Alaska’s annual St. Herman Pilgrimage includes Liturgy on Spruce Island

Alaska. St Herman. Pilgrimage. How I yearn for this!

Here is a great video of a recent St Herman Pilgrimage. Scroll down for the news announcement from the OCA website.

Alaska’s 47th annual St. Herman Pilgrimage to be held August 7-9

OCA.org, June 22, 2017:

Hundreds of faithful are expected to participate in the 47th annual Saint Herman Pilgrimage to Spruce Island, home of North America’s first saint, August 7-9, 2017.

According to the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of Alaska, the pilgrimage will open on Monday evening, August 7, with the celebration of the Akathistos Hymn in honor of Saint Herman at Kodiak’s Holy Resurrection Cathedral, in which his relics are enshrined. The annual Bishop’s Tea will follow.

Metropolitan Tikhon of the OCA blesses pilgrims at the 2015 St Herman of Alaska Pilgrimage.

On Tuesday, August 8—the Feast of Saint Jacob Netsvetov—the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Holy Resurrection Cathedral. A grand banquet and introduction of pilgrims will follow at the Afognak Native Corporation Hall. Vigil will be celebrated in the evening.

Boats will depart Kodiak for Monk’s Lagoon on Spruce Island early on the morning of Wednesday, August 9—the Feast of Saint Herman. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam Chapel. The original log chapel was built in 1805, while the present structure dates to 1898. The chapel marks the burial site of Saint Herman. After the Liturgy, pilgrims will enjoy a picnic lunch before returning to Kodiak, where they will partake of a light soup dinner at Holy Resurrection Cathedral.

The pilgrimage schedule is subject to revision. Check the Diocese of Alaska’s web site for updates and additional information.

For a unique (and a little quirky) look at the St Herman Pilgrimage, see this blog post. The author “gets it”. He is struck by St Herman’s love of God, his asceticism, his care for the Aleut people, his faithful perseverance. Includes some startling photos of hermit earthen caves St Herman’s original grave which I have not seen in the “official” reports. Makes me want all the more to make the journey!