St. Herman of Alaska - 00STHA01

Feast Day/Commemorated: Mar 9

The Call to America and Early Monastic Life

In 1793, a spiritual mission comprising monks from the Valaam Monastery was dispatched to preach the Gospel to the indigenous peoples of northwestern America, recently brought under Russian sovereignty. Among these missionaries was Saint Herman, originally from Serpukhov, a city in the Moscow Diocese. His given name before tonsure remains unknown, but his zeal for piety emerged early, leading him to monastic life at the age of sixteen in 1772. He first entered the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage near Saint Petersburg, where a remarkable incident occurred: a severe abscess on his throat rapidly grew, disfiguring his face and making swallowing difficult. Despairing of earthly aid, Father Herman fervently prayed before an icon of the Mother of God all night. In a dream, he saw the Virgin Mary healing him, and upon waking, found himself completely cured, leaving only a small mark as a testament to the miraculous intervention, a humbling reminder that divine grace transcends the laws of nature.

Dedication to Valaam and Ascetic Practice

After five or six years at the Saint Sergius Hermitage, Father Herman transferred to the Valaam Monastery, spread across islands in Lake Ladoga. He developed a profound love for Valaam, its revered Superior, Elder Nazarius, and the monastic brotherhood, expressing his deep affection in letters from America. He affectionately called his remote hermitage on Spruce Island "New Valaam," maintaining spiritual contact with his spiritual homeland for decades. Father Barlaam, a contemporary and later Igumen of Valaam, recounted Father Herman's diligent service in various obediences, including overseeing marble quarrying in Serdobol. Recognizing his fervent asceticism, Elder Nazarius granted him permission to live in a wilderness hermitage about a mile from the cloister, a place still known as "Herman's." During holy days, he would return to the monastery, standing in the choir at Vespers, his pleasant tenor voice joining the brethren, tears of repentance falling like hail from his eyes.

The American Mission and its Trials

In the late 18th century, as Russia's borders expanded into the Aleutian Islands, the spiritual need to enlighten the indigenous inhabitants with the Gospel became evident. With the blessing of the Holy Synod, ten capable monks, including Father Herman, were chosen from Valaam for this holy endeavor, departing in 1793. Through their zealous preaching, thousands of pagans embraced Christianity, leading to the establishment of a school for newly baptized children and a church. However, by inscrutable divine providence, the mission faced severe trials. After five years, Archimandrite Joasaph, recently consecrated as bishop, tragically drowned with his party. Earlier, Hieromonk Juvenal had received the crown of martyrdom. One by one, the other missionaries perished, until only Father Herman remained, granted by the Lord to labor longer than any of his brethren in the apostolic task of enlightening the Aleutians.

Life on Spruce Island and Asceticism

In America, Father Herman chose Spruce Island, which he aptly named "New Valaam," as his hermitage. This small, forested island, separated by a narrow strait from Kodiak, became his spiritual refuge. He personally dug a cave, living there during his first summer, and later had a cell built near it where he resided until his death. The cave itself was transformed into his burial place, and nearby, a wooden chapel, a schoolhouse, and a guest house were constructed, along with a garden. For over forty years, Father Herman resided here, laboring diligently in his garden, growing vegetables, and preserving food. His self-denial was extreme: he wore the same worn deer-skin smock for years, went barefoot even in winter, and slept on a small bench with bricks for a pillow and a wooden board as a blanket, which he even willed to cover his remains. He ate very little, never spent the night away from his cell, and wore heavy chains, demonstrating an extraordinary level of asceticism that amazed even his disciples.

Spiritual Guidance and Miraculous Gifts

Beyond his external labors, Father Herman's true work lay in his "exercises in spiritual endeavor" in his isolated cell, where he was heard singing and celebrating services according to monastic rule. He deeply cared for the native Alaskans, interceding for them, defending the oppressed, and providing aid. He prioritized family reconciliation and taught the Law of God and church music to Aleut orphans in his school, gathering them for prayer and captivating them with his sermons. Notably, he converted many, including the freethinker Simeon Yanovsky and a Lutheran naval captain, through his wise and convincing talks. Father Herman possessed supernatural gifts, including causing fish to enter a stream, feeding wild animals like birds and ermines from his hand, and even bears. His prophetic vision was evident in his warning to the naval captain and his prediction of the fate of Ponomarkhov. Despite temptations from evil spirits, Father Herman remained steadfast, dedicating himself fully to God's service and humbly seeking the salvation and well-being of the newly enlightened peoples, leaving a powerful legacy of spiritual authority and miraculous intercession.

