Kwethluk (Alaska, USA), November 20, 2024.
The joyous events surrounding the upcoming official glorification of St. Righteous Mother Olga O'Michael of Alaska (1916-1979; to be commemorated October 28/November 10 and on the Second Week of Pentecost, when the Cathedral of All Saints Who Shone in the Land of America is celebrated) continued in Kwethluk, Alaska, on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
The day before, Bishop Alexis of Sitka and Alaska (Orthodox Church in America) arrived in Květluk, where St. Olga was buried. And the next day her relics were inaugurated and made available for the worship of the faithful in preparation for the celebrations of her glorification in June 2025.
Earlier on Nov. 8, the PCA Diocese of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska celebrated the 45th anniversary of her repose.
The diocese reports:
"By the Grace of God, His Grace Bishop Alexy, together with clergy and faithful from throughout the diocese, successfully found and exhumed the relics of St. Righteous Olga O'Michael and transferred them from her grave to the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. During the ceremony of unveiling the relics, hundreds of pilgrims gathered around her honorable grave. Breaking through ice and rocks, the priests of the diocese labored for more than six hours, while the Holy Gospel was read. While the coffin was being lifted and while her honorable remains were being carried to the church, the fathers of the diocese prayed to Righteous Olga for the health of more than 2000 people whose names were sent to the diocese for this purpose.
Although the event is not an official glorification, which is scheduled for the summer of 2025, the finding of the relics is an important milestone in the process of the canonization of Blessed Olga by the Orthodox Church in America.
Today is a very significant day for the Yupik Eskimo people, the people of Alaska, and every Orthodox Christian around the world [Mother Olga was of the Yupik people. Her name in the Yupik language is "Arsamkuk" and she received the name Olga in Holy Baptism."
The diocese led the live broadcast of the gala event:
In a comment on Facebook, the diocese noted that at a certain point the broadcast stopped "because we then approached the holy relics of the Righteous Olga, and out of reverence and respect for Christ's handmaiden, with the fear of God, we removed all cameras and stopped the broadcast.
Let us recall that Mother Olga was the wife of Archpriest Nicholas O'Michael (1912-1984), much beloved by the villagers of Kvetluk; their marriage produced 13 children, 8 of whom lived to adulthood. Mother's behavior was simple. The sons and daughters she raised can't recall a single instance of her raising her voice at them. Mother was not only engaged in her household chores: Olga was always attentive to others and interested in the life of all fellow villagers. She often went to the homes of other villagers - she cleaned their houses and cooked their meals. The righteous woman was always knitting socks or sewing fur outerwear for others. Parishes hundreds of kilometers away received unexpected gifts from her (traditional Eskimo winter boots - mukluks) to sell, for they needed money to build churches. All the clerics of the bishopric wore gloves or woolen socks, which Mother Olga sewed for them.
Week after week she baked the prosphoras that were used in the village Divine Liturgy. Her knowledge of church services was phenomenal: Olga had memorized by heart all the services of the Bicentennial feasts and knew the chants of Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter in Yupik. Mother was known for her compassion for others and her concern for women who were abused in various ways, especially sexually. Although her family was poor, she generously gave things to those who were even poorer. Often she gave away her children's clothes to those in need and told her children not to say anything about it.
Mother Olga gave the world her simple life filled with care for people, kindness and prayer. Her way of life was similar to that of the early Church. So many people around the world consider her a saint. They call upon her in their prayers and in return receive help from God in the form of healing, consolation and strengthening in the вере.
Источники:
https://orthochristian.com/164697.html
https://monastery.ru/svyatye/nesvyataya-svyataya-matushka-olga-o-maykl-alyaskinskaya/
