St. Herman of Alaska

The Life of St. Herman

St. Herman of Alaska was born in 1756 in Serpukhov, Russia to a pious merchant family; he entered monastic life at the age of sixteen at Trinity-Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg, Russia. While there, an abscess appeared on his throat, but the Mother of God appeared to him and healed him in a dream after fervent prayer to her. He was tonsured a monk in 1783 with the name of Herman and was received into Valaam Monastery on Lake Ladoga. After some time, he was allowed to withdraw from the monastery to the life of a hermit in the forest, only coming to the monastery for feast days. 

In 1793, in response to the request by the Russian American Commercial Company for missionaries to Alaska, Valaam Monastery was told to select a company of their best monks to travel to America; ten were chosen, among them St. Herman. The Company crossed all of Siberia and almost a year later, reached Kodiak Island in September 1794. The missionaries set about their work and found the native Aleut Indian people so receptive to the Gospel of Christ that in the first year, about 7,000 were baptized and 1,500 marriages were performed. 

Despite several hardships, the missionaries covered huge distances on foot and in boats to reach the scattered fishing settlements of the Aleuts. They found a warm reception, but many of the pagan shamans opposed their message and sometimes stirred the people against them. In time, several of the company died at sea and several more abandoned the mission in discouragement, leaving the monk Herman alone. He settled on Spruce Island, a tiny, forested island, which he called the “New Valaam,” near Kodiak and once again took up the hermit’s life, dwelling in a small cave he dug himself in the forest. He spent his days in prayer and mission work, and denied himself every fleshly comfort; he fasted often and lived off of a diet of blackberries, mushrooms, and vegetables. 

Despite these privations, he founded an orphanage and a school for the natives of the island, cared for the sick in epidemics, and built a chapel where he conducted divine services attended by many.  Anything he acquired was given for feeding and clothing the orphaned children or for getting them books. His clothes were the same for all seasons: he wore a smock of deer skin, boots, cassock, and a headdress, showing his great humility for God and his detachment from worldly items. Again, he showed this when it was discovered that a bench covered in deerskin was used as his bed, two bricks as his pillows, and a wood board  as his blanket. 

He was not a priest, but God made up the lack in miraculous ways. At Theophany, angels descended to bless the waters of the bay, and the saint would use the holy water to heal the sick. When asked if he was ever lonely or dejected in solitude, he would reply, “I am not alone, God is here as everywhere and the angels, too. There is no better company.”

St. Herman reposed in peace on Spruce Island at the age of 81 in 1836. At the moment of his departure, his face was radiant with light, and the inhabitants nearby saw a pillar of light rising above his hermitage. His last wish was to be buried on Spruce Island. When some of his well-intentioned disciples attempted to take his relics back to Kodiak to be buried at the church there, a storm rose up and continued unabated until they abandoned the plan and buried him as he desired. 

He was officially glorified in 1970; he was the first canonized American saint. 

Adapted from “Glorification of Venerable Herman of Alaska, Wonderworker of All America”

Feast Day: August 9th

Learn his Troparion

“O venerable Herman,  ascetic of the northern wilderness and gracious advocate for the world, teacher of the Orthodox faith and good instructor of piety, adornment of Alaska and joy of all America, entreat Christ God that He may save our souls.” (Tone 4)