Righteous Matushka Olga – the first canonized saint of America

According to the resolution of the Synod of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), June 19-20 was chosen for the church canonization of the righteous mother Olga of Kwethluk (1916-79) – the first officially glorified Orthodox holy woman of the North American continent. A native of Kwethluk, a village in southwestern Alaska, Olga Michael (Tanqilria Arrsamquq) was born into a Yup’ik family and was the wife of Priest Nicholas, who served at the local Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. As the mother of 13 children, five of whom died at a young age, Olga served as a midwife in her home village in the cold tundra and provided assistance to women who had experienced miscarriages, violence, etc.

According to contemporaries, matushka was distinguished by her piety, generosity, kindness, and compassion, and served not only her loved ones but all the villagers. Her children and grandchildren recall that they never witnessed their mother/grandmother punishing or yelling at them – just one stern look from her was enough to stop their mischief. Her fellow villagers affectionately called her “Olinka” and compared her to the biblical righteous Tabitha, who sewed clothes for all those in need, brought her kindness to people and preached true Christianity through her meek demeanor and quiet disposition.

**The newly renovated St. Nicholas Church in Kwethluk, where the relics of Saint Olga now rest. [Photo: oca.org]**

Having meekly endured cancer, of which Mother Olga learned a year before her passing, she reposed in the Lord in peace with everyone and surrounded by her family. Eyewitnesses recall that, although it was already deep winter, the earth was suddenly enveloped in a warmth unusual for that time of year. The river ice melted, allowing residents of other villages to arrive by boat for the funeral service – an unheard-of occurrence for November. Birds, long since expected to fly south, appeared in the sky, circling above the funeral procession. Those present felt as if all of creation had come to escort this humble and gentle soul to the better world.

Decades passed, but the memory of the deceased did not fade; on the contrary, her presence became ever more deeply felt. The residents of Kwethluk and many others began to experience the prayers and miracles of this righteous woman. Stories of dreams, visions, and healings began to emerge – and continue to this day – testifying to her undeniable holiness. On November 8, 2023, in response to a petition from Archbishop Alexei (Trader) of Alaska, the canonization commission of the OCA Synod decided to canonize Matushka Olga.

**The finding and transfer of the relics of St. Olga (Kwethluk, November 15, 2024). [Photo: oca.org]**

On November 16, 2024, in the presence of Archbishop Alexei and pilgrims from various regions of Alaska and America, the coffin of Matushka, buried in the church cemetery, was dug from the frozen ground by the hands of priests, lifted, carried into the church, and opened. Although the body of God’s servant was not found completely incorrupt, the doctor present noted that the mere absence of any odor of decomposition was a miracle. According to the testimony of those praying hereby, the presence of grace on the relics was undeniable. The headdress Olga wore during prayer remained untouched after 45 years in the damp earth.

The aforementioned glorification ceremonies took place in Kwethluk, a town of just about 800 residents, accessible to the outside world only by river or air. At the generous request of local residents and for missionary purposes, it was here, in the small St. Nicholas Church in St. Olga’s birthplace, that the Synod decided to leave the shrine containing her relics. The solemn hierarchical services were led by Metropolitan Tikhon, First Hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America, co-served by Archbishop Alexei of Alaska and six bishops, including Bishop James of Sonora, a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). The village church accommodated approximately 150 people, while the rest of the pilgrims, who had come from all over America, prayed outside, accompanied by a choir singing in Church Slavonic, English, and Yup’ik, praising God and His new saint.

On June 21-22, the glorification celebrations continued at the St. Innocent Cathedral of the Alaska Diocese in Anchorage, in front of the reliquary containing a part of St. Olga’s relics. Around a thousand believers participated, as did Bishop Matfei of Sourozh, a representative of the Moscow Patriarchate. On July 17, the saint’s veneration was repeated at the All-American Council of the OCA in Phoenix, Arizona, during the hierarchical Liturgy, presided over by Metropolitan Tikhon, with 14 bishops serving alongside him. Unveiled there was the new icon of the Synaxis of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the America, including the newly glorified Mother Olga. (Let us remind the reader that St. Olga is the nineteenth of the officially glorified Orthodox saints of America, as well as the sixth of those who shone forth in Alaska.)

**The canonization celebrations and veneration of the reliquary with the relics of St. Olga (Kwethluk, June 20, 2025). [Photo: oca.org]**

In her troparion (the main church hymn), the saint is addressed as “a refuge for the suffering, a consolation for the grieving, an intercessor for wives, and a defender of the chaste.” Several versions of the saint’s icon were painted for her glorification, one of which depicts Matushka holding a scroll with the words: “God can create great beauty from complete desolation.” The saint spoke these words in her posthumous apparition to a woman, a rape victim who was on the brink of despair.

In addition to Orthodox news and portals, the story about Saint Olga’s glorification was also featured in the civil press such as: the Anchorage Daily News (June 21, 2025), Associated Press News (June 26, 2025), and the Los Angeles Times (June 28, 2025).

The commemoration of the newly glorified saint is established annually on October 27 (November 9, old calendar).

Holy righteous Olga, pray to God for us!

The most complete icon to date of the Synaxis of All Saints of North America, painted by Belarussian iconographer Anton Daineko. July 2025. [Photo: oca.org]

FROM THE EDITORS:

The Service to St. Olga in the English language is available on the Metropolitan’s official website (www.oca.org), alongside her Life (Hagiography) which includes a list of the saint’s miraculous occurrences and assistance.

Here, you can also watch the documentary film, “Recollections of Saintly Matushka Olga,” directed by an Orthodox filmmaker from Russia.

Various video materials and reports can be found on the Diocese of Alaska’s YouTube page (@OrthodoxDioceseofSitkandAlaska). Donations for the new church in Kwethluk can be made via the diocesan webpage (www.odosa.org).

FROM THE EDITORS:

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