Russian Orthodox Church Adds St. Olga of Alaska to Its Liturgical Calendar

St. Olga of Alaska. Photo: The Catalogue of Good Deeds

MOSCOW — On Oct. 30, 2025, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church officially added St. Olga of Alaska to its liturgical calendar, following her canonization by the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

According to information shared by the Moscow Patriarchate (see Journal No. 102), a report from Met. Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations (DECR), noted that Met. Tikhon of the OCA had sent a letter on Aug. 20, 2025, requesting for Pat. Kirill of Moscow to include the name of the Righteous St. Olga of Alaska in the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The report from Moscow included background information on St. Olga's life and concluded by officially establishing her feast day on Oct. 27/Nov. 9 in alignment with the OCA's observance. Her feast day is celebrated one day after the anniversary of her repose (Oct. 26/Nov. 8) due to it being the same day as the commemoration of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki.

Previously, UOJ reported that bishops of the OCA's Romanian Epsicopate celebrated the first Feast of St. Olga of Alaska at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Pennsylvania.

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