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Rev. '''Ambrose Vretta''' (also '''Amvrosy''' or '''Ambrosius Wretta''') was a [[priest]] in the Russian Mission in America in the 1890s. He was the first pastor of St. Nicholas Church (later St. Vladimir's Church and now [[Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral (Chicago, Illinois)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]]) in Chicago, Illinois, and of [[St. Spiridon Cathedral (Seattle, Washington)|St. Spiridon Church in Seattle, Washington]].

In November 1895 Fr. Vretta was transferred to Seattle, where he oversaw the founding of St. Spiridon Church and became that parish's first resident priest. He According to the book <i>A History of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Chicago 1892-1992</i>, this transfer (Ukase 3218, July 10, 1895) came about because Fr. Vretta had a drinking problem, and he and the choir director partook too often. The choir director was fired outright. Fr. [[John Kochurov|John Kochuroff]] also reported that when he arrived in Chicago, the priest's residence was in disrepair and that church records (outside of Fr. Vretta's journals) were almost non-existant. The transfer to Seattle would be a chance for Fr. Vretta to start anew. At St. Spiridon Church, Fr. Vretta succeeded Fr. [[Sebastian Dabovich]], who had been conducting services in Seattle on Saturdays before Fr. Vretta's arrival. In 1896, Fr. Vretta visited Montana, where he celebrated the first Orthodox services in that state.

*''A History of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Chicago'', 1892-1992 (ISBN 0963274309) [[Category: Priests|Vretta]][[Category: Missionaries|Vretta]]