Eric Reece
As this year’s Native American Heritage Month comes to a close, we have exciting news from the Orthodox Church of America.
Olga (Arrsamquq) Michael (1916-79), of the Yup’ik tribe of Alaska, became the 14th North American Orthodox Christian saint – and the only woman honored.
Olga, her baptized name, was born in the community of Kwethluk, Alaska, near the river her people get their name from. St. Jacob of Alaska, whose mother was Aleut, brought Christianity to the Yup’ik tribe. Her family attended the Orthodox Church in the village.
The Orthodox Catholic Church is the second largest and the oldest continuous Christian body. Referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, many of its members live in Russia, which controlled Alaska until the United States purchased it in 1867.
Russian fur traders brought their Orthodox faith with them. In 1794, the Russian Orthodox Church sent monks to establish the first church on Kodiak Island. Many Native people of Alaska became Orthodox Christians.
Growing up, Olga was faithful to pray for her family, others and learned to sing hymns in Russian and her native language. Her family arranged for her to marry Nicolay, from her village who was a great hunter and fisherman. He was not a church goer and this caused strife with the couple.
Through her prayers, he started to attend church and brought six men with him. They all became lay ministers in the church. Nicolay was called to preach and was ordained a priest.
Olga was a healer and the only midwife for her people. It is said she could tell when a woman was pregnant before they knew. She especially showed compassion toward abused women. She would talk to them, pray with them and help them. Gifted at knitting and sewing, she made traditional boots, gloves and socks to give to those who could not afford them.
When she died, many wanted to come to her funeral but it was winter and the road and river were impassable. All of a sudden, the weather changed and the people from nearby villages were able to fill the church on a day that seemed like spring.
As the people exited the church, a flock of birds circled overhead. This was not the time of year for birds, as they were all supposed to have gone south. They flew ahead to her resting place. Amazingly, the ground was thawed and the grave easy to dig. After the memorial meal, winter returned and ice covered everything.
As more and more Orthodox Christians heard of Olga’s love, compassion and healing spirit – especially for those expecting and those abused – she became an inspiration.
One night, a woman saw Olga in a dream. The woman had suffered from childhood sexual abuse that plagued her.
Olga told the woman, “the moving curtain of light was to be for us a promise that God can create great beauty from complete desolation and nothingness.”
The woman said after years of trauma, she was able to heal.
We give thanks for St. Olga, her faith and healing spirit that blesses us today.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is the pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.