His Grace, Bishop NIKOLAI traveled to the Russian Mission Deanery for annual visitations surrounding the Feast of the Holy Transfiguration which he celebrated in Pilot Station with the traditional Cross Procession. A major feature of this event was the awarding of the jeweled cross to the Archpriest Stephan Heckman, of Holy Transfiguration Parish in Pilot Station. Fr. Stephan was awarded this dignity in recognition for his tireless labor to educate and edify the faithful of the Yukon area. August 20th marks twenty-five years as a priest and all those years in the same parish.
After celebrating the Holy Transfiguration in Pilot Station, His Grace and entourage traveled by boat to Marshall to celebrate the Vigil, about two hours up river. Marshall is notable for its historic icon screen which originally was housed in the Protection Parish of St. Michael, Alaska, a parish as far north as we have people on the Yukon River. The parish has been inactive but last week His Grace assigned the Archpriest Victor Nick there to revitalize this historic community. The entire village led by the Priest Nikolai Isaac from Kalskag met His Grace on the banks of the Mighty Yukon to welcome him to the village. This exquisite icon screen will hopefully be housed in a new temple that is under construction. A major setback occurred this winter when the trusses collapsed on the church building -- but the villagers will not be wavered in their commitment to have a new church in Marshall. Bishop NIKOLAI and Archpriest Peter Askoar inspected the construction and damage.
The abandoned village of Ohagamiut was also visited. Currently, Ohagamiut is used for Yukon Area Summer camps. Here, His Grace served the Litya for the servant of God Anastasia Isaac, mother of two diocesan priests and those buried there. The church is dedicated to St. Vladimir.
Finally, after some six hours on the boat the entourage arrived in Russian Mission -- center of 19th century Russian Missionary activity in interior Alaska -- for the Sunday Liturgy. The parish of the Elevation of the Holy Cross welcomed His Grace. A feature of the parish is a Russian icon screen which has survived every church building since the time of St. Yakov and numerous icons from St. Yakov's period. On the wall was one icon with unreadable script -- as things turned out it was an icon of the Apostle James, First Bishop of Jerusalem, patron of our Father among the Saints, Yakov, Enlightener and Baptizer of the Native Peoples of Alaska. Russian Mission has a long history of missionary activity -- never without a priest the parish is also the mother of countless clergy. We also feature a photo of clergy from years past. One family has produced five sibling clergy for the diocese in recent times (Askoak).
The visitations of His Grace, Bishop NIKOLAI bring the clergy and faithful together in celebration of their Orthodox faith. As we, the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Alaska gather with our hierarch we confirm the immemorial words "Where the bishop is, there is the church."
