OCA Celebrates Glorification of St. Olga of Alaska

KWETHLUK — Last week, the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) celebrated the glorification of St. Olga of Alaska, culminating in a vibrant weekend of worship and festivity. Hundreds of pilgrims gathered in the remote Alaskan village of Kwethluk, where St. Olga, who reposed in 1979, was buried. She served as matushka alongside her husband, a former priest of the St. Nicholas Church in Kwethluk. Among the pilgrims were St. Olga’s four living children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, uniting to honor her sanctity.

Among those in attendance was St. Olga’s son, James Michael—who, despite paralysis from a stroke, was transported from a Bethel nursing facility. The Anchorage Daily News reported the logistical effort, as a medical team used a portable stretcher to bring him upriver. With care, he was carried into the church, where his daughter cradled his head as pilgrims offered greetings. Later, a wheelchair enabled him to join the services, witnessing his mother’s canonization as “the mother of all Alaska.”

The celebrations, presided over by Metropolitan Tikhon, began Thursday with the All-Night Vigil at St. Nicholas Church. On Friday, eight hierarchs—including Bishop Alexei of Sitka and All Alaska, who initiated her canonization—celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Bishop Alexei’s homily hailed St. Olga’s quiet holiness, proclaiming: “Her compassion became her crown, her humble prayer her strength.”

Festivities continued in Anchorage at St. Innocent Cathedral, joined by Bishop Matthew of Sourozh. The events underscored St. Olga’s enduring legacy of humble faith.

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