His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon Presides at Services in Anchorage Celebrating the Canonization of the Righteous Olga of Kwethluk
Following the canonization services for the Righteous Olga of Kwethluk in her home village, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and his delegation traveled to Anchorage over the weekend of June 21–22, 2025 to continue the celebration of St. Olga’s Glorification. Nearly one thousand faithful gathered at St. Innocent Cathedral to honor the newly glorified saint.
Upon arrival at the cathedral for the All-Night Vigil on Saturday evening, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon processed into the church bearing the relics of St. Olga. These were set out for veneration by the faithful. The veneration of the relics and anointing of the faithful went well into the night, taking approximately four hours to complete.
His Beatitude presided at the celebration of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were His Eminence Archbishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska, His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh (MP), His Grace Bishop James of Sonora (ROCOR), His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West, His Eminence Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey, His Grace Bishop Andrei of Cleveland, and His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth. Also serving with the hierarchs were Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, Archpriest Daniel Charles, Chancellor of the Diocese of Alaska, Priest Thomas Rivas, Dean of the Cathedral, Archpriest Nicholas Molodyko-Harris, former Dean of St. Innocent Cathedral, Priest Mark Rashkov, Vice-Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes, Archpriest Timothy Hojnicki, Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania, as well as many other diocesan and visiting clergy.
During the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude delivered the homily, reflecting on the enduring presence of Christ in the lives of the saints. Christ, he said, “continues to become incarnate, throughout time and space, in the lives and actions and hearts of his saints. … Thus, every true saint is the presence of Christ on earth. Each saint’s life is a continuation of his ministry. In the saints, he is truly with us to the end of the age.”
Speaking specifically of St. Olga, His Beatitude emphasized how the faithful now encounter Christ through her intercession: “St. Olga, whose love and compassion knew no bounds during this present life, now boundlessly shares her love, animated by the love of God, with people throughout the world. She, who made the Infinite One concretely present in Kwethluk during her earthly ministry as a midwife and matushka, now continues to share his compassion, his healing, his mercy, and his joy with faithful people throughout the world.”
Read the full text of the homily
Following the Divine Liturgy, a banquet was held at a local hotel which included a presentation of traditional Alaskan dancing, starring singing, and clergy reflections. Later that day, His Beatitude departed Anchorage and returned to Washington, DC.