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The first liturgical Christian service held in Hawaii was a [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] [[Pascha]]l service. Somewhere Sometime between 1792 and 1750 - 1793*, while traveling from the Far East to what was then Russian America, a Russian trading ship stopped over in the Hawaiian Islands. The Russian Orthodox [[priest]], not wanting to celebrate Holy [[Pascha]] (Easter) at sea, instructed the captain to disembark. The captain then told the priest that he feared the "natives" but was then told, "They will not harm us, for we are Orthodox, and we bear the Light of Christ to illumine their hearts." They disembarked and blessed a temporary [[altar]] under a newly built temple made out of palms and bamboo and adorned with a Znammeny icon of the Mother of God and the Christ Child. It was rumored that as they departed the Orthodox priest left the icon used in the Paschal Liturgy. The ship's priest promised that, "We shall return and baptize these natives to the [[One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church|One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church]]."  The first Protestant service was a lay funeral service conducted by Capt. James Cook for an English sailor at Napo‘opo‘o (Kealakekua) on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1779. <i>*Exact dates differ from 1750, 1792, and 1793</i>

[[Image:Fortelizabeth.jpg|rightleft|frame|Russian Fort Elizabeth as it was in 1815 on the Island of Kauai]]In 1815, Russians built Hawaii's first [[Orthodox Church]]church; the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] chapel at [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Fort_Elizabeth Russian Fort Elizabeth|Fort Elizabeth]]. On the Island of Kaua'i, three Russian forts were built: Fort Alexander, Fort Barclay, and Fort Elizabeth. Fort Alexander also housed a small Orthodox chapel, but Fort Elizabeth was the trading base for the new Russian-American Company in Hawaii. When King Kaumuali'i of Kaua'i ceded his kingdom to King Kamehameha the Great in 1816 following the tsar's refusal to annex Kaua'i due to political troubles in Russia, the forts were also ceded, and the Hawaiian Islands become one unified kingdom. The chapels ultimately fell into disrepair after Calvinist missionaries from the United States landed in 1820 after the death of King Kamehameha I.

In 1882, the Hawaiian Kingdom sent a diplomatic delegation to St. Petersburg, Russia, to witness the coronation of Tsar Alexander III. The reports of the Hawaiian Hawaii's special envoy to the Russian court, Colonel Curtis I'Iaukeaaukea, about Secretary of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Hawaii, regarding the Russian Orthodox [[liturgy|liturgical]] services were widely published in Hawaiian-language newspapers. Two years later, Tsar Alexander III sent King Kalakaua the Imperial Order of St. [[Alexander Nevsky|Alexander of Nevsky]], the highest Russian award, and established a permanent Russian embassy in Hawaii, along with a very small Orthodox chapel. Subsequently, 200 Ukrainians were imported by American sugar planters.

In 1893, Queen Lili'uokalani was deposed by U.S. Marines and American sugar plantation owners, who were mostly the children of American Calvinist missionaries, and a provisional government under the protection of the United States was installed. In 1898, Hawaii was incorporated into the United States despite near universal opposition from native Hawaiians. In the early 1900s, the Russian ambassador to Hawaii was recalled, the embassy was moved to a small office, and the Russian Orthodox chapel was forever closed.

It is also worth noting, that Saint St. [[Innocent of Moscow]] also made a brief stop-over in Hawaii during his travels from Asia to Western America.

