBN: 0-9715363-0-9)*[http://www.asna.ca/alaska Alaskan Orthodox texts (Aleut, Tlingit)] by St. Innocent (Veniaminov)*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/kingdomofheaven.aspx The Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven], by St. Innocent of Alaska*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/i/saintsi.htm#ynk05 Several Icons of St. Innocent, Apostle of America by Living American Iconographers]*[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Innocent_of_Alaska More images from the Wikimedia Commons]