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His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop '''Joasaph (Bolotov) of Kodiak''' came to Alaska as the leader of a group of [[Missionary|missionaries]] from the [[Valaam]] [[Monastery]] in 1794. Under very primitive conditions he and his [[monastic]] companions established the foundations of an Orthodox presence in North America. Called to Irkutsk , he was consecrated the auxiliary Bishop of Kodiak, but did not survive a ship wreck shipwreck on his return to Alaska.

Ivan Ilyich Bolotov was born Subsequently, he moved to a monastery in Uglich and then on to the Valaam. The dates of his [[January 22ordination]], 1761 in the village of Strazhkov in the Kashin district of the province of Tver. His father was the local as a [[priestdeacon]] in the villageand as a priest are not known. His early education He was at raised to the rank of [[ecclesiasticalarchimandrite]] school at the monastery in Kashin1783. His education continued at When the seminaries in Tver and Yaroslavlcall for assembling a missionary team to travel to remote Alaska was made, graduating with honorsFr. After graduating he taught at Joasaph was selected to lead the Uglich ecclesiastical school for the next team based upon his accomplishments as a monastic. The team of ten consisted of Fr. Joasaph as leader, four years. Deciding to enter [[hieromonk]]s, a monastic life he joined the Tolga Monastery where he received his [[tonsurehierodeacon]], two [[monk]] in 1786 s, and was given the name of Joasaphtwo servitors.([[#Sources|Chevigny]] 65)

SubsequentlyThe journey to Alaska took them ten months, he moved to nearly a monastery year, before arriving in Uglich and then Kodiak, Alaska, on to the Valaam. The dates of his ordination as a [[deaconSeptember 24]] and , 1794. There, they found conditions not as a priest are not known. He was raised represented to them by Grigorii Ivanovich Shelikhov, the rank promoter of [[archimandrite]] in 1783the Alaskan enterprise. When The village on Kodiak was more primitive than described and the call for assembling a missionary team to travel to remote Alaska church that was promised was made, not there. The monastics found many abuses between the Russians and the natives in the village about which Fr. Joasaph was selected compelled to report to lead the team based upon his accomplishments as a monasticstate and church authorities in Russia. The team of ten consisted of Thus, an antagonistic environment grew between Aleksandr Baranov, the village leader, and Fr. Joasaph as leader, four hieromonks, a hierodeacon, two monks, and two servitorshis missionaries. (p 65)

The journey to Alaska took them ten monthsNotwithstanding the adverse conditions, nearly a year, before arriving in Kodiak, Alaska on [[September 24]], 1794Fr. There, they found conditions not as represented to them by Grigorii Ivanovich Shelikhov, the promoter Joasaph and his party of monks were very successful in evangelizing the Alaskan enterprise. The village on Kodiak was more primitive than described natives and the church that was promised was not there. The monastics found many abuses between the Russians expanded their preaching and efforts to the natives in the village about which Frmainland. Joasaph was compelled to report Yet, reaching out to the state and church authorities in Russianatives involved dangers. Thus, an antagonistic environment grew between Aleksandr Baranov, Witness the village leader, and [[martyr]]dom of Fr. Joasaph and his missionaries[[Juvenaly of Alaska|Juvenaly]] in 1796.

Notwithstanding In reviewing the adverse conditions situation of the mission, in 1796, the Holy Synod created an auxiliary see in Alaska and elected Fr. Joasaph as Bishop of Kodiak. It was 1798 before news and instructions for his party elevation reached him. For his elevation to bishop, Fr. Joasaph needed to return to Irkutsk, where he was consecrated on [[April 10]], 1799. Bp. Joasaph's consecration was unusual in that, due to the isolation of monks were very successful in evangelizing Irkutsk from the natives and expanded their preaching and efforts to Holy Synod, the mainland. YetHoly Synod provided instructions for Benjamin, Bishop of Irkutsk, reaching out to perform the natives involved dangersconsecration of Fr. Witness Joasaph alone. Thus was recorded the martyrdom only known situation in the history of Fr. the [[Juvenaly Church of Alaska|JuvenalyRussia]] in 1796where an episcopal consecration was conducted by a single bishop.

In reviewing the situation of the mission, in 1796, the Holy Synod created an auxiliary see in Alaska and elected Fr. Joasaph as Bishop of Kodiak. It was 1798 before news and instructions for his elevation reached him. For his elevation to bishop Fr. Joasaph needed to return to Irkutsk, where he was consecrated on [[April 10]], 1799. Bp. Joasaph’s consecration was unusual in that due to the isolation of Irkutsk from the Holy Synod, the Holy Synod provided instructions for Benjamin, Bishop of Irkutsk, to perform the consecration of Fr. Joasaph alone. Thus, was recorded the only known situation in the history of the [[Church of Russia]] where an episcopal consecration was conducted by a single bishop. But, Bp. Joasaph was not to reach his new see as the perils of travel in the northern seas would result in his death. Bp. Joasaph and his companions, Hieromonk Makary and Hierodeacon Stephan, perished as their ship ‘‘Phoenix’’ ''Phoenix'' met with a serious storm and sank near the Alaskan coast during [[May 21 ]] to [[May 24 |24]], 1799. The ship was also carrying an important cargo of both people and supplies for the Kodiak colony. Thus, its loss seriously set back both the Orthodox mission in Alaska and the colony. The Holy Synod took no action to replace Bp. Joasaph and in 1811 officially closed the Kodiak episcopal see. It would be some thirty years before another hierarch would be named to Alaska.

* ''Orthodox America 1794-1976 Development of the Orthodox Church in America'', C. J. Tarasar, Gen. Ed. 1975, The Orthodox Church in America, Syosett, New York* Hector Chevigny, ''Russian America - The Great Alaskan Venture, 1741 -1867'', . New York, : Viking Press, 1965.

[[Category: Bishops]][[Category:18th-century bishops]][[Category:Bishops of Kodiak]][[Category: Missionaries]]