[[Image:korchinsky.gif|left|frame|A photo of Fr. Jakob Jacob Korchinsky from the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, January 23, 1916]] On [[November 27]], 1910 ([[Julian Calendar|O.S.]]), with the blessing Feast Day of the Znamenny-[[bishopKursk Root Icon]]s of Vladivostok and in Americathe Sign of the [[Theotokos|Mother of God]]), the first Russian Orthodox [[Reader|reader services ]] were held organized and served by Reader Vasily Pasderin. November 27 was In 1915, an official request by the Russian Orthodox community in Hawaii and isthe Episcopal Bishop of Hawaii, Henry B. Restarick to the Holy Synod in St. Petersburg; a priest was dispatched that same year to Hawaii (with the blessing of Archbishop [[Evdokim (Meschersky) of the "Feast Day Aleutians]]) to pastor the large population of Orthodox Russian faithful. He establishsed permanent liturgical services in Hawaii and on [[Christmas]] [[December 25]] (O.S.) / [[January 7]] (N.S.) 1916, Protopresbyter Jacob Korchinsky celebrated the Znamenny[[Divine Liturgy]] at Saint Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral in Honolulu. Thus Orthodoxy was re-established in Hawaii. [[Image:episcopal.jpg|right|thumb|100px|St. Andrew's Episcopal as it appears today in downtown Honolulu]]Fr. Jacob, a well-known [[Kursk Root Iconmissionary]] priest, established churches in Canada, the United States, Alaska, Australia and the Phillipines. He was murdered in [[Wikipedia:Odessa|Odessa]] on [[June 23]], 1941<ref>[http://www.rusvera.mrezha.ru/515/14.htm Газета "Вера" (Newspaper ''Faith'')] </ref>, but has not yet been officially recognized as a martyred saint. St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]] once quoted Fr. Jacob's missionary exploits this way, "He did much to convert the Sign of heathens to the Christian Faith and returned many [[Mother of GodUniate]]s to the Orthodox Church. He set the foundation for parish life in many places, built churches and assisted the unfortunate with his acquied medical knowledge." ''<br>(Report by Bishop (Saint) Tikhon Belavin to the Holy Synod. No. 155 Nov. 26, 1906)''

In 1915, at Following the petition departure of the Russian Orthodox community Fr. Jacob Korchincky to the [[Holy Synod]] of the [[Church Australia in March of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]]1916, a Russian Orthodox priest he was dispatched to Hawaii to pastor the large population of [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] faithful. On Orthodox Christmas (Dec.25/Jan. 7), Protopresbyter Jakob Korchinsky celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Saint Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral subsequently replaced by Archpriest John Dorosh in Honoluluthat same year, and he established permanent liturgical services. Thus Orthodoxy was re-established who remained in Hawaii. [[Image:episcopal.jpg|right|thumb|100px|St. Andrew's Episcopal as it appears today in downtown Honolulu]] Fr. Jakob, a well-known [[missionary]] priest, established churches in Canada, the United States, Alaska, and Australia. He was murdered until his departure in [[Odessa]] shortly after the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Orthodox_Church#Russian_revolution Bolshevik Revolution] in Russia. This martyred priest has not been officially recognized as a martyred saint....yet1920s.

In subsequent years, the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] Church in Hawaii shipped or flew temporary priests to Hawaii the Hawaiian Islands to care for the dwindling Orthodox population, becoming part of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (ROCOR). A permanent priest was not stationed in Hawaii until [[Archimandrite]] Innokenty Dronov of Hilo, a contemporary of St. [[Jonah of Manchuria]] and , St. [[John Maximovitch|John of Shanghai and San Francisco]] and Metropolitan [[Meletius (Zaborosky) of Harbin and Manchuria|Meletius of Harbin]], was dispatched and served the entire Orthodox Christian flock on all the Hawaiian Islands throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Fr. Innokenty Innokentiy had a large following of [[Church of Japan|Japanese Orthodox]] Christians. He frequently returned to the [http://www.wadiocese.com Diocese in San Francisco] to report to Archbishops [[Appolinary Apollinary (Koshevoy) of San Francisco|AppolinaryApollinary (Koshevoy)]] and [[Tikhon (Troitsky) of San Francisco|Tikhon of San Francisco(Troitsky)]] and for medical reasons. He is now purportedly buried on the Big Island of Hawaii.

