THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 13, 2007
The
North Star blessed Father Herman of Alaska,
North star of Christ's holy Church,
the light of your holy life and great deeds Guides those who follow the Orthodox way.
Together we lift high the Holy Cross You planted firmly in America. Let all behold and
glorify Jesus Christ, Singing his holy Resurrection.
--Troparion
for St. Herman
Venerable
Herman of Alaska, Wonderworker of All America. A spiritual mission was organized in 1793
with volunteers from the monks of the Valaam Monastery. They were sent to preach the Word
of God to the native inhabitants of northwestern America, who had come under the
sovereignty of Russia only ten years before. St Herman was one of the members of this
mission.
St Herman came from a family of merchants of Serpukhov, a city of the Moscow diocese. His
name before he was tonsured, and his family name are not known. There is a possibility,
however, that his baptismal name was Gerasimus. He had a great zeal for piety from his
youth, and he entered monastic life at sixteen. (This was in 1772, if we assume that
Herman was born in 1756, although sometimes 1760 is given as the date of his birth.) First
he entered the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage which was located near the Gulf of Finland on the
Peterhof Road, about 15 versts (about 10 miles) from St Petersburg. He also spent time at
at Sarov, where he first met Fr Nazarius, who became his Elder at Valaam. Later, St Herman
followed him to Sanaxar where St Theodore (February 19) was their igumen.
MIRACULOUS HEALING OF HERMAN While at the St Sergius Hermitage, Father Herman was healed
by the Mother of God after an abscess appeared on the right side of his throat under his
chin. The swelling grew rapidly, disfiguring his face. It became difficult for him to
swallow, and the odor was unbearable. In this critical condition Father Herman awaited
death. He did not appeal to the physicians of this world, but locking his cell he fell
before an lcon of the Queen of Heaven. All night long, with fervent tears, he prayed that
he might be healed. Then he took a wet towel and wiped the face of the Most Holy Theotokos
with it. Then he covered the swelling with this towel. He continued to pray until he fell
asleep from sheer exhaustion on the floor. In a dream he saw the Virgin Mary healing him.
When Herman awoke in the morning, he found to his great surprise that he was fully healed.
The swelling had disappeared, even though the abscess had not burst, leaving only a small
mark as a reminder of the miracle. Physicians to whom this healing was described did not
believe it, arguing that it was necessary for the abscess to have either burst of its own
accord or to have been cut open. But the words of the physicians were the words of human
experience, for where the grace of God operates there the order of nature is overcome.
Such occurrences humble human reason under the strong hand of God's mercy.
HERMAN'S LIFE AT VALAAM
For five or six years Father Herman continued to live in the St Sergius Hermitage, and
then he transferred to the Valaam Monastery, which was widely scattered on the large
islands in the waters of the great Lake Ladoga. He came to love the Valaam haven with all
his soul, as he came to love its unforgettable Superior, the pious Elder Nazarius, and all
the brethren. He wrote to Father Nazarius later from America, "Your fatherly goodness
to me, the lowly one, will never be erased from my heart. Neither the terrible, impassable
Siberian wilderness, nor the dark forests, nor the rapids of the great rivers, nor the
mighty ocean can quench these feelings. In my mind I imagine my beloved Valaam, looking to
it beyond the great ocean." He praised the Elder Nazarius in his letters as,"the
most reverend, and my beloved father." (Batushka) and he called the monks of Valaam
"my beloved and dearest brethren." He called the place where he lived in
America, desolate Spruce Island, "New Valaam." As we can see, he always remained
in spiritual contact with his spiritual homeland, for as late as 1823, that is after
living in America for almost thirty years, he wrote letters to the successor of Father
Nazarius, lgumen Innocent.
Father Barlaam, later lgumen of Valaam, and a contemporary of Father Herman, who was
tonsured by Father Nazarius, wrote of Father Herman.
"Father Herman went through the various obediences here, and being ‘well
disposed toward every thing’ was in the course of events sent to Serdobol to oversee
there the work of quarrying marble. The brethren loved Father Herman, and impatiently
awaited his return from Serdobol. Recognizing the zeal of the young hermit the wise Elder,
Father Nazarius, blessed him to live in the wilderness. This wilderness was in the deep
forest about a mile from the monastery. To this day this place has retained the name
'Herman's Field.' On holy days, Father Herman returned to the monastery from the
wilderness. At Little Vespers he would stand in the choir and sing in his pleasant tenor
the responses with the brethren from the Canon, 'O Sweetest Jesus, save us sinners. Most
Holy Theotokos, Save us,' and tears would fall like hail from his eyes."
