Alleluia

is published in commemoration

of the consecration of

Holy Ascension Orthodox Church

Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina May 24, 2008

The Ascension of our Lord into heaven is the culmination of an upward movement that

began forty days earlier, on the great and holy day of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Having descended into hell, the God-Man

subdues the power of death and leads mankind back to communion with the Father. His Ascent

opens the way for the Spirit to be poured out upon the Church gathered about Him. Mary,

the quintessential Christian figure — for having received Christ within herself — stands in the

midst of the disciples, who rejoice at witnessing the fulfillment of their Lord’s promise. The

apostolic college, surrounding the Theotokos, represents the entire Church, as evidenced by

the presence of St Paul standing to her right. As heirs of the foundation they have laid, we now

take up the great commission that was once entrusted to them, diligently multiplying God’s

bountiful gifts and awaiting what the angels had announced, pointing to the ascending

Christ: “This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you

saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) Come, Lord Jesus!

Glory to God for everything!ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTUM

Alleluia | 1

What is the Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church is the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, founded by Jesus Christ and His apostles. It is organically and historically the same Church that came fully into being at Pentecost (Acts 2). Today, the Orthodox Church comprises the second largest Christian body in the world.

Contents 10

A Feast of the sensesOn entering a fully-adorned Orthodox Church, particularly for the first time, one is easily overwhelmed with a multi-sensory experience. Striking to the eyes are the icons, particularly the “Virgin of the Sign” in the apse over the altar, in addition to the iconostasis — the “screen” uniting the nave to the altar.

18

Music & Worship in the orthodox church

It is when faith turns to action that the heart of the faithful is revealed. For two thousand years, people of all walks of life have discovered Christ and turned their footsteps to follow after him. We are only the most recent members of a body united by the Holy Spirit through time ...

24

Holy Ascension parish History & Gallery33

The Architecture of holy ascension orthodox church40

Editorial and Copy WritingMichael Breck

Concept, Design, and ProductionBates Design, Inc.Chuck & Suzanne Bates

Contributing WritersFr. John Breck, Michael BreckAndrew Gould, Fr. Michael OleksaFr. John Parker

Contributing PhotographersChuck Bates, Andrew GouldWilliam Jack Hamilton, Fr. John Parker

PrintingThe R. L. Bryan CompanyColumbia, SC

Thank you to all who have contributed to the making of this commemorative publication.

One of the most characteristic elements of Orthodox worship is that, with very few exceptions,

everything is either sung or chanted. Only very rarely is anything simply read aloud. Also very

rare is the use of any accompanying instruments.

An iconography student once said to a master, “I wish to paint a nativity icon, but all the ancient examples are different from one another. How do I know what to copy, and where do I have freedom to invent new variations?” The master answered, “Set all the ancient icons side by side. Some things will be the same in all of them.

HeroEs of alaskan orthodoxy54In 1741, Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov sailed eastward, equipped with brass plaques, staking as large an area of North America as under “Russian Protection,” and establishing the boundaries of what the world has ever since called “Alaska,” the Unangan Aleut word for “the Great Land.”

10 | Alleluia

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A BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

he Orthodox Church is the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, founded by Jesus Christ and His apostles. It is organically and historically the same Church that came fully into being at Pentecost (Acts 2). Today, the Orthodox Church comprises the second largest Christian body in the world. Of the approximately 200 million people who identify themselves as “Orthodox” Christians, the vast majority live in Russia,

Greece, Romania and other eastern European countries, as well as throughout the Middle East. Approximately 4 million Orthodox Christians live in the United States, historically and primarily concentrated in the Northeast, Midwest and California. The Orthodox Church is now growing most quickly in the South and West. Long known as “Eastern Orthodoxy,” the Orthodox faith has established itself throughout the world, in North America, Africa, Australia and Western Europe. Small groups exist as well in Asia and South America. This dispersion or “diaspora” of Orthodox peoples intensified during the 20th century, particularly in the wake of the Russian revolution of 1917. Russian missionaries were present in Alaska from 1794, however, and Greek communities appeared in American port cities from about the same period. Orthodox parishes tend to be identified and organized according to the language in which services are celebrated and the national identity of parishioners. Thus they have come to be known as “Greek Orthodox,” “Russian Orthodox,” etc. While the Greek Orthodox are the most numerous in the United States, their parishes number many “converts”: people who have entered the Orthodox Church from some other (or no) faith tradition. The same is true with the other two major Orthodox bodies, the Antiochian Archdiocese and the Orthodox Church in America. The latter was formed in 1970, by bringing

