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→Orthodoxy
==Orthodoxy==
While studying under Alan Watts at the American Academy of Asian Studies after graduating from Pomona College in 1956, Eugene discovered the writings of René Guenon. Through Guenon's writings, Eugene was inspired to seek out an authentic, grounded spiritual faith tradition. In the summer of 1955, between his junior and senior years at college, Eugene met Finnish-born Jon Gregerson, through whom he came into initial contact with the Orthodox faith. Eugene came out as [[homosexuality|homosexual]] to a close friend from college after his mother discovered letters penned between her son and Walter Pomeroy, a friend from high school. Gregerson, a practicing Russian Orthodox Christian at the time, introduced Eugene to Orthodoxy. Just as Gregerson was choosing to abandon his Orthodoxy, Eugene was inspired to learn more about the faith. Eugene later shed his identity as a gay man as he slowly accepted Orthodoxy, eventually ending his lengthy relationship with Gregerson.[http://www.pomona.edu/Magazine/PCMSP01/saint.shtml] This culminated in Eugene's decision to enter the Church, being received into the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia through [[chrismation]] in 1962.
Eugene and another Orthodox Christian, [[Herman (Podmoshensky)|Gleb Podmoshensky]], later formed a community of Orthodox [[booksellers]] and [[Magazines and Publications|publishers]] called the [[St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood|St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood]], with the blessing of St. [[John Maximovitch]], Archbishop of San Francisco in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The community eventually decided to flee urban modernity into the wilderness of northern California to become [[monasticism|monks]] in 1966. At his [[tonsure]] in 1970, Eugene took the name "Seraphim" after St. Seraphim of Sarov.