THE FIRST MISSION TO AMERICA
In the second half of the eighteenth century the borders of Holy Russia expanded to the
north. In those years Russian merchants discovered the Aleutian Islands which formed in
the Pacific Ocean a chain from the eastern shares of Kamchatka to the western shares of
North America. With the opening of these islands there was revealed the sacred necessity
to illumine with the light of the Gospel the native inhabitants. With the blessing of the
Holy Synod, Metropolitan Gabriel gave to the Elder Nazarius the task of selecting capable
persons from the brethren of Valaam for this holy endeavor. Ten men were selected, and
among them was Father Herman. The chosen men left Valaam for the place of their great
appointment in 1793. The members of this historical mission were: Archimandrite Joseph
(Bolotoff), Hieromonks Juvenal, Macarius, Athanasius, Stephen and Nectarius, Hierodeacons
Nectarius and Stephen, and the monks Joasaph, and Herman.
As a result of the holy zeal of the preachers the light of the evangelic sermon quickly
poured out among the sons of Russia, and several thousand pagans accepted Christianity. A
school for the education of newly-baptized children was organized, and a church was built
at the place where the missionaries lived. But by the inscrutable providence of God the
general progress of the mission was unsatisfactory. After five years of very productive
labor, Archimandrite Joasaph, who had just been elevated to the rank of bishop, was
drowned with his party. (This occurred on the Pacific Ocean been Kamchatka and the
Aleutian Islands. The ship, Phoenix, one of the first sea-going ships built in Alaska,
sailed from Okhotsk carrying the first Bishop for the American Mission and his party. The
Phoenix was caught in one of the many storms which periodically sweep the northern
Pacific, and the ship and all hands perished together with Bishop Joasaph and his party.)
Before this the zealous Hieromonk Juvenal was granted the martyr's crown. The others died
one after another until in the end only Father Herman remained. The Lord permitted him to
labor longer than any of his brethren in the apostolic task of enlightening the Aleutians.
THE NEW VALAAM - SPRUCE ISLAND
In America Father Herman chose as his place of habitation Spruce Island, which he called
New Valaam. This island is separated by a strait about a mile and a quarter wide from
Kodiak Island on which had been built a wooden monastery for the residence of the members
of the mission, and a wooden church dedicated to the Resurrection of the Savior. (New
Valaam was named for Valaam on Lake Ladoga, the monastery from which Father Herman came to
America. It is interesting to note that Valaam is also located on an island, although,
this island is in a fresh water lake, whereas, Spruce Island is on the Pacific Ocean,
although near other islands and the Alaskan mainland.)
Spruce Island is not large, and is almost completely covered by a forest. Almost through
its middle a small brook flows to the sea. Herman selected this picturesque island for the
location of his hermitage. He dug a cave out of the ground with his own hands, and in it
he lived his first full summer. For winter there was built for him a cell near the cave,
in which he lived until his death. The cave was converted by him into a place for his
burial. A wooden chapel, and a wooden house to be used as a schoolhouse and a guest house
were built not too distant from his cell. A garden was laid out in front of his cell. For
more than forty years Father Herman lived here.
FATHER HERMAN'S WAY OF LIFE
Father Herman himself spaded the garden, planted potatoes and cabbage and various
vegetables in it. For winter, he preserved mushrooms, salting or drying them. He obtained
salt from sea water. It is said that a wicker basket in which the Elder carried seaweed
from the shore, was so large that it was difficult for one person to carry. The seaweed
was used for fertilizing the soil. But to the astonishment of all, Father Herman carried a
basket filled with seaweed for a long distance without any help at all. By chance his
disciple, Gerasimus, saw him one winter night carrying a large log which normally would be
carried by four men; and he was bare footed. So the Elder worked, and everything that he
acquired as a result of his immeasurable labors was used to feed and clothe orphans, and
also for books for his students.
His clothes were the same for winter as for summer. He did not wear a shirt; instead he
wore a smock of deer skin, which he did not take off for several years at a time, nor did
he change it, so that the fur in it was completely worn away, and the leather became
glossy. Then there were his boots or shoes, cassock, an ancient and faded cassock (riasa)
full of patchwork, and his klobuk. He went everywhere in these clothes, and at all times;
in the rain, in snowstorms, and during the coldest freezing weather. In this, Father
Herman followed the example of many Eastern Ascetic Fathers and monks who showed the
greatest concern for the welfare and needs of others. Yet, they themselves wore the oldest
possible clothes to show their great humility before God, and their contempt for worldly
things.