together under common episcopal leadership (meaning “of a bishop or bishops”) Orthodox faithful of Russian, Romanian, Albanian and Bulgarian origin. There are also many Orthodox Christians with Ukrainian, Carpatho-Russian and other Eastern European roots. Whatever their ethnic and linguistic background, all Eastern Orthodox Christians are in full communion with one another, insofar as their bishops are “canonically” recognized as standing in apostolic succession. In the United States, those bishops are joined in the “Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas”(SCOBA. During the first millennium of the Church’s existence there was more or less unbroken unity among different groups of Christians. All were formally united in the one, undivided Body of Christ, although various groups and individuals separated themselves from that Body by teaching “heresies” (literally, “differing opinions”; but the term signifies teachings that distort revealed Truth). The earliest “apostolic” age (first century AD) was quickly followed by an age of severe persecution that ended only with the conversion to Christian faith of the Emperor Constantine, after 313. From that time on, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Gradually there developed five principal centers (“patriarchates”) of Christian life: Jerusalem, Antioch (in Syria), Alexandria (in Egypt), Rome and Constantinople (Istanbul), each of which understood itself to be in organic unity with all of the others.

What is theOrthodox Church? Fr. John Breck

The beauty and

richness of Orthodox

liturgy serves to draw

the faithful into a

living experience of

the triune God, to

unite them in faith and

love with one another

and with the saints

of all ages...

12 | Alleluia

Growing theological and political disputes between the bishops of Rome and those of other patriarchates, however, led to a tragic split between “East” and “West,” usually dated from 1054, with mutual excommunications between the bishops of Rome and Constantinople. From that time on, the separation between Rome and the other patriarchates deepened, and that separation continues today. Orthodox Christians accept the Bible as the Word of God and the ground of their faith and practice. The Bi-ble, however, took shape within Holy Tradition: the oral and written “memory” of Israel and the early Church. To Jesus and the apostles, Holy Scripture consisted of what we call the Old Testament: the Law, the Prophets

and the Wisdom writ-ings of the ancient Jewish people. The New Testament writ-ings came to be recog-nized as “canonical” (authoritative and nor-mative) over several centuries. They, like the Old Testament books, were composed on the basis of Tradition. Orthodox faith is ex-pressed most succinctly by the Nicene Creed, composed by theolo-gians who met at the first two (of seven) great Ecumenical Councils held in 325 and 381. Slightly different from the later Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene con-fession is essentially “trinitarian.” It de-clares God to be the

Father and Creator of all things. It stresses the true “in-carnation” of the eternal Son of God, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, died and rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and who will come again to judge both the living and the dead. It confesses the Holy Spirit to be equal in nature and honor with the Father and the Son, to “proceed” eternally from the Father, and to be the inspirational power behind God’s self-revelation. The Creed concludes

with affirmations of faith in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, in a single baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and in the resurrection of believers to eternal life. The major focus of Orthodox worship is adoration of God and communion with Him. The Church’s faith is expressed in its liturgical prayer. Individual services de-rive from ancient Jewish services, taken over by early Christians and reshaped in the light of Christ and His resurrection. The “liturgical day” begins in the evening (see Genesis 1, “an evening and a morning, the first day”!) with celebration of Vespers. Following this are the office of Compline and the midnight office of Noc-turne. Around daybreak, Matins is served, then First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours. On feast days, monas-tic communities, cathedrals and most parish churches celebrate the Divine Liturgy or Eucharist service, as all Orthodox communities do on Sunday mornings. The Divine Liturgy may be considered to be the very heart of Orthodox life and faith. It is our sacramental union with God. It also unites us with other Orthodox believers throughout the world in a common celebration of the gift of Life offered to us by Christ’s death and resurrection, by which the powers of sin and death are overcome. The Lit-urgy also unites us with the whole of the “communion of saints” — the departed martyrs, holy fathers and mothers of past ages — who join with us and with the heavenly host in glorifying God and receiving from Him the Bread of Life. Although Orthodox Christians often speak of “seven sacraments” (eucharist, baptism, chrismation, confes-sion, marriage, ordination, unction), this is a Western-ized approach to the matter. In fact, all of life is given to us in order that it might become “sacramental.” Through prayer, participation in the liturgical services, ascetic struggle against our passions or sinful inclina-tions, and by gestures of loving self-sacrifice, we enter ever more deeply into communion with the God of love. The beauty and richness of Orthodox liturgy serves to draw the faithful into a living experience of the triune God, to unite them in faith and love with one another and with the saints of all ages, and to bless their lives with a profound sense of God’s merciful and compassion-ate presence in their midst. Although Holy Communion can only be offered to Orthodox Christians who are pre-pared to receive it, all are most cordially invited — and even encouraged — to join the services of worship, to celebrate and glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What is Orthodox Christianity? In Jesus’ own words, we invite you to “Come and see!”

