841
edits
Changes
m
* Metropolitan Archbishop Athenagoras Aneste (Latin America; still living)
no edit summary
*"To be united with the Lord Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit is the greatest blessing of the Heavenly Kingdom and the sole abiding ground of our missionary activity in the world. The same Lord who challenged Joshua about the un-possessed land, is the One who still today commands His laborers to cross all frontiers and to enter into the most unknown territories in His Name, and assures them 'Surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age' (Matthew 28:20)."
Metropolitan [[Kallistos Ware]] has spoken about the evangelistic implications of the [[Divine Liturgy]]: "The celebrant says just a little before the blessing [at the end]: 'Let us go forth in peace.' ... Peace means: Go out into the world and impart to those around you the Eucharistic life and hope which you have yourselves been filled with. You have received the Holy Gifts. Gifts are meant to be shared with others. Christ has given Himself to you; now you are called to give yourselves to your neighbors... Peace here means: Translate the Eucharistic mystery into practical [[social action]], into kenotic service. Render to all who are broken and lonely, to all who are suffering and in need... Peace makes us into [[apostles]] and missionaries, healers of the sick and [[servants of the poor]]. Peace means that thanksgiving has to become [[evangelism]]; doxology has now to become [[diakonia]]."
==History of Orthodox Christian Missions==
Large parts of Asia were also [[evangelize]]d very early on, including Georgia (Saint [[Nino of Cappadocia]]), Armenia (Saints [[Gregory the Enlightener]], [[Mesrob Mashtots]], and Isaac the Armenian), Syria and the Middle East, Persia, and even India ([[Apostle Thomas]] [[evangelize]]d the Hindus; and later Saint [[Pantanaeus of Alexandria]]).
In Europe, the situation became dire for converts as early as the 2nd century. The Romans began major campaigns of persecution against Christians in France in the 2nd century and in Spain in the 3rd century. Britain’s first martyr, Saint [[Alban]], died in 303. However, with the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Empire in 380, Christian [[evangelists]] were given free reign to spread the faith. The Byzantines were very active in evangelizing the pagan peoples in their vicinity. As Bishop of Constantinople, Saint [[John Chrysostom]] sent missionaries to the Slavs, the Goths, the Phoenicians, the Scythians, and the Persians.
The close of this period of church history is marked by the apostolic labors of Saint [[Patrick of Ireland]] (390 - 461), who led the entire nation of Ireland to faith in Christ and established the extraordinary missionary tradition of the Irish Church.
A remarkable revival in missions took place in the 19th century, corresponding to widespread spiritual renewal in the Church (due in large part to the translation of the Philokalia into Slavonic by St [[Paisius Velichkovsky]]). At the Kazan Academy, established in 1842, numerous translation projects were undertaken and native clergy received training (Ilminsky). In 1793, a small group of monks from Valaam monastery was sent to [[evangelize]] Alaska, a Russian territory since 1867. The most famous members of this small group were Saint [[Herman of Alaska]] and Saint [[Juvenal of Alaska]]. Saint Juvenal was martyred by a heathen Alaskan tribe whom he sought to convert. Most of the company died or returned to Russia, and in the end only Saint Herman remained, choosing to stay in Alaska out of love for the native inhabitants, the Aleuts. He lived as a hermit on Spruce Island and cared for the poor Aleuts, guiding them to Christ and raising many orphans. Saint Herman’s missionary career spanned 40 years.
The most famous missionary of 19th century Russia was Saint [[Innocent of Alaska]]. A simple parish priest, he moved to Alaska with his family in 1824 and began ministering to the Aleuts. From the outset of his missionary career in Alaska, the saint studied the languages and cultures of the Alaskan native peoples with the scholarly acumen of an anthropologist. In 1832, he was transferred to Sitka, where he ministered to the Tlingit people. He undertook many long missionary journeys by ship or kayak, preaching, catechizing, and providing the sacraments to the faithful. Having mastered a number of Alaskan dialects, the saint provided invaluable translations of Holy Scripture as well as liturgical service texts. After the death of his wife, he took monastic vows in 1840, receiving the name Innocent in honor of Saint Innocent of Irkutsk. He was appointed Bishop of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands in Russia and the Aleutian Islands in Russian America. In 1850, he was elevated to Archbishop. His diocese expanded to include Yakut, located in the Russian Far East. There he traveled immense distances by dog sled to minister to the Yakut peoples. In 1867, Saint Innocent was appointed Metropolitan of Moscow. In his new position, the saint founded the Russian [https://archive.org/details/orthodoxmissiona00hale/page/n7/mode/2up?view=theater Orthodox Missionary Society ] in 1870. He died in 1879.