Prophecies and Anticipation of Repose

Saint Herman of Alaska possessed a remarkable prophetic gift, extending his foresight to the future of his beloved hermitage on Spruce Island and the lives of those around him. To young Constantine, he foretold that the chapel being built would not remain empty, but that a monastery would one day stand in its place. He also prophesied to his disciple, the Aleut Ignaty Aligyaga, that "Thirty years shall pass after my death, and all those living on Spruce Island will have died, but you alone will remain alive. You will be old and poor when I will be remembered." This astonishing prediction came true, as thirty years after his repose, interest in his life surged, leading to the documentation of his biography. Ignaty marveled at this human's ability to know the future, concluding that Herman was no ordinary man. Prior to his death, the Elder gave specific instructions for his burial: to be interred beside Father Joasaph by Ignaty alone, without awaiting a priest or washing his body, and to be wrapped in his mantia with his face covered.

The Blessed Repose of the Elder

The time of Father Herman's passing arrived on December 25, 1837 (or December 13, Julian Calendar). On that day, he instructed his disciple Gerasim to light candles and read the Acts of the Holy Apostles. His face glowed brightly, and he declared in a loud voice, "Glory to Thee, O Lord!" He then paused the reading, announcing that the Lord had granted him another week of life. Exactly a week later, again by his orders, candles were lit, and the Acts were read once more. Quietly, the Elder bowed his head onto Gerasim's chest. The cell filled with a sweet fragrance, his face glowed, and Father Herman departed peacefully in the sleep of a righteous man, in the eighty-first year of his laborious life.

Miraculous Circumstances of His Burial

Following his repose, the sad news reached the harbor, where the administrator of the colony, Kashevarov, forbade the burial until his arrival, promising a finer coffin and a priest. However, a violent storm immediately arose, with strong winds and heavy rain, rendering sea travel impossible for a full month. Despite this delay, and the fact that his body lay in state in his students' warm home for an entire month, Father Herman's face showed no change, and no odor emanated from his incorrupt body. Finally, a coffin was obtained through Kuzma Uchilischev's efforts. With no one able to arrive from the harbor, the inhabitants of Spruce Island, alone, buried the Elder's remains, thus fulfilling his pre-death instructions. As soon as the burial was complete, the winds subsided, and the sea became calm, a testament to God's hand in fulfilling his servant's wishes.

Heavenly Signs and Posthumous Veneration

On the very night of Father Herman's death, an extraordinary pillar of light, reaching up to heaven, was seen above Spruce Island from the village of Katani on Afognak. Experienced elders, including the Creole Gerasim Vologdin and his wife Anna, immediately recognized this as a sign that Father Herman had left them and began to pray. This same miraculous pillar of light was witnessed by others in various locations. In another Afognak settlement, a vision of a man ascending from Spruce Island into the clouds was seen. His disciples buried him and placed a simple wooden marker on his grave, which, according to Father Peter Kashevarov, remained untouched by time, appearing as if freshly cut decades later. All local inhabitants, having witnessed his zealous life, miracles, fulfilled predictions, and blessed repose, held him in the highest esteem as a holy ascetic, convinced of his favor in God's presence.

Continued Miracles and Spiritual Patronage

Father Herman's spiritual intercession continued even after his death. In 1842, five years after his passing, Archbishop Innocent of Kamchatka and the Aleutians found himself in great distress aboard a sailing vessel near Kodiak. Looking towards Spruce Island, he inwardly prayed, "If you have found favor in God’s presence, Father Herman, then may the wind change." Within fifteen minutes, the wind shifted favorably, allowing him to reach the shore safely. In thanksgiving, Archbishop Innocent personally conducted a Memorial Service over the blessed Father Herman's grave. This incident, among many, solidifies Saint Herman's ongoing role as a powerful intercessor and protector for those in Alaska and beyond, solidifying his veneration as Saint Herman of Alaska, a beacon of faith and miraculous aid.

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