FOUNDATIONS OF ORTHODOX FAITH

Alleluia | 13

18 | Alleluia

On entering a fully-adorned Orthodox Church, particularly for the first time, one is easily overwhelmed with a multi-sensory experience. Striking to the eyes are the icons, particularly the “Virgin of the Sign” in the apse over the altar, in addition to the iconostasis — the “screen” uniting the nave to the altar. Striking to the ears are the melodious, if not exotic, a capella chants of the Church — whether they be the reading of psalms and prayers chanted on a single note, the four-part harmony of traditional Russian hymnography, or the somewhat haunting sounds of Byzantine chant. Striking to the nose is the heavy fragrance of holy incense and the soothing scent of beeswax candles. At some services, one’s taste buds are also brought into play, in the reception of blessed bread and wine, such as the Divine Liturgy’s antidoron.

In Orthodox practice, our traditional actions are a living out of the Christian faith in the services of the church as well as in our private prayers. Here, let us touch on a few of the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes you are likely to encounter in Orthodox Christian worship.

The Iconostasis (Greek for “Icon Stand”) is one of the most notable and distinctly Orthodox ornaments in the church temple. It at once separates and unites the nave and the altar. The separation is actually a deliberate architectural differentiation. It is the way in which we distinguish the “earthly” church (the “nave”) from the Kingdom of Heaven (the “altar”), just as the narthex (vestibule, representing the world) is separated from the nave (main sanctuary, representing the church) by a wall and a set of doors.

The iconostasis can vary from quite simple (two icons on stands, making three doorways) to quite ornate (often called “wedding cake” iconostases, since they are marked by tiers all the way up to the ceiling of the church). Whatever their configuration, they tell the story of salvation in more or less detail according to their complexity. Here is what a simple iconostasis might look like with a single tier above the doors:

A Feast of the Senses Fr. John Parker

Alleluia | 19

The central doors, called the “Royal Doors,” are used only by the Bishop, Priest, and Deacon. Architecturally, this is “the gate of heaven,” with the altar representing heaven. These doors are typically adorned with one of two motifs: a) the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel to the Mother of God, beneath which are depicted the four evangelists — this represents the Incarnation; b) the authors of our Liturgies, especially St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great, whose services we use every Sunday — these represent the Eucharist, the Lord’s supper.To the left of the Doors as we face them is always an icon of the Theotokos, or Mother of God, holding her young son, Jesus Christ. This is an image of the first coming of Christ. To the right of the Doors is an image of Jesus Christ blessing with his right hand and holding an open Gospel book. This is an image of Christ the Judge, the Second Coming. To the right of this icon, when possible, is traditionally located St. John the Baptist, inclined towards Christ. To the left of the Mother of God is often the Icon of the Parish. To the outside of these two icons are a set of “deacon’s doors,” through which priests, deacons, and servers most often exit and enter the altar. These are often adorned with icons of the two chief Archangels: Michael and Gabriel, or two of the first deacons: Stephen and Philip.

Directly above the Royal Doors, one often finds the image of the Mystical Supper, which is topped by the Cross of Christ, and flanked on either side by the Twelve Great Feasts, usually in Church Year order: Nativity of the Theotokos (Sept. 8); Exaltation of the Cross (Sept. 14); Entrance of the Theotokos (Nov. 21); Nativity of our Lord (Dec. 25); Theophany (Baptism of the Lord,

Jan. 6); Presentation of our Lord in the Temple (Feb. 2); Annunciation (Mar. 25); Palm Sunday (Sunday before Pascha); [PASCHA — not numbered among the 12, as it remains in a category of its own]; Ascension (40 days after Pascha); Pentecost (50 days after Pascha); Transfiguration (Aug. 6); and the Dormition of the Theotokos (Aug. 15).

The plan of the iconostasis tells the story of the salvation of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, and links us in every way into his life, death, resurrection, ascension and ultimate return on the Last Day.

