Orthodox Church in America Diocese of Alaska

The Diocese of Alaska (Russian: Епархия Аляски, romanized: Yeparkhiya Alyaski) is a diocese of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).^[1][2] Its territory includes parishes, monasteries, and missions located in Alaska. The diocesan chancery is located in Anchorage. The Diocese was founded when Alaska was part of Russia and is one of the oldest in the United States. The Church of the Holy Ascension (1826), which belongs to the Diocese, is one of the oldest American churches.

Diocese of Sitka and Alaska
Bishopric
Orthodox
St. Michael's Cathedral in Sitka, Alaska
Location
Country	United States of America
Territory	Alaska
Statistics
Population Total	30,000
Parishes	89
Current leadership
Patriarch	Tikhon (Mollard)
Metropolitan	Alexei (Trader)
Map
The states in which the Diocese of Alaska has jurisdiction.
Website
https://odosa.org/

Altogether, twenty-three churches are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; thirty churches are considered National Historic Landmarks.^[3] As of 2013, the Diocese includes 89 parishes,^[1] which represents the highest concentration of Orthodox Church in America parishes among the states.^[4] According to the Los Angeles Times, the diocese had around 30,000 members statewide as of 2006.^[5]

Deaneries

The diocese is grouped geographically into deaneries. Each deanery is headed by a parish priest, known as a dean. The deans coordinate activities in their area's parishes, and report to the diocesan bishop. As of 2015, the deaneries of the Diocese of Alaska are:^[6][7]

• Alaska Peninsula Deanery
• Aleutian Deanery
• Anchorage Deanery
• Bethel and Kuskokwim Deanery
• Bristol Bay Deanery
• Iliamna Deanery
• Kenai and Prince William Sound Deanery
• Kodiak Deanery
• Russian Mission and Yukon Deanery
• Sitka and Southeast Deanery

Bishops

Bishop David in conversation with an Aleut military veteran, Unalaska, June 2017.

Alaska Vicariate of the North American Diocese

• Innocent (Pustynsky) (14 December 1903 — 1 May 1909)
• Alexander (Nemolovsky) (15 November 1909 — 6 July 1916)
• Philip (Stavitsky) (6 August 1916 — April 1919)
• Anthony (Dashkevich) (11 December 1921 — 7 February 1924)
• Amphilochius (Vakulsky) (28 July 1924 — September 1930)
• Antonin (Vasilyev) (11 October 1930 — 1934)

Diocese of Alaska

• Alexis (Panteleev) (November 1934 - 1944)
• John (Zlobin) (10 March 1946 - ca. 1952)
• Ambrose (Merezhko) (11 September 1955 - 1967)
• Theodosius (Lazor) (6 May 1967 - 30 May 1972)
• Gregory (Afonsky) (13 May 1973 - 20 July 1995)
  • Herman (Swaiko) (1995 - ca. Consecration. 2001) locum tenens
• Nicholas (Soraich) (4 March 2002 - 13 May 2008)
  • Herman (Swaiko) (13 May 2008 - 4 September 2008) locum tenens
  • Benjamin (Peterson) (4 September 2008 - 21 February 2014) locum tenens
• David (Mahaffey) (21 February 2014 - 27 November 2020)
  • Alexis (Trader) (3 November 2020 - 27 March 2022) Diocesan administrator
• Alexis (Trader) (27 March 2022 - present)

See also

• List of Orthodox parishes in Alaska