1 post tagged “st innocent”

Luckily once you get to the pier in Sitka, the town is all within walking distance.

This was the first sight we saw on dry land.

When we crossed ourselves upon entering the Cathedral, the lady who receives $3 a tourist, said we could get in for free since we were Orthodox. While we were venerating the icons, a Reader named Philip approached us, asked us if we were Orthodox and then asked if he could give us a tour! He took us behind the cordoned area so that we could venerate the Our Lady of Sitka icon. It was more beautiful than I remembered from when it was at St. Seraphim's Cathedral in Dallas on tour a couple of years ago. He also brought out from behind the altar St. Innocent's Blessing Cross! He had hand carved it out of ivory, and we were told it has a piece of the actual cross inside it. We are very blessed to have been able to venerate it.

Just as it was closing, we arrived at the Bishop's House where St. Innocent lived. The Ranger allowed us to tour the ground floor anyway, which is full of artifacts from the historic and lovingly successful Orthodox mission effort to Alaska. I'll post some more pictures in my photo's. I also have a Collection, accessible at the bottom of the sidebar on the right, called Way Out West Vacation, both of which have a slideshow type option again in the right sidebar if you click on a picture. It's chronological if you click on the last photo first.