The Virgin of the Sign (an image of Mary, the Mother of God, with Christ as if in her womb) is striking to visitors who may be accustomed to seeing no more than a cross as the central symbol in a church. For Orthodox Christians, the Cross is literally of crucial importance, for, as we sing, “through the Cross joy has come into the world.” By Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, He has trampled down death by death, and has opened for us the path to eternal life. This salvation begins, however, with a beautiful prophecy recorded by Isaiah, a number of centuries before the Nativity of our Lord: “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanu-el” (Isaiah 7:14). This larger-than-life fresco captures this prophecy. Mary is “the virgin” of this “sign.” And Jesus, our Immanuel — “God with us” — shows forth from her womb, blessing us all. The “Virgin of the Sign” is the beginning of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. This icon is the iconographic link between the earthly plane of the church and the heavenly realm.

24 | Alleluia

Worship in the

Orthodox Church

& Music

—Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with

singing. (Ps 100:1-2)

O ne of the most characteristic elements of Orthodox worship is that, with very few exceptions, everything is either sung

or chanted. Only very rarely is anything simply read aloud. Also very rare is the use of any accompanying instruments. Though some churches are equipped with organs, this is largely due to the influence of the western tradition, where the use of instruments in worship is widely practiced. As a general rule, all the singing of services in the Orthodox Church is done a capella—that is, without accompaniment.

An obvious question that comes to mind is why this is the case, particularly in light of the many Old Testament passages calling all the faithful to worship God with a plethora of instruments such as cymbals, harps, lyres and flutes, to name just a few. While there may be no definitive answer to this question, at least two points are worth considering here. The first, more practical in nature, is that there was very likely a significant decline in the use of such instruments in Jewish worship between, say, the time of King David and the beginning of the Christian era, so that early Christians would have simply carried on the more common practice of their time. The second is more theological and has to do with the content of worship. Music alone, however beautiful it may be, is no more sacred than a radiant sunset or an exquisite painting. For music to be sacred, it must be set to words of worship, words about or addressed to God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and about His life in and among His saints. An instrument can produce music without words, but only a human voice is capable of making this music sacred.

While the worship of the Church has gone through a great deal of evolution over the centuries, it has never undergone a revolution. In other words, Orthodox worship has never experienced a categorical break from its previous existence or experience. The unity of the Church — expressed particularly in the commemorations that accompany the consecration of the Eucharist — is fundamental to her very identity. And this vital unity applies not only to the present generation. We recognize the Church in her current expression insofar as she worships as the Church has always worshipped. God is the God of the living, and as we enter the Church to pray, we must recognize that we do so as the newest members of a congregation that has been praising God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — for two millennia, and continues to do so even when we ourselves are not present. The saints are depicted on the walls of the Church, not to remind us that they once

Michael Breck

Alleluia | 25

existed and set an example for us to follow, but to show us that they are worshipping God at this very moment and that we ourselves have the opportunity to join their choir in unceasing praise. As we accept the legacy of this communion of saints and enter into their living prayer, we discover a gift that has been preserved for us and handed down from generation to generation.

While the Scriptures are certainly the greatest single source of texts used in Orthodox services, many other elements come from writings recognized over the centuries to be theologically sound interpretations or expressions of scriptural themes. Typically, services have evolved as a combination of these various sources and have been organized into cycles, so that on any given day of the year the Church is united in its ongoing collective prayer. On a daily basis, we begin with the evening office, called Vespers — from the Greek word for “evening” — which revolves around Psalm 140/141 and incorporates hymnography that dates as far back as the second century. Compline, Nocturne, the Hours and Matins follow, culminating in the Divine Liturgy — the celebration of the Eucharist. While this full daily cycle is rarely implemented anywhere but in monastic settings, it remains the basic pattern into which parish worship, and even personal prayer are incorporated.

The weekly cycle, then, begins on Saturday night, which, liturgically speaking, is the beginning of Sunday and therefore commemorates Christ’s Resurrection. The prayers and hymns for each day of the week reflect a particular focus, such as the Cross, on Friday, in remembrance of Christ’s crucifixion, or commemoration of the dead, on Saturday, recalling the day on which he rested in the tomb. Sunday, the day of Christ’s Resurrection, is “the first day of the week,” or the day after the seventh day, which has long been referred to theologically as the “eighth day.” Where the seventh day had been that of the completion of creation and the day of rest, the eighth day is its fulfillment, the “never-ending day of the Kingdom.” In continuity with the daily and weekly cycles, the annual cycle likewise revolves around the great feast of Christ’s Resurrection, and so this octave is carried over into worship, where eight different “tones,” or melodies, follow one another from week to week throughout the year, beginning with tone 1 on the first Sunday

after Easter, tone 2 on the second, and so on, through eight and back to one.