== Hawaii, the "Melting Pot" of Orthodoxy Multiple jurisdictions ==Up until the 1960s, the Russian Orthodox Church was the only Orthodox jurisdiction in the Hawaiian Islands. Following the 1960s, parishes from three seperate separate Orthodox jurisdictions established themselves in the Islands; : [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek]], [[Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada|Serbian]], and [[OCA]]. At one point there were as many as five different Orthodox jurisdictions in the Hawaiian Islands. All Despite this multiplicity of jurisdictions, all Orthodox churches in Hawaii are in communion with one another, however, and have good friendly relations. (See also: [[Orthodoxy in America]], [[Diaspora]].) ===The Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR)===In the late 1960s, a group of Russian Orthodox Christians parted ways with the local Greek community and joined the Russian Orthodox Church in Hawaii under the Omophorion of Archbishop Anthony of Los Angeles; they formed the St. [[Mark of Ephesus]] Russian Orthodox Mission. In the early 1980s, this mission parish was later re-[[consecrate|consecrated]] under the heavenly protection of the [[Mother of God]] and is now known as the Holy [[Theotokos]] of [[Panagia Portaitissa|Iveron]] Russian Orthodox Church. In the late 1990s, the Council President of the Russian Orthodox community in Hawaii, Anatole Lyovin, was [[ordination|ordained]] to serve the Orthodox faithful in Hawaii. Currently this parish is without a permanent structure, hoping to build the first Russian Orthodox [[church]] in Honolulu. This church is also where the Miracleworking "Hawaiian" Iveron Icon of the Theotokos is brought on most Saturdays and Sundays for veneration, when not travelling to other churches. This community is under the spiritual care of Archbishop +[[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco]] ([[ROCOR]]). Four clergy are assigned to this parish; Priest Athanasius Kone, the Rector, Archpriest Anatole V. Lyovin, Deacon Michael Bressem, and Deacon Nectarios Yangson. In the mid to late 1990's, a separate Russian Orthodox mission community was established on the Big Island of Hawaii. It later became inactive.

====The Russian Greek Orthodox Church in Hawaii=(GOARCH)===In the late mid 1960s, a group of Russian Greek Orthodox faithful joined the Russian community established a Greek Orthodox Church of Hawaii and formed the St. [[Mark of Ephesus]] Russian Orthodox Mission Parish. In the early 1980's, this mission parish was later re-[[consecrate|consecrated]] under the heavenly protection auspices of the [[Mother Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of GodAmerica|Greek Archdiocese]] and is now . This community became known as the Holy [[Theotokos]] of [[Iveron]] Russian http://www.schgoc.hi.goarch.org/ Ss. Constantine Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church]. In the late 1990s, the The current pastor Dean of the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] communityCathedral is Fr. Alexander Leong, Father Anatole Lyovin who was [[ordination|ordained]] assigned to serve the Orthodox faithful parish in Honolulu in Hawaii2013. Currently there are plans to build The community is under the first omophorion of Metr. [[Church Gerasimos (Michaleas) of Russia|Russian OrthodoxSan Francisco]] ([[churchGOARCH]] in Honolulu). This community is well-known for its annual Greek Festival held at Ala Moana Beach Park near Waikiki.

Fr. Anatole also oversees In the Russian 1990s, a Greek Orthodox mission communities was established on Kauai and the Big Island of HawaiiMaui. It later became inactive, but there are efforts underway to revive it. The mission has been served by clergy from Ss. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Honolulu.

===The Russian Serbian Orthodox Church in Hawaii is under ===In the spiritual care of Archbishop early 1990s, a Serbian community established an Orthodox mission dedicated to St. [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff)Lazar of Serbia|+KYRILL Lazar of San FranciscoKosovo]]. The Serbian mission later became inactive, and its remaining members joined the current successor of local Russian and Greek churches. There has been a recent interest within the Serbian Orthodox community in Hawaii to re-establish this mission. In recent years, visiting clergy (including Bishop [[Tikhon Maxim (TroitskyVasilijevic) of San Francisco|Archbishop +TIKHON of San FranciscoWestern America]] ''of blessed memory) have come from the mainland to minister to them.'' Archbishop +TIKHON was Archbishop This mission is now active and under the spiritual direction of San Francisco when Fr. Innokenty Dronov oversaw the Russian Orthodox Church in Hawaii in the 1940sProtopresbyter Blasko Paraklis.

