Abp. Alexei on the Glorification of St. Olga of Kwethluk, Matushka of All Alaska
On June 7/20, His Eminence Archishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska gave a homily to the faithful on the occasion of the glorification of St. Olga of Alaska.
The full text of the homily is published below. It can be watched here.
Atrakun Aatam, cali Qetunraam, cali Tanqiliriim Anernerem. Amin. С'праздником!
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ: Today, the Holy Orthodox Church in Alaska joins the choirs of heaven, glorifying our beloved Matushka. Yes, today, heaven rejoices – today, the earth listens. The land does not shout – but it listens. With a stillness deeper than words, it listens. The tundra listens, the rivers pause, even the summer sky grows still. What moves the earth to listen? A Saint has appeared. Tanqiutengellruukut. Tanquilria Arsamquq! Not from a distant land. Not from a forgotten time. But from right here and right now in Kwethluk. From the heart of our land, from the soul of our people, Saint Olga stands revealed.
The world praises loud greatness, but heaven treasures quiet holiness. Saint Olga claimed no titles, sought no fame – yet her compassion became her crown, her humble prayer her strength. And now the Church proclaims what many already knew in their hearts: Arrsamquq from Kwethluk was a Saint, our Saint Olga, Tanquilriaput Arsamquq. She lived quietly, but her life still speaks. And what does it say? It says: Holiness is possible. God is near – even in sorrow, even in silence. You, too, can become light in this world. Her life was not separate from ours. She bore children, sewed their clothes, cooked for them, prayed for them, hurt with them, hoped for them. But she lived with a different heart – a heart that listened. A heart that gave. A heart that never gave up, a heart full of Christ. And this is what made her holy. Not visions. Not miracles. But mercy. Patience. Prayer. And then the miracles came. And then the visions of mercy came. They came to others, because of that patient, loving heart. She was the one who stayed up late sewing her children’s winter clothes when no one saw, the one who wiped tears with the edge of her sleeve, the one who said “It’s okay” even when her heart was breaking. She made others feel safe – not because she had no pain, but because she held onto Christ in her pain. And through her, others felt His strength as well.
She did not know the Scriptures as a scholar – but she knew them deeply in her heart. She listened – in Church, in prayer and humility. And by listening and by doing, she became a living Gospel. The hymns of the Church shaped her thoughts. The feast days taught her to rejoice. The fasts taught her to struggle. The icons taught her reverence. The Jesus Prayer became her breath. She drank from the same well offered to each of us – the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Mysteries, and the life of the Church. She drank deeply, humbly, faithfully, making her home an altar, her prayer a quiet flame before the holy icons.
Beloved in Christ, this is where we must begin if we want to follow her. We need not change everything all at once. But we must begin – today. We must say our prayers. We must fast – not only from food but also from anger, from judgment, and from laziness. We must make our homes a little more like hers: places of warmth, prayer, and quiet mercy. Saint Olga fulfilled the word of Saint Innokenty, who said: “To deny oneself means to give up one’s bad habits; to root out of the heart all that ties us to the world.” What habits tie you down? What complaints have become normal in your heart? Today, right now for her sake, lay them down. Your anger – let it go. Your bitterness – release it. Whisper softly: “Uaspataq naklikikut,” and feel Christ near.
Saint Olga lived the words of Saint Herman: “From this day, from this hour, from this minute, let us love God above all and do His holy will.” Not tomorrow – tomorrow is too late. Not when life becomes easy – it rarely does. Today is all we have – live Christ now as Saint Olga did every day. In pain, she loved. In need, she gave. In silence, she prayed. In hiddenness, she remained faithful. This is the path forward – not tomorrow, but today. Not sometime, but now. Let us say “yes” to the path she walked. And let’s say it as she would say it, ii-i – to the Holy Liturgy. Ii-i to prayer from the heart. Ii-i to quiet acts of mercy. Ii-i to the struggle to repent. Ii-i to the Orthodox life of humility, forgiveness, and active love – just as she did. From this day. From this hour. From this very minute.