Hymns for specific feasts of the Church year are also often composed in these tones. For example, the festal hymns for Theophany (or Epiphany, January 6th) and Transfiguration (August 6th), are set in tones 1 and 7 respectively. From one year to the next, however, the weekly tones for the week of Theophany and the week of Transfiguration change based on the date of Easter, so that the festal hymn of Theophany, in tone 1, might be found integrated into a service with hymns in a different tone prescribed for that week. And while it may seem at times that a spreadsheet might be of some help in sorting through these overlapping festal and weekly cycles, it is essential that we never lose sight of their ultimate purpose, which is to unite the faithful throughout the world in a common worship of the one true God.

The music to which the liturgical texts are set is drawn from a wide range of sources, particularly here in America, where we have the benefit of a tremendous convergence of cultures. The most ancient of these is Byzantine chant, characterized by a melody supported by an “ison,” a lower, steady tone chordally related to the melody. This form influenced both Gregorian chant and early Russian chant. With a great many cultures adding their own flavor to the melodic texture of Orthodox worship over the centuries, it is not uncommon, in our present experience, to find a variety of these styles

incorporated into a single service.

Ultimately, and ideally, the purpose of music in Orthodox worship is to express beauty, of which the sole source is God. If we, His creatures, are in any way capable of conveying this beauty, it is by entering into His creative activity, by allowing ourselves to become instruments of His creative power, by entering into His presence in worship and striving to remove from ourselves that which hinders His work in and through us. We gather as the Church in order to divest ourselves of a persistent self-interest, and instead to acquire that which God has offered to us, that what we share in His presence might become the content of our life in communion with one another and with Him.

While the Scriptures are

certainly the greatest single source of texts

used in Orthodox services, many other elements come from writings recognized over the centuries to be theologically

sound interpretations or expressions of scriptural themes.

40 | Alleluia

The Architecture o f h o l y A s c e n s i o n O rt h o d o x C h u r c h

Alleluia | 41

An iconography student once said to a master, “I wish to paint a nativity icon, but all the ancient examples are different from one another. How do I know what to copy, and where do I have freedom to invent new variations?” The master answered, “Set all the ancient icons side by side. Some things will be the same in all of them. This is the canon, to which you must faithfully adhere. Other details will vary, and here you may paint something new, so long as your creativity is consistent with the spirit and intent of the old examples.”

Traditional architecture involves the same tension between copying and inventing. An Orthodox temple is itself an icon. It symbolizes the structure of the cosmos, the relationship between Heaven and Earth. Together with the painted icons, it presents a complete image of our beliefs, an all-encompassing icon of Christ and his Church. As such, a church designer has a responsibility to discern the fundamentals of the architectural canon, and to emulate the best of the ancient churches. At the same time, there is considerable need for creativity. Ancient churches have

culturally specific elements not expressive of Orthodoxy in general, and archaic construction techniques that are not practical or affordable in America. And every church must be adapted to the particular needs and constraints of a parish and its site. A new Orthodox church must be part of Tradition, and also add something new to the canon, by melding the unchanging image of Orthodoxy with the unique place, time, and culture that the new church is to serve.

The symbolism in Holy Ascension’s architecture begins with the floor plan — a cross-in-square. In ancient times it was understood that a square temple or palace represented the Earth, and was always aligned with the cardinal directions, and the floor was usually decorated to look like the sea. A circular dome represented the Heavens, and was painted with stars. Ancient temples of many religions combined both the square and the dome in various ways to show Heaven and Earth united — the essence of religion. The Christians of the sixth century developed a new and singularly elegant form to combine the orthogonal basilica with the domed rotunda. Four great pillars support the

dome by means of pendentives — triangular vaults that smooth the transition from square to circle. These pillars divide the space of the basilica into a cross. It is the cross that allows Heaven and Earth to come together. Theology, structure, and liturgical space are perfectly married in this architecture. The frescoes will exactly follow this theme, with Christ and the angels in the dome, and the saints and feasts of the church in the nave below. At the pendentives are the four Evangelists who recorded the Incarnation, wherein Heaven and Earth were united. From this meeting point hangs the choros, the great circular chandelier; it can be seen as the wedding crown for the mystical union of Christ and His Church.

Equally important is the symbolism of mass and light. Traditional Orthodox churches always have thick massive walls, which call to mind the strength and stillness of God. The light is gentle and mysterious, coming from windows high above the floor and from hundreds of tiny lamps. It is a warm radiance

concentrated in and under the dome, leaving the side aisles and lower arches shrouded in darkness. This light reflects from the warm plaster and rich icons leaving the whole church aglow with a directionless golden light, an image of the New Jerusalem illumined by the Uncreated Light of God. The massive walls are not dematerialized by this light, as they are meant to be by the scintillating stained glass of Gothic architecture, but rather the mass is transfigured. The walls look as permanent and silent as God, as gentle and approachable as the face of Christ.