Saint Innocent of Alaska mentored two other great missionary saints: Saint [[Jacob Netsvetov]] of Alaska and Saint [[Nicholas of Japan]]. Saint Jacob was born in Alaska to a Russian father and an Aleut mother. Thus, he grew up knowing both the Russian and the Aleut languages and cultures. After completing his studies at a seminary in Russia, he was ordained to the priesthood by the same Archbishop who had ordained St Innocent a priest. St Jacob longed to return to his native Alaska to preach Christ to his own people. He and his wife traveled to Alaska in 1828. His first parish encompassed five islands. In this role, he founded a school and trained the future leaders of the Aleut Church. He corresponded with St Innocent regarding translation issues, and himself undertook the translation of the Scriptures into the language of his parishioners. After the death of his wife, he requested permission to join a monastery. Instead, by God’s providence, he met Saint Innocent, Bishop of Kamchatka at the time, who counseled him during this difficult time. In the end, Saint Innocent appointed him head of the new Kvikhpak Mission. Saint Jacob traveled hundreds of miles along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers to proclaim Christ to the Yupik Eskimos and the Athabascan peoples. Over the course of 20 years, he learned various Alaskan languages, invented a new alphabet, baptized hundreds, built churches, and developed Christian communities. Yet towards the end of his life, the saint was slandered and had to undergo ecclesiastical investigation at Sitka. While at Sitka, Saint Jacob served at the Tlingit chapel. Though he was cleared of charges, he died before he could return to the mission field, in 1864.
===Other Orthodox Missionary Saints===
[[Image:NikolaiJapan188207.jpg|thumb|right|St [[Nicholas of Japan]] ]]
* [[Thekla]], Equal of to the Apostles (Asia Minor) * [https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2020/06/01/101570-martyr-justin-the-philosopher-and-those-with-him-at-rome Justin Martyr] (Palestine/Roman Empire)
* [[Nino of Cappadocia]] (Georgia)
* [[Gurias (Karpov) of Simferopol]] (China)
* [[https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2020/12/13/103530-repose-of-venerable-herman-of-alaska-wonderworker-of-all-america Herman of Alaska]]
* [[Juvenal of Alaska]] (see also [https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2020/09/24/102714-martyr-juvenal-of-alaska the OCA life of St Juvenal])
* [[Innocent of Alaska]], Equal of to the Apostles
* [[Jacob Netsvetov]] of Alaska
* [[Nicholas of Japan]], Equal of to the Apostles
[[Image:Arb. Dmitri 2.JPG|right|frame|Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]] and the South]]
* Hieromartyr [[Daniel Sysoev]] ([[evangelist]] in Moscow; martyred by Muslim fanatic in 2009)
* Archbishop [[Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas]], Apostle to the South (convert to the Orthodox Church; labored in Texas, Mexico, and the American South; reposed in 2011; in 2016, his body was discovered to be incorrupt)
* Father [[Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos]] (missionary to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Congo; reposed in 1972)
* Father [[Cosmas (Aslanidis) of Grigoriou]] (missionary to Congo; reposed in 1989)
* Father [[Nikodemos Sarikas]] (first Orthodox missionary to sub-Saharan Africa; reposed in 1941)
* [[Nikolai Ilminsky]] (translator and missionary to Muslims on Russian frontiers; reposed in 1891)
* Metropolitan Innocent (Figurovsky) of Beijing (missionary bishop to China; reposed in 1931)
* Archbishop Joasaph of Buenos Aires (missionary bishop to Canada; reposed in 1955)
* Archbishop [[Anastasios (Yannoulatos) of Albania]] (Uganda; Kenya; Albania; still living)
* Metropolitan [[Amphilochios (Tsoukos) of New Zealand]] (Congo; New Zealand; still living)
''St. Nikolai Kasatkin and the Orthodox Mission in Japan'', edited by Michael van Remortel and Dr. Peter Chang.
Chevalkov, Mikhail. ''Testament of Memory: A Siberian Life'', translated by Dr. John Warden.
[http://www.pravoslavie.ru/foto/set264.htm "Hope for the Kikuyu"] - anecdotal history of Orthodoxy in Kenya
'''Other'''
Hale, Charles. [https://archive.org/details/orthodoxmissiona00hale/page/n7/mode/2up?view=theater ''The Orthodox Missionary Society of Russia.''] - overview of the Missionary Society founded by St Innocent of Alaska.
[[Category:Missionaries|*]]