A small bench covered with a time-worn deerskin served as Father Herman's bed. He used two
bricks for a pillow; these were hidden from visitors by a skin or a shirt. There was no
blanket. Instead, he covered himself with a wooden board which lay on the stove. This
board Father Herman, himself called his blanket, and he willed that it be used to cover
his remains; it was as long as he was tall. "During my stay in the cell of Father
Herman," writes the Creole Constantine Larionov, "I, a sinner, sat on his
'blanket'-and I consider this the acme of my fortune!" ('Creole' is the name by which
the Russians referred to the children of mixed marriages of native Indians of Alaska,
Eskimo and Aleuts with Russians.)
On the occasions when Father Herman was the guest of administrators of the American
Company and in the course of their soul-saving talks he sat up with them until midnight.
He never spent the night with them, but regardless of the weather he always returned to
his hermitage. If for some extraordinary reason it was necessary for him to spend the
night away from his cell, then in the morning the bed which had been prepared for him
would be found untouched; the Elder not having slept at all. The same was true in his
hermitage where having spent the night in talks, he never rested.
The Elder ate very little. As a guest, he scarcely tasted the food, and remained without
dinner. In his call his dinner consisted of a very small portion of a small fish or some
vegetables.
His body, emaciated as a result of his labors, his vigils, and fasting, was crushed by
chains which weighed about sixteen pounds. These chains are kept to this day in the
chapel.
Telling of these deeds of Father Herman, his disciple, the Aleut lgnaty Aligyaga, added,
"Yes, Apa led a very hard life, and no one can imitate his life!" (Apa, Aleutian
word means Elder or grandfather, and it is a name indicative of the great affection in
which he was held).
Our writing of the incidents in the life of the Elder deal, so to speak, with the external
aspects of his labor. "His most important works," says the Bishop Peter,
"were his exercises in spiritual endeavor in his isolated cell where no one saw him,
but outside the cell they heard him singing and celebrating services to God according to
the monastic rule." This witness of the Bishop is supported by the following answers
of Father Herman, himself, "How do you manage to live alone in the forest, Father
Herman? Don't you ever become lonesome?" He answered, "No I am not there alone!
God is here, as God is everywhere. The Holy Angels are there. With whom is it better to
talk, with people, or with Angels? Most certainly with Angels."
FATHER HERMAN AND THE NATIVES
The way in which Father Herman looked upon the natives of America, how he understood his
own relations with them, and how he was concerned for their needs he expressed himself in
one of his letters to the former administrator of the colony, Simeon Yanovsky.
He wrote, "Our Creator granted to our beloved homeland this land which like a
newly-born babe does not yet have the strength for knowledge or understanding. It requires
not only protection, because of its infantile weakness and impotence, but also his
sustenance. Even for this it does not yet have the ability to make an appeal on its own
behalf. And since the welfare of this nation by the Providence of God, it is not known for
how long, is dependent on and has been entrusted into the hands of the Russian government
which has now been given into your own power, therefore I, the most humble servant of
these people, and their nurse (nyanka) stand before you in their behalf, write this
petition with tears of blood. Be our Father and our Protector. Certainly we do not know
how to be eloquent, so with an inarticulate infant's tongue we say: Wipe away the tears of
the defenseless orphans, cool the hearts melting away in the fire of sorrow. Help us to
know what consolation means."
The Elder acted the way he felt. He always interceded before the governors in behalf of
those who had transgressed. He defended those who had been offended. He helped those who
were in need with whatever means he had available. The Aleuts, men, women and children,
often visited him. Some asked for advice, others complained of oppression, others sought
out defense, and still others desired help. Each one received the greatest possible
satisfaction from the Elder. He discussed their mutual difficulties, and he tried to
settle these peacefully. He was especially concerned about reestablishing understanding in
families. If he did not succeed in reconciling a husband and wife, the Elder prevailed
upon them to separate temporarily. The need for such a procedure he explained thus,
"it is better to let them live apart, or believe me, it can be terrible if they are
not separated. There have been incidents when a husband killed his wife, or when a wife
destroyed her husband."
Father Herman especially loved children. He made large quantities of biscuits for them,
and he baked cookies (krendelki) for them; and the children were fond of the Elder. Father
Herman's love for the Aleuts reached the point of self-denial.