These qualities are the “canon” of Orthodox architecture — the forms and character typical of Orthodox churches in all countries at all times. The materials and details of churches are more culturally specific, and it is here that Holy Ascension’s architecture is, in a sense, customized to the parish’s particular history and place. America has no venerable tradition of Orthodox architecture, but that does not make it appropriate to simply import a style from the Old World. Historic American buildings have an architectural character that is typically simple

The Architecture o f h o l y A s c e n s i o n O rt h o d o x C h u r c h

Andrew Gould

42 | Alleluia

and dignified, practical and serious, seldom flamboyant or merry. Our history is a story of Puritans and frontiersmen, not kings and emperors. This is our culture, and it is appropriate for Orthodox Americans to baptize it and to bring what is good and honest in American architecture into the service of the Church.

Being near historic Charleston, we have a wealth of superb examples for inspiration. From the old houses and churches of Charleston, Holy Ascension has inherited its painted stucco exterior, dog-tooth cornice, walled garden, copper roof, heart-pine floor, and (quite literally) its old bricks. Interestingly, several of these old Charleston details are often found in Russian churches as well, which helps tie our traditions together. It has been a delight to hear both local Southerners and Russian immigrants remark that Holy Ascension is built the way old churches were and feels natural to them.

Other design decisions were made to accommodate modern construction techniques. Concrete is far more affordable and far stronger than the brick and stone walls of ancient churches, and is aesthetically in no way inferior to them when the walls are stuccoed. Polished marble columns, ubiquitous in ancient Byzantine churches, were unaffordable to us, so we made them out of concrete as well. By polishing and oiling the concrete, we achieved a similar effect to marble, while still honestly presenting the concrete as what it is. Even the beautiful plaster is to some extent a modern convenience. It is a highly engineered lime plaster which is applied more thinly and easily than the thick plaster of the Middle Ages. Because the rounded corners of Byzantine plaster are essential to the gentle “transfigured” character of the space, we had the masons chip away all the corners of the concrete block. This way, our thin plaster has the same radius at the corners as thick Medieval plaster.

As a parish, Holy Ascension inherited a mixture of Old World traditions. It was by no means obvious to the building committee what style of church (Greek, Russian, Romanian) would be most appropriate. Early design proposals reflected several different options that were not quite satisfactory to the parish. Ultimately, the designers chose to shape the interior in a strictly Byzantine style. The large dome and broad proportions seemed well-suited to the character of the parish, and are not so exotic-looking (and expensive) as the tall thin cupolas of later Russian churches. However, with the addition of a wooden floor and iconostasis, and Russian-style frescoes, Russians should feel every bit at home in our church as any Greek. The exterior is also a mixture of traditions. The copper roof, ornamented with onion cupolas and five tall crosses, is purely Russian in style, while its great length east to

Ultimately, and most importantly, Holy Ascension’s architecture is harmonious.

Alleluia | 43

west calls to mind Romanian architecture. With regard to the exterior, Holy Ascension is not dissimilar from many late-nineteenth-century churches in Russia. At that time it became popular to revive the large domes of Byzantine churches, but to ornament them with Russian details.

It may be of interest to describe some of the smaller details of Holy Ascension more specifically. It cannot be overestimated to what extent the beauty and charm of a church depends upon well-designed handmade details, so it seemed important to the parish to craft a number of these special parts ourselves. The doors are antique pine, reclaimed from old mill buildings. They were built by parishioners who were eager for them to feel heavy and ancient, like the doors of Medieval churches in Europe. The wooden handles were carved from old studs taken from a house being restored downtown. The design is a copy of a handle from a simple kitchen house in Tennessee, and the labor was donated by a local whittler. The floors were laid with old-fashioned cut nails to give them a handmade character — it was a huge effort that required a neighborhood nailing party. The brick paths were laid by church members using bricks salvaged from the foundations of long-gone buildings downtown. The light fixtures were designed to resemble the polycandelon of Byzantine times — a disk perforated to hold oil lamps. The central chandelier is modeled on the “Munich Choros,” a great twelve-sided chandelier from thirteenth-century Byzantium. Similar choroi are still in place in a few churches of Kosovo and Mount Athos.