====The Greek Church in Hawaii====Also in the mid 1960s, a [[Greek]] community established a separate Greek Orthodox parish under the auspices of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of AmericaImage:Bishop Benjamin.jpg|thumb|Greek Archdiocese]]. This community became known as the Saints [[Constantine the Great145px|Constantine]] and [[Helen]] [[Church of Constantinopleright|Greek Orthodox ChurchBishop Benjamin visits the OCA Kona Mission in 2004]]. The current (and temporary) pastor of the Greek Orthodox community in Hawaii is Fr. Demetrius Dogias, he was assigned to the Greek church in Honolulu in 2007.

===The Antiochian Orthodox Church===In 2003, the 90's, on short-lived St. Paul the Island Apostle [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of Maui, a Greek North America|Antiochian Orthodox mission ]] Mission was established, in Honolulu at Fort Shafter Army Base. The rector of this mission is served by clergy of was Fr. Isaiah Gillette, a chaplain with the Greek Orthodox church in Honolulumilitary. Following Fr. Isaiah's transfer to Texas, the mission was disbanded.

====The Serbian Orthodox Church in Hawaii=America (OCA)===In the early 1990s2004, a Serbian new Orthodox community established an under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox mission dedicated to Saint Church in America ([[Lazar of Serbia|Lazar of KosovoOCA]]. The Serbian mission later became inactive) was established on the Big Island of Hawai`i, and its remaining members joined the local Russian and Greek Orthodox churchesin Kailua-Kona. There has been a recent interest within the Serbian In 2007 this was named [http://stjuvenaly.org St. Juvenaly Orthodox community in Hawaii to re-establish Mission]. The administrator of this missionparish is Fr. In recent monthsMatthew Tate, visiting clergy (including and it is under the Serbian Bishop +oversight of His Eminence, Archbishop [[Maxim Benjamin (VasilijevicPeterson) of Western America|MAXIMSan Francisco]]) have come from of the mainland to minister to them.[[Image:Bishop Benjamin.jpgDiocese of the West (OCA)|thumb|145px|right|Bishop Benjamin visits Diocese of the Kona MissionWest]].

====The Antiochian Church In 2013, this community purchased a building in Hawaii====In 2003[[w:Honomu|Honomu]], on the short-lived St. Paul the Apostle Antiochian Orthodox Mission was established in Honolulu at Fort Shafter Army Baseeast side of Hawaiʻi. The rector of this east-side mission was Fris known as [http://ascensionhilo. Isaiah Gillette, a chaplain with the military. Following Fr. Isaiah's transfer to Texas, this mission parish was disbandedorg Holy Ascension Orthodox Church].

====The OCA A Miracle in Hawaii==the Islands==In early 2004, a new Orthodox community under During the jurisdiction month of October in the [[OCA]] was established in Konayear 2007, Hawaii. Fr. Sergius Naumann served this community for a time until leaving for Alaska. They are currently overseen by Bishop +BENJAMIN, great miracle occurred in the State of Hawaii when the Diocese Miracleworking and Myrrh-streaming "Hawaiian" Iveron Icon of the West, and other clergy from Theotokos began streaming myrrh in the mainlandhome of an Orthodox Christian couple in Honolulu.