AN EPIDEMIC STRIKES
A ship from the United States brought to Sitka Island, and from there to Kodiak Island, a
contagious disease, a fatal illness. It began with a fever, a heavy cold, and difficult
respiration, and it ended with chills; in three days the victim died. On the island there
was neither a doctor nor medicine. The illness spread rapidly through the village, and
then throughout the nearby areas. The disease affected all, even infants. The fatalities
were so great that for three days there was no one to dig graves, and the bodies remained
unburied. An eyewitness said, "I cannot imagine anything more tragic and horrible
than the sight which struck me when I visited an Aleutian 'Kazhim'. This was a large
building, or barracks, with dividing sections, in which the Aleuts lived with their
families; it contained about 100 people. Here some had died, their cold bodies lay near
the living; others were dying; there were groans and weeping which tore at one's
soul."
"I saw mothers over whose bodies cold in death crawled a hungry child, crying and
searching in vain for its food...My heart was bursting with compassion! It seemed that if
anyone could paint with a worthy brush the full horror of this tragic scene, that he would
have successfully aroused fear of death in the most embittered heart." Father Herman,
during this terrible sickness which lasted a whole month, gradually dying out towards the
end, visited the sick, never tiring. He admonished them in their fear, prayed, brought
them to penance, or prepared them for death. He never spared himself.
FATHER HERMAN AS A SPIRITUAL TEACHER
The Elder was concerned in particular for the moral growth of the Aleuts. With this end in
mind a school was built for children-the orphans of the Aleuts. He himself taught them the
Law of God and church music. For this same purpose he gathered the Aleuts on Sunday and
Holy Days for prayer in the chapel near his cell. Here his disciple read the Hours and the
various prayers while the Elder himself read the Epistle and Gospel. He also preached to
them. His students sang, and they sang very well. The Aleuts loved to hear his sermons,
gathering around him in large numbers. The Elder's talks were captivating, and his
listeners were moved by their wondrous power. He himself writes of one example of the
beneficial results of his words.
"Glory to the holy destinies of the Merciful God! He has shown me now through his
unfathomable Providence a new occurrence which I, who have lived here for twenty years had
never seen before on Kodiak. Recently after Easter, a young girl about twenty years of age
who knows Russian well, came to me. Having heard of the Incarnation of the Son of God and
of Eternal Life, she became so inflamed with love for Jesus Christ that she does not wish
to leave me. She pleaded eloquently with me. Contrary to my personal inclination and love
for solitude, and despite all the hindrances and difficulties which I put forward before
accepting her, she has now been living near the school for a month and is not
lonesome."
"I, looking on this with great wonder, remembered the 'words of the Savior: that
which is hidden from the wise and learned is revealed to babes." (Matt. 11:25)
This woman lived at the school until the death of the Elder. She watched for the good
conduct of the children who studied in his school. Father Herman willed that after his
death she was to continue to live on Spruce Island. Her name was Sophia Vlasova.
Yanovsky writes about the character and the eloquence of the talks of the Elder in this
way:
"When I met Father Herman I was thirty years old. I must say that I was educated in
the naval corps school; that I knew many sciences having read extensively. But to my
regret, the Science of sciences, that is the Law of God, I barely remembered the externals
- and these only theoretically, not applying them to life. I was a Christian in name only,
but in my soul and in reality, I was a freethinker. Furthermore, I did not admit the
divinity and holiness of our religion, for I had read through many atheistic works. Father
Herman recognized this immediately and he desired to reconvert me. To my great surprise he
spoke so convincingly, wisely - and he argued with such conviction- that it seemed to me
that no learning or worldly wisdom could stand one's ground before his words. We conversed
with him daily until midnight, and even later, of God's love, of eternity, of the
salvation of souls, and of Christian living. From his lips flowed a ceaseless stream of
sweet words! By these continual talks and by the prayers of the holy Elder the Lord
returned me completely to the way of Truth, and I became a real Christian. I am indebted
for all this to Father Herman he is my true benefactor."
"Several years ago," continues Yanovsky, "Father Herman converted a certain
naval captain G. to Orthodoxy from the Lutheran Faith. This captain was well educated.
Besides many sciences, he was well versed in languages. He knew Russian, English, German,
French, Italian and also some Spanish. But for all this he could not resist the
convictions and proofs of Father Herman. He changed his faith and was united to the
Orthodox Church through Chrismation. When he was leaving America, the Elder said to him
while they were parting, "Be on guard, if the Lord should take your wife from you
then do not marry a German woman under any circumstance. If you do marry a German woman,
undoubtedly she will damage your Orthodoxy." The Captain gave his word, but he failed
to keep it. The warning of the Elder was prophetic. Indeed, after several years the
Captain's wife did die, and he married a German woman. There is no doubt that his faith
weakened or that he left it; for he died suddenly without penance."