Saint Olga was fully Russian Orthodox and fully Yup’ik. She prayed with her people’s breath, walked with their steps, wept with their pain. She deeply respected the elders, listening humbly, becoming an elder herself in quiet faith and gentle strength. Olga embodied the Yup’ik truth that a real person is one who stands firm even in silence, whose quiet actions speak louder than words. In her, nothing was lost. Everything was offered. And in Christ, everything was made holy. In her, Orthodox Christianity did not silence Yup’ik traditions – it sang through them, transfigured and holy. She lived the Church’s life with a Yup’ik soul: praying with the rhythm of the seasons, showing mercy with the strength of the tundra, clothing the suffering with the tenderness of a mother. This is the legacy she offers us: not that we must leave behind who we are, but that who we are can be made holy. The Orthodox faith, when lived deeply, does not ask us to become someone else – it calls us to become who we truly are in Christ.
Tanquilria Arrsamquq knew sorrow. She buried children. She witnessed suffering she could not mend. She waited for help that never came. But through it all, she did not grow bitter. She became a flame that gave warmth to others, even as her own soul bore the chill of sorrow. She shows us that the Orthodox path is not only for priests, not only for bishops, but also for mothers, for grandmothers, for hunters, for fishermen, for you and for me. Her life tells us: you do not need to be famous to be holy. You need to be faithful. You need to be kind. You need to pray – and keep praying – even when your heart is tired.
Saint Olga’s fire was not bright and blazing as the world loves to see. It was quiet, hidden. But it never went out. It warmed those who were cold. It soothed those who were hurting. And now that light has become a beacon for all of Alaska – and beyond. Today, she stands before the throne of Christ, her hands lifted in prayer – not for herself, but for her people. For mothers and children. For those burdened by hidden pain. For all who feel forgotten. She remembers us. And she calls us to remember her – not only with words, but with deeds. If she could speak to us now, she would not use many words. Maybe she’d whisper gently: “Mothers, hold your children tighter. Fathers, guard your families with more courage. Elders, speak truth more clearly; remind your people more often what is right. Young ones, listen more carefully: avoid what brings ruin – alcohol will deceive you, faithlessness will empty you, carelessness can endanger you. Trust Christ, and you will find true peace.” And with that holy whisper, we would feel warm and safe, like a child in its mother’s arms.
Faithful from the Kuskokwim and Yukon, pilgrims from far off lands, I have one final word: Do not let today fade like a sunset behind the river. Let it burn within you, quietly, like a lamp that never goes out. Let it be the beginning of something truly miraculous in your lives, because you were here – when the Church declared what heaven already knew: that Matushka Olga is among the saints. Go home and pray as she prayed. Hold your child like she held hers. Forgive as she forgave. Whisper “Lord have mercy” continually, softly, deep within your heart. Let your life shine like the vigil lamp – steady in faith, humble in love, unwavering in prayer. Let Saint Olga’s glorification ignite a quiet revolution within you – transforming your heart, renewing your family, and sanctifying your home. Let us pray to her: O Saint Olga, our gentle mother, healer of sorrow, protectress of the land, joy of the humble of heart – remember thy children. Stand before Christ, unashamed, and plead for us. And may thy hidden flame now burn brightly in us, a light on our path, a warmth in our sorrow, a quiet strength in our weakness, leading us to Christ, thy joy and ours. Dear mother… we are still learning, still trying. We fall – yet we rise. We forget – yet we belong to Christ. We are weak – yet through thy prayers, strength is given. Teach us to love like thee – with quiet mercy. Teach us to live as thou didst live – with faithfulness in all things. Teach us to pray like thee – not loudly, but from the heart. Help us to walk like thee – with courage in sorrow and hope in Christ. For with thy prayers, all things are possible. And so with grateful hearts we cry, “Through the prayers of our newly-glorified mother, Saint Olga, Matushka of all Alaska, may Christ our God have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.” Amen.