Column capitals were given particular attention in Byzantine architecture — they were often the only sculpture in a church. They were always made extremely elegant, because they are visually prominent in their structurally significant location. But Byzantine capitals are also simple and a little naïve compared to their Classical Roman antecedents, and this is important, because it makes the columns approachable — not imposing like the columns of a bank or a courthouse. Holy Ascension’s interior columns, a Byzantine version of the Ionic order, are modeled on those of the Basilica of Saint John, built in Ephesus in 565. The early-Christian cross carved on the impost block is taken from the capitals of fifth-century churches of Ravenna. The columns on the entry porch are a simplified Corinthian form, and are modeled on a fourteenth-century capital displayed in the Byzantine museum in Athens. The small columns on the east porch have “cushion” capitals, which are representative of the pre-schismatic architecture of the West.

Ultimately, and most importantly, Holy Ascension’s architecture is harmonious. It is dangerous to mix styles and cultures without sensitive judgment as to what can

go together and what cannot. As a general rule, we kept everything as simple as possible, because simplicity is compatible with every culture and style, and is always beautiful — ornament is less forgiving. By using materials and construction details traditional for Charleston, the building feels at home here; there is a certain inevitability to its character. By prioritizing Byzantine forms over other Old World styles, the architecture seems familiar to all Orthodox, because Byzantine is the origin of the other Orthodox styles — in a sense, it is the “classical” Orthodox style. The more culturally specific ornaments, such as onion cupolas and Russian-style iconostasis, were designed simply and from compatible materials, so they blend with the whole, and do not distract from the timeless and universal character of the temple.

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n 1741, Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov sailed eastward, equipped with brass plaques, staking as large an area of North America as under “Russian Protection,” and establishing the boundaries of what the world has ever since called “Alaska,” the Unangan Aleut word for “the Great Land.” The ensuing “fur rush” brought hundreds of Siberian frontiersmen to the new territory, many of whom intermarried with Native Alaskan women and laid the

foundation for Orthodoxy in the New World. When the first priests visited this region nearly sixty years later, they found the entire population baptized. The clergy were busy with chrismations and weddings, but the work of conversion had been accomplished by lay initiative.

We often forget that evangelization — “mission” — must necessarily be the task of the laity. Parish priests have their ministry to their flocks. Spending too much time with folks who are not even church members can get a pastor into trouble with his congregation. Statistically, sociologically, we know that churches grow not so much from media exposure or publications but from personal contact. As Philip said to Nathaniel, “Come and see.” And it is the laity who invite their friends, relatives and neighbors who constitute the essential core of this sacred outreach. They also often remain the unsung heroes of Church growth, but we should never forget their critical role.

In 2004, Holy Ascension Mission was graced with the gift of the sacred relics of three of North America’s saints: St Herman, Elder and Wonderworker of Alaska; St Innocent, Enlightener of the Aleuts and Equal-to-the-Apostles; and St Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, Apostle to America. By their example and holy intercessions, may God grant Holy Ascension to be a beacon of the fullness of the Christian faith! What follows is an introduction to the lives of these extraordinary “Heroes of Alaskan Orthodoxy,” written by Fr. Michael Oleksa, Dean of St Herman’s Orthodox theological Seminary, in Kodiak, Alaska.

Heroes of Alaskan Orthodoxy

Fr. Michael Oleksa

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ST. HERMANFather Herman, an elderly monk from Valaam Monastery, volunteered to journey to Alaska when Gregory Shelikov recruited the first mission to Alaska after his 1784 conquest of Kodiak. His fur trading company had applied for a monopoly on commerce in Alaska and Shelikov hoped Empress Katherine the Great would favor his enterprise if he subsidized the clergy. After an enthusiastic send-off in St. Petersburg, the ten monks began their pilgrimage to the Pacific — mostly on foot! Shelikov provided a ship at Okhotsk, but the church, housing, and supplies he had promised never materialized. Worse, the monks found the Company exploiting and oppressing the Native Alutiiqs whom they had been sent to convert.

Within the year, the monastics had investigated and reported on the religious traditions of the Kodiak people and established their strategy for their conversion. They looked for ways in which their existing beliefs might form the basis for Christian faith. They sought to present Orthodoxy as the fulfillment rather than the abolition of what the Aleuts already believed. Within three years nearly all the Kodiak People had been baptized. The defense of Native civil rights the monks raised soon brought them into conflict with the frontiersmen. They were persecuted, arrested, threatened, and assaulted. Some returned home discouraged, several more drowned, and one was martyred. Eventually, the Elder Herman withdrew to nearby Spruce Island, where he resumed his monastic life in the seclusion of that forest. There he continued to appeal for government intervention, for justice for the Americans, as he called them, gaining their respect, their trust, their love and devotion.