Further on Yanovsky writes, "Once the Elder was invited aboard a frigate which came
from St Petersburg. The Captain of the frigate was a highly educated man, who had been
sent to America by order of the Emperor to make an inspection of all the colonies. There
were more than twenty-five officers with the Captain, and they also were educated men. In
the company of this group sat a monk of a hermitage, small in stature and wearing very old
clothes. All these educated conversationalists were placed in such a position by his wise
talks that they did not know how to answer him. The Captain himself used to say, 'We were
lost for an answer before him.'
"Father Herman gave them all one general question: 'Gentlemen, What do you love above
all, and what will each of you wish for your happiness?' Various answers were offered ...
Some desired wealth, others glory, some a beautiful wife, and still others a beautiful
ship he would captain; and so forth in the same vein. 'It is not true,' Father Herman said
to them concerning this, 'that all your various wishes can bring us to one conclusion -
that each of you desires that which in his own understanding he considers the best, and
which is most worthy of his love?' They all answered, 'Yes, that is so!' He then
continued, 'Would you not say, Is not that which is best, above all, and surpassing all,
and that which by preference is most worthy of love, the Very Lord, our Jesus Christ, who
created us, adorned us with such ideals, gave life to all, sustains everything, nurtures
and loves all, who is Himself Love and most beautiful of all men? Should we not then love
God above every thing, desire Him more than anything, and search Him out?' "
All said, "Why, yes! That's self-evident!" Then the Elder asked, "But do
you love God?" They all answered, "Certainly, we love God. How can we not love
God?" "And I a sinner have been trying for more than forty years to love God, I
cannot say that I love Him completely," Father Herman protested to them. He then
began to demonstrate to them the way in which we should love God. "if we love
someone," he said, "we always remember them; we try to please them. Day and
night our heart is concerned with the subject. Is that the way you gentlemen love God? Do
you turn to Him often? Do you always remember Him? Do you always pray to Him and fulfill
His holy commandments?" They had to admit that they had not! "For our own good,
and for our own fortune," concluded the Elder, "let us at least promise
ourselves that from this very minute we will try to love God more than anything and to
fulfill His Holy Will!" Without any doubt this conversation was imprinted in the
hearts of the listeners for the rest of their lives.
"in general, Father Herman liked to talk of eternity, of salvation of the future
life, of our destinies under God. He often talked on the lives of the Saints, on the
Prologue, but he never spoke about anything frivolous. It was so pleasant to hear him that
those who conversed with him, the Aleuts and their wives, were so captivated by his talks
that often they did not leave him until dawn, and then they left him with
reluctance;" thus witnesses the Creole, Constantine Larionov.
A DESCRIPTION OF FATHER HERMAN Yanovsky writes a detailed description of Father Herman.
"I have a vivid memory," he said, "Of all the features of the Elder's face
reflecting goodness; his pleasant smile, his meek and attractive mien, his humble and
quiet behavior, and his gracious word. He was short of stature. His face was pale and
covered with wrinkles. His eyes were grayish-blue, full of sparkle, and on his head there
were a few gray hairs. His voice was not powerful, but it was very pleasant."
Yanovsky relates two incidents from his conversations with the Elder. "Once," he
writes, "I read to Father Herman the ode, 'God,' by Derzhavin. The Elder was
surprised, and entranced. He asked me to read it again. I read it once more, "Is it
possible that a simple, educated man wrote this?" he asked. "Yes, a learned
poet," I answered. "This has been written under God's inspiration," said
the Elder.
THE MARTYRDOM OF PETER "On another occasion I was relating to him how the Spanish in
California had imprisoned fourteen Aleuts, and how the Jesuits (actually Franciscans) were
forcing all of them to convert to Catholicism. But the Aleuts would not agree under any
circumstances, saying, 'We are Christians.' The Jesuits argued, 'That's not true, you are
heretics and schismatics. If you do not agree to accept our faith then we will torture all
of you to death.' Then the Aleuts were placed in prisons two to a cell. That evening, the
Jesuits came to the prison with lanterns and lighted candles. Again they tried to persuade
two Aleuts in the cell to accept the Catholic Faith. 'We are Christians,' the Aleuts
replied, 'and we will not change our Faith.' Then the Jesuits began to torture them, at
first the one while his companion was a witness. They cut off one of the joints of his
feet, and then the other joint. Then they cut the first joint on the fingers of his hands,
and then the other joint. Then they cut off his feet, and his hands. The blood flowed, but
the martyr endured all and firmly repeated one thing: "I am a Christian.' He died in
such suffering, due to a loss of blood. The Jesuit also promised to torture his comrade to
death the next day.