==Orthodox churches in Hawaii==*Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church of Hawaii - [http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org Official website]*Ss. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church - [httpImage://www.ssconhelhi.goarch.org Official Website]*StIveronIcon. Lazar Serbian Orthodox Mission Parish jpg|left|frame|The Wonderworking "Hawaiian" Myrrh- [http://www.westsrbdio.org/latest_news/visit_to_Hawaii.html News site] (No Official Website)*Maui Greek Orthodox Mission Parish - [http://www.mauigreekorthodoxmission.com Official Websitestreaming Iveron Icon]*OCA Mission in Kona - [http://www.oca.org/DIRlisting.asp?SID=9&KEY=OCA-WE-KONOCX Official website]

The Iveron Icon, a small mounted print, (a copy of the Montreal [[Panagia Portaitissa|Iveron]] Icon), originally purchased at the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral's small church kiosk in Toronto by Archpriest Anatole V. Lyovin, was given to the Reader Nectarios in Hawaii as a gift for the aforementioned name's day. This Icon was in the Reader's possession for eight years before it, along with a small hand-painted cross, began exuding a fragrant oil-like substance traditionally referred to as "myrrh" by the Orthodox Church. It was decided by Archbishop [[Kyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Kyrill]] of San Francisco that this Icon of the Mother of God was to be taken to the Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Cathedral in San Francisco where it underwent investigation and testing and was carefully examined by the Archbishop and a commission of priests to verify the Icon's miraculous attributes.  In June of 2008, the "Hawaiian" Iveron Icon of the Mother of God was declared by the Russian Orthodox Church to be a genuine and miraculous Icon, which was in fact exuding myrrh on a continuing basis. It was decided by Episcopal proclamation ([[Ukaz]]) that the Reader Nectarios, the Icon's original owner, be "Her" guardian and was to escort the Icon to the various churches and monasteries of Holy Orthodoxy, in effect, to provide for the veneration of all Orthodox Christian faithful. Since that time, the Miracle-working Icon has visited over 1000 churches and monasteries throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, and has been venerated by millions of faithful. The holy Icon has been a constant source of a growing number of miraculous occurrences, including the healing of cancer, blindness, demonic possession, and various types of physical and spiritual infirmities. People have felt a deep spiritual connection to this Icon, even spending hours on end simply standing before "Her", and watching the myrrh flow from the hands and stars on the image. As She travels, the Holy Icon has been lovingly called in Greek, "The Wandering Panaghia" since She does not have a [http://www.iveron.org memorial church shrine] to call Her own. When resources become available, plans are underway to build a proper chapel or church structure in Hawaii to house the Mother of God's Wonderworking Icon. It has also been affectionately referred to as the "Protectress of the Orthodox in Hawaii" by some of the Orthodox Christian faithful in Hawaii, since Orthodox Christians from all the Hawaii parishes have come to love and have grown very close to this miracle from God. May She forever protect the Christian faithful of Hawaii! ==See alsoParishes in Hawaii==*Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church (Honolulu) - [http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org Official website]*Ss. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Honolulu) - [http://www.ssconhelhi.goarch.org Official Website]*St. Juvenaly Orthodox Mission (Big Island) - [http://oca.org/DIRlisting.asp?SID=9&KEY=OCA-WE-KONOCX OCA listing], [http://stjuvenaly.org Mission website]* St. Lazar Serbian Orthodox Mission Parish (Oahu) - [http://www.westsrbdio.org/info/showarticle.php?article=church_hawaii Contact Information] (No resident clergy or regular services)*Maui Greek Orthodox Mission - [List http://www.mauigreekorthodoxmission.com Official Website] (currently regrouping under the leadership of parishes Ss. Constantine &amp; Helen) ==Orthodox Clergy Assigned in Hawaii ==*Priest Alexander Leong, Rector of Ss. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral.*Priest Athanasius Kone, Rector of the Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church.*Archpriest Anatole V. Lyovin, Retired Rector of the Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church.*Deacon Michael Bressem, Cleric of the Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church.*Deacon Nectarios Yangson, Ikonophoros (USAIcon Guardian)|, Cleric of the Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Parishes in Hawaii]]Church. ==References==<references/>