It was the Kodiak Aleut people who venerated Father Herman as a living saint during his life (although only two miracles are attributed to him during his earthly life) and who continued to visit his gravesite, where numerous miracles of healing occurred for generations after his repose in 1837. It was their continuing veneration and the reports of continuous miracles at “Monk’s Lagoon” that led to his glorification in 1970. The example of the holy, pious life of one dedicated monk was sufficient to confirm thousands in their new faith, not only during his lifetime, but for decades after his repose. “Save yourself,” St. Seraphim said, “and a thousand others will be saved.” There is really no substitute for commitment, devotion, personal piety, the example of just one holy person. No mission can succeed without this.

Through the prayers

of all Thy Saints,

O Lord Jesus Christ,

have mercy upon us

and save us!

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ST. INNOCENT Father John Veniaminov’s task when he arrived in Alaska in 1824 was quite different. His parish had been Christian for generations, but their knowledge of the Scriptures, of “God’s Law,” was immature, under-developed. They needed to have God’s Word in their own language and they were thirsting for a deeper understanding of their Faith. Learning their language, respectfully studying their customs, documenting their culture, Father John opened the first Unangan Aleut schools, published the first books, built the first churches, and traveled the thousand-mile archipelago for nearly a decade, evangelizing his scattered flock.

Transferred to Sitka, he mastered the Tlingit Indian language, and introduced Christianity to that tribe. Following the death of his wife, Veniaminov was tonsured a monk and consecrated bishop with the name Innocent ,with responsibility for Alaska and the huge Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Transferred back to Siberia, he learned Yakut and published the first books, opened the first schools for that tribe as well. In 1868, he was elected Metropolitan of Moscow, where he founded the Orthodox Mission society, which funded and supported churches in Alaska for the next fifty years.

When the Bolshevik seizure of power ended this support, the American Mission survived because the educational foundation had been laid, an indigenous clergy had been recruited, trained, ordained, to continue this work. None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary educational work St. Innocent had undertaken during his decades of heroic service in Alaska. Conversion, personal piety and holiness are essential, but a mission can only be sustained by effective catechesis.

In fact, Veniaminov suggested that the headquarters of the American Diocese be transferred to San Francisco, and an English-speaking bishop appointed there, with authorization to ordain converts to Orthodoxy and to expand the Church’s mission beyond Alaska. Far from denouncing the transfer of Alaska to American rule, Metropolitan Innocent saw in this a great missiological opportunity, the possibility of creating an “Orthodox Church in America.”

ST. TIKHONThis vision was embraced by Bishop Tikhon, the future Patriarch, who served in North America, moving the headquarters to New York in 1905. By this time, immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe constituted the majority of Orthodox Christians on the continent, and Bishop Tikhon presided over a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual diocese of widely scattered parishes on both coasts. Pressured by some to impose a common liturgical tradition, Bishop Tikhon resisted, saying that America would have to develop its own liturgical life, and gradually adapt and assimilate the customs of many Old World cultures into something new, a uniquely American expression of Orthodoxy. This is precisely the vision of the Valaam monks, who wrote constantly about their desire to bring the Orthodox Faith to “the Americans.”

A half-century later, bishops educated and appointed in Russia, still spoke in the USA of “Nasha Missiya,” Our Mission, knowing full well that the Church had come to America precisely as a mission to America, and not as a transplanted replica of an Old World Tradition, no matter how sacred. The saints of the Church in America may all have been born and educated in Europe or Asia, but their vision, their hope, their goal was always to bring the True Faith to the land and peoples of the New World. They never saw their task as “preserving” an ancient heritage but as articulating and proclaiming their ancient Faith in a new context, making it accessible and intelligible to people who had never known Jesus Christ in the fullness of the Orthodox Christian Tradition.

The challenge before us remains the same. They have planted the seeds. They have laid the historical and canonical foundations. It is now our task to continue the heroic work they so gloriously began, to bring the Fullness of Orthodoxy to this country, to our friends, neighbors, relatives. They have shown us the way, in their dedication to this land and these people. They loved America and “the Americans.”

You cannot save what you do not love. We are not here to judge or condemn but to transfigure, to bless, to save. May we be accounted worthy, following the example of these heroes of Orthodoxy, by our own devotion and commitment, by bringing others to knowledge of the Truth, in compassion and courage, to advance the work these holy teachers and pastors inaugurated in Alaska and have now entrusted to us!

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