But that night an order was received from Monterey stating that the imprisoned Aleuts were
to be released immediately, and sent there under escort. Therefore, in the morning all
were sent to Monterey with the exception of the dead Aleut. This was related to me by a
witness, the same Aleut who had escaped torture, and who was the friend of the martyred
Aleut. I reported this incident to the authorities in St Petersburg. When I finished my
story, Father Herman asked, 'What was the name of the martyred Aleut?' I answered, 'Peter.
I do not remember his family name.' The Elder stood reverently before an icon, made the
Sign of the Cross and said, "Holy New Martyr Peter, pray to God for usl"
THE SPIRIT OF FATHER HERMAN’S TEACHING In order to express the spirit of Father
Herman's teaching, we present here a quotation from a letter that was written by his own
hand.
"The empty years of these desires separate us from our heavenly homeland, and our
Love for these desires and our habits clothe us, as it were, in an odious dress; it is
called by the Apostle 'the external (earthy) man.' (I Cor. 15:47). We who are wanderers in
the journey of this life call to God for aid. We must divest ourselves of this
repulsiveness, and put on new desires, and a new love for the coming age. Thus, through
this we will know either an attraction or a repulsion for the heavenly homeland. It is
possible to do this quickly, but we must follow the example of the sick, who wishing for
desired health, do not stop searching for means of curing themselves. But I am not
speaking clearly."
Not desiring anything for himself in life; long ago when he first came to America having
refused, because of his humility, the dignity of hiero-monk and archimandrite; and
deciding to remain forever a common monk, Father Herman, without the least fear before
the, powerful, strove with all sincerity for God. With gentle love, and disregarding the
person, he criticized many for intemperate living, for unworthy behavior, and for
oppressing the Aleuts. Evil armed itself against him and gave him all sorts of trouble and
sorrow. But God protected the Elder. The Administrator of the Colony, Yanovsky, not having
yet seen Father Herman, after receiving one of those complaints, had already written to St
Petersburg of the necessity of his removal. He explained that it seemed that he was
arousing the Aleuts against the administration. But this accusation turned out to be
unjust, and in the end Yanovsky was numbered among the admirers of Father Herman.
Once an inspector came to Spruce Island with the Administrator of the Colony N. and with
company employees to search through Father Herman's call.
This party expected to find property of great value in Father Herman's call. But when they
found nothing of value, an employee (of the American Company), Ponomarkhov, began to tear
up the floor with an axe, undoubtedly with the consent of his seniors. Then Father Herman
said to him, "My friend, you have lifted the axe in vain; this weapon shall deprive
you of your life." Some time later people were needed at Fort Nicholas, and for that
reason several Russian employees were sent there from Kodiak; among them was Ponomarkhov;
there the natives of Kenai cut off his head while he slept.
THE TEMPTATIONS OF FATHER HERMAN Many great sorrows were borne by Father Herman from evil
spirits. He himself revealed this to his disciple, Gerasim. Once when he entered Father
Herman's cell without the usual prayer he received no answer from Father Herman to any of
his questions. The next day Gerasim asked him the reason for his silence. On that occasion
Father Herman said to him, "When I came to this island and settled in this hermitage
the evil spirits approached me ostensibly to be helpful. They came in the form of a man,
and in the form of animals. I suffered much from them; from various afflictions and
temptations. And that is why I do not speak now to anyone who enters into my presence
without prayer." (It is customary among devout laymen, as well as clergy, to knock
and say,"Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have
mercy on us and save us." After hearing the response, "Amen," one would
enter and venerate the icon in the room and say a prayer before greeting the host).
SUPERNATURAL GIFTS FROM GOD Herman dedicated himself fully for the Lord's service; he
strove with zeal solely for the glorification of His Most Holy Name. Far from his homeland
in the midst of a variety of afflictions and privations Father Herman spent several
decades performing the noblest deeds of self-sacrifice. He was privileged to receive many
supernatural gifts from God.
