Jacob Netsvetov

Netsvetov was born Jacob Netsvetov in 1802, on Atka Island, part of the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska. He was the eldest child of four children that survived infancy, born to Yegor Vasil'evich Netsvetov from Tobolsk, Russia, and Maria Alekscevna, an Aleut from Atka Island. His father was a manager for the Russian-American Company.[2] His surviving siblings were, in order of age, Osip (Joseph), Elena, and Antony.

Netsvetov enrolled in the Irkutsk Theological Seminary[3] at an early age. Osip and Antony were enrolled in the St. Petersburg Naval Academy and became a naval officer and a ship builder respectively. His sister Elena married a clerk from the Russian-American Company.

On October 1, 1825, Netsvetov was tonsured a sub-deacon. He married Anna Simeonovna, a Russian woman who may have been, like he was, of a Creole background, and in 1826 he graduated from the seminary with certificates in history and theology. Upon his graduation, he was ordained a deacon on October 31, 1826, and assigned to the Holy Trinity-St. Peter Church in Irkutsk. Archbishop Michael ordained Netsvetov to the priesthood on March 4, 1828, making Netsvetov the first native Alaskan to be ordained to the priesthood.[4] At this time he made plans to return to his native Alaska to preach the Word of God.[3]

Upon departing, Archbishop Michael gave Netsvetov two antimensia, one for use in the new church that Netsvetov planned to build on Atka, and the other for use in Netsvetov's missionary travels. After a molieben, Netsvetov and his party set off for Alaska on May 1, 1828; the travellers included Netsvetov, his wife Anna, and his father Yegor who had been tonsured as a reader for the new Atka Church.[3] This journey took over a year to complete, and they arrived in Atka on June 15, 1829.

Netsvetov’s new Atka Parish covered most of the islands and land surrounding the Bering Sea, including Amchitka, Attu, Copper, Bering, and Kuril Islands.[4] Netsvetov was both bilingual and bicultural, which helped him establish himself in a diverse community.[2]

While the St. Nicolas Church was under construction, Netsvetov used a large tent to hold services.[4] He continued to use the tent after the church was completed, in order to preach in remote locations.[2] By the end of 1829, six months after arriving at Akta, Netsvetov had recorded 16 baptisms, 442 chrismations, 53 marriages, and eight funerals.[5]

With the completion of the church on Atka, Netsvetov turned to educating children, teaching them to read and write both Russian and Unangan Aleut. Initially the Russian-American Company helped support the school, but in 1841 the school was re-organized as a parish school. Many of his students would later become Aleut leaders. Netsvetov also helped in collecting and preparing fish and marine animal specimens for museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He corresponded with St Innocent on linguistics and translation matters. He worked on an Unangan-Aleut alphabet, translations of the Holy Scriptures,[6] and other church publications. In addition to praise from St. Innocent he began to receive awards for his services. In time he was elevated to Archpriest and received the Order of St. Anna.

Netsvetov’s wife Anna died in March 1836, and his home was destroyed in a fire in July of the same year. His father, Yegor, died the following year. After these events he petitioned his bishop in order to return to Irkutsk and enter a monastic life, a request that was approved a year later contingent on the arrival of his replacement. However, the church did not provide a replacement.[6]

On December 30, 1844, St. Innocent appointed him head of the new Kvikhpak Mission along the Yukon River.[6] With his nephew Vasili Netsvetov and two young Creole assistants named Innokentii Shayashnikov and Konstantin Lukin. Netsvetov established his headquarters in the Yup'ik village of Ikogmiute. From there, he travelled hundreds of miles along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers, visiting the inhabitants of settlements along the way. For the next twenty years he learned new languages, met new people and cultures, invented another alphabet, and built more churches and communities. At the invitation of the native leaders, he travelled as far as the Innoko River, baptizing hundreds from many formerly hostile tribes.[7]

An assistant lodged charges against him in 1863.[8] To settle the case, his Bishop Peter called him to Sitka where he was cleared of all the charges. As his health worsened, he remained in Sitka serving at the Tlingit chapel until his death on July 26, 1864, at the age of 60. He was buried at the entrance to the chapel.[9]

During his last missionary travels in the Kuskokwim/Yukon delta region he is remembered for baptizing 1,320 people and for distinguishing himself as the evangelist of the Yup'ik and Athabascan peoples.[10]

• Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow
• Herman of Alaska
• Alexis Toth
• Anatole Kamensky
• Seraphim of Uglich
• Bogoljub Gakovich
• Teofan Beatovich
• Varnava Nastić
• Justin Popovich
• Peter the Aleut
• List of American Eastern Orthodox saints

• Holy Synod of Bishops OCA, The Life of Saint Jacob Netsvetov, Oyster Bay Cove, New York, March 1994.

• The Life of Saint Jacob Netsvetov
• Alaskan Orthodox texts (Aleut, Yup'ik) by St. Jacob Netsvetov

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