In the midst of Spruce Island down the hill flows a little stream into the sea. The mouth
of this stream was always swept by surf. In the spring when the brook fish appeared the
Elder raked away some of the sand at its mouth so that the fish could enter, and at their
first appearance they rushed up the stream'. His disciple, lgnaty, said, "it was so
that if 'Apa' would tell me, I would go and get fish in the stream" Father Herman fed
the birds with dried fish, and they would gather in great numbers around his call.
Underneath his cell there lived an ermine. This little animal can not be approached when
it has had its young, but the Elder fed it from his own hand. "Was not this a miracle
that we had seen?" said his disciple, lgnaty. They also saw Father Herman feeding
bears. But when Father Herman died the birds and animals left; even the garden would not
give any sort of crops even though someone had willingly taken care of it, lgnaty
insisted.
On Spruce Island there once occurred a flood. The inhabitants came to the Elder in great
fear. Father Herman then took an icon of the Mother of God from the home where his
students lived, and placed it on a "laida" ( a sandy bank) and began to pray.
After his prayer he turned to those present and said, "Have no fear, the water will
not go any higher than the place where this holy icon stands" (Compare Job 38:11).
The words of the Elder were fulfilled. After this he promised the same aid from this holy
icon in the future through the intercessions of the Most Immaculate Queen. He entrusted
the icon to his disciple, Sophia; in case of future floods the icon was to be placed on
the "laida."
At the request of the Elder, Baron F. P. Wrangel wrote a letter to a Metropolitan - his
name is not known - which was dictated by Father Herman. When the letter was completed and
read, the Elder congratulated the Baron upon his attaining the rank of admiral. The Baron
was taken aback. This was news to him. It was confirmed, but only after an elapse of some
time and just before he departed for St. Petersburg.
Father Herman said to the administrator Kashevarov from whom he accepted his son from the
font (during the Sacrament of Baptism), "I am sorry for you my dear 'kum.' It's a
shame, the change will be unpleasant for you!" In two years during a change of
administration Kashevarov was sent to Sitka in chains.
Once the forest on Spruce Island caught fire. The Elder with his disciple, Ignaty, in a
thicket of the forest made a belt about a yard wide in which they turned over the moss.
They extended it to the foot of the hill. The Elder said, "Rest assured, the fire
will not pass this line." On the next day according to the testimony of lgnaty there
was no hope for salvation (from the fire) and the fire, pushed by a strong wind, reached
the place where the moss had been turned over by the Elder. The fire ran over the moss and
halted, leaving untouched the thick forest which was beyond the line.
The Elder often said that there would be a bishop for America; this at a time when no one
even thought of it, and there was no hope that there would be a bishop for America;this
was related by the Bishop Peter and his prophecy was fulfilled in time.
"After my death," said Father Herman, "there will be an epidemic and many
people shall die during it and the Russians shall unite the Aleuts." And so it
happened; it seems that about a half a year after his passing there was a smallpox
epidemic; the death rate in America during the epidemic was tremendous. In some villages
only a few inhabitants remained alive. This led the administration of the colony to unite
the Aleuts; the twelve settlements were consolidated into seven.
"Although a long time shall elapse after my death, I will not be forgotten,"
said Father Herman to his disciples. "My place of habitation will not remain empty. A
monk like myself who will be escaping from the glory of men, will come and he will live on
Spruce Island, and Spruce Island will not be without people."
(This prophecy has now been fulfilled in its entirety. Just such a monk as Father Herman
described lived on Spruce Island for many years; his name was Archimandrite Gerasim, who
died on October 13, 1969. This monk took on himself the responsibility of taking care of
the Chapel under which at first was buried the Elder Herman. Metropolitan Leonty soon
after his elevation to the primacy of the Russian Orthodox Church in America made a
pilgrimage to Spruce Island, and the grave of Herman.)
HERMAN'S PROPHECIES FOR THE FUTURE The Creole Constantine, when he was not more than
twelve years old, was asked by Father Herman, "My beloved one, what do you think;
this chapel which they are now building, will it ever stand empty?" The youngster
answered, "I do not know, 'Apa." "And indeed," said Constantine,
"I did not understand his question at that time, even though that whole conversation
with the Elder remains vivid in my memory." The Elder remained silent for a short
time, and then said, "My child remember, in time in this place there will be a
monastery."
Father Herman said to his disciple the Aleut lgnaty Aiigyaga, "Thirty years shall
pass after my death, and all those living on Spruce Island will have died, but you alone
will remain alive. You will be old and poor when I will be remembered." And indeed
after the death of Father Herman thirty years passed when they were reminded of him, and
they began to gather information and facts about him; on the basis of which was written
his life. "It is amazing," exclaims lgnaty, "how a man like us could know
all this so long before it happened! However, no, he was no ordinary man! He knew our
thoughts, and involuntarily he led us to the point where we revealed them to him, and we
received counsel from him!"
"When I die," said the Elder to his disciples, "you will bury me alongside
Father Joasaph. You will bury me by yourself, for you will not wait for the priest! Do not
wash my body. Lay it on a board, clasp my hands over my chest, wrap me in my 'mantia' (the
monk's outer cloak), and with its wings cover my face and place the 'klobuk' on my head.
(The 'klobuk' is the monastic head-dress.) If anyone wishes to bid farewell to me, let
them kiss the Cross. Do not show my face to anyone . . ."
THE DEATH OF FATHER HERMAN The time of the Elder's passing had come. One day he ordered
his disciple, Gerasim, to light a candle before the icons, and to read the Acts of the
Holy Apostles. After some time his face glowed brightly and he said in a loud voice,
"Glory to Thee, O Lord!" He then ordered the reading to be halted, and he
announced that the Lord had willed that his life would now be spared for another week. A
week later again by his orders the candies were lit, and the Acts of the Holy Apostles
were read. Quietly the Elder bowed his head on the chest of Gerasim; the cell was filled
with a pleasant smelling odor; and his face glowed, and Father Herman was no more! Thus in
blessedness he died, he passed away in the sleep of a righteous man in the 81st year of
his life of great labor, the 25th day of December, 1837. (According to the Julian
Calendar, the 13th of December 1837, although there are some records which state he died
on the 28th of November, and was buried on the 26th of December).
Those sent with the sad news to the harbor returned to announce that the administrator of
the colony Kashevarov had forbidden the burial of the Elder until his own arrival. He also
ordered that a finer coffin be made for Father Herman, and that he would come as soon as
possible and would bring a priest with him. But then a great wind came up, a rain fell,
and a terrible storm broke. The distance from the Harbor to Spruce Island is not great -
about a two hour journey - but no one would agree to go to sea in such weather. Thus it
continued for a full month and although the body lay in state for a full month in the warm
house of his students, his face did not undergo any change at all, and not the slightest
odor emanated from his body. Finally through the efforts of Kuzma Uchilischev, a coffin
was obtained. No one arrived from the Harbor, and the inhabitants of Spruce Island alone
buried in the ground the remains of the Elder. Thus the words which Herman uttered before
his death were fulfilled. After this the wind quieted down, and the surface of the sea
became as smooth as a mirror.
One evening from the village Katani (on Afognak) was seen above Spruce Island an unusual
pillar of light which reached up to heaven. Astonished by the miraculous appearance,
experienced elders and the Creole Gerasim Vologdin and his wife, Anna, said, "it
seems that Father Herman has left us," and they began to pray. After a time, they
were informed that the Elder had indeed passed away that very night. This same pillar was
seen in various places by others. The night of his death in another of the settlements on
Afognak was seen a vision; it seemed as though a man was rising from Spruce Island into
the clouds.
The disciples buried their father, and placed above his grave a wooden memorial marker.
The priest on Kodiak, Peter Kashevarov, says, "I saw it myself, and I can say that
today it seems as though it had never been touched by time; as though it had been cut this
day."
Having witnessed the life of Father Herman glorified by his zealous labors, having seen
his miracles, and the fulfillment of his predictions, finally having observed his blessed
falling-asleep, "in general all the local inhabitants" witnesses Bishop Peter,
"have the highest esteem for him, as though he was a holy ascetic, anti are fully
convinced that he has found favor in the presence of God."
In 1842, five years after the passing away of the Elder, Innocent, Archbishop of Kamchatka
and the Aleutians, was near Kodiak on a sailing vessel which was in great distress. He
looked to Spruce Island, and said to himself, "if you, Father Herman, have found
favor in God's presence then may the wind change!" It seems as though not more than
fifteen minutes had passed, said the Bishop, when the wind became favorable, and he
successfully reached the shore. In thanksgiving for his salvation, Archbishop Innocent
himself conducted a Memorial Service over the grave of the ever-memorable Elder Herman.
In 1970, the Orthodox Church in America glorified the monk Herman as the Venerable Herman
of Alaska, Wonderworker of All America.
--From
OCA Feasts & Saints
