<!--Place overall intro here.--> [[Image:hawaiiorthodox.jpg|right|frame|The Main Altar Cross of the [http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org|Russian Orthodox Church of Hawaiiin Honolulu]]]'''Orthodox Christianity in Hawaii''' has a history beginning with the early Russian missions of the 19th century and continuing to the work of multiple Orthodox churches on the various islands that make up the Aloha State.

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 native Hawaiians "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." The priest then landed They disembarked and blessed a temporary [[altar]] under a newly built temple made out of palms and bambooand adorned with a Znammeny icon of the Mother of God and the Christ Child. As It was rumored that as they departed, the Orthodox priest nailed a copy of left the miracle-working [[Kursk Root icon|Znamenny (Kursk-Root) Icon]] of used in the Sign of the Mother of God to a bamboo post, promising 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. [[Image:kamehameha.jpg|left|frame|Russian Artist's Sketch of King Kamehameha the Great of Hawaii]] 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 Hawaii's special envoy to the Russian court, Colonel Curtis I'aukea, 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]], 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. St. [[Innocent of Moscow]] also made a brief stop-over in Hawaii during his travels from Asia to Western America. == Rebirth of Orthodoxy ==[[Image:korchinsky.gif|left|frame|A photo of Fr. Jacob Korchinsky from the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, January 23, 1916]] On [[November 27]], 1910 ([[Julian Calendar|O.S.]], the Feast Day of the Znamenny-[[Kursk Root Icon]] of the Sign of the [[Theotokos|Mother of God]]), [[Reader|reader services]] were organized and served by Vasily Pasderin. In 1915, an official request by the Russian Orthodox community in Hawaii and the 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 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 [[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 [[missionary]] 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 heathens to the Christian Faith and returned many [[Uniate]]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)''  Following the departure of Fr. Jacob Korchincky to Australia in March of 1916, he was subsequently replaced by Archpriest John Dorosh in that same year, who remained in Hawaii until his departure in the 1920s. In subsequent years, the Russian Orthodox Church in Hawaii shipped or flew temporary priests to 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]], 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. 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 [[Apollinary (Koshevoy) of San Francisco|Apollinary (Koshevoy)]] and [[Tikhon (Troitsky) of San Francisco|Tikhon (Troitsky)]] and for medical reasons. He is now purportedly buried on the Big Island of Hawaii.[[Image:innokenty.jpg|left|frame|Fr. Innokenty in front of the Old Apostles Episcopal church in Hilo in 1937]] == 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 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. Despite this multiplicity of jurisdictions, all Orthodox churches in Hawaii are in communion with one another and have 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 Greek Orthodox Church (GOARCH)===In the mid 1960s, a Greek Orthodox community established a Greek Orthodox mission under the auspices of the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese]]. This community became known as [http://www.schgoc.hi.goarch.org/ Ss. Constantine Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church]. The current Dean of the Cathedral is Fr. Alexander Leong, who was assigned to the parish in Honolulu in 2013. The community is under the omophorion of Metr. [[Gerasimos (Michaleas) of San Francisco]] ([[GOARCH]]). This community is well-known for its annual Greek Festival held at Ala Moana Beach Park near Waikiki. In the 1990s, a Greek Orthodox mission was established on the Island of Maui. 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 Serbian Orthodox Church===In the early 1990s, a Serbian community established an Orthodox mission dedicated to St. [[Lazar of Serbia|Lazar of Kosovo]]. The Serbian mission later became inactive, and its remaining members joined the 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 [[Maxim (Vasilijevic) of Western America]]) have come from the mainland to minister to them. This mission is now active and under the spiritual direction of Protopresbyter Blasko Paraklis. [[Image:Bishop Benjamin.jpg|thumb|145px|right|Bishop Benjamin visits the OCA Kona Mission in 2004]] ===The Antiochian Orthodox Church===In 2003, the short-lived St. Paul the Apostle [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|Antiochian Orthodox]] Mission was established in Honolulu at Fort Shafter Army Base. The rector of this mission was Fr. Isaiah Gillette, a chaplain with the military. Following Fr. Isaiah's transfer to Texas, the mission was disbanded. ===The Orthodox Church in America (OCA)===In early 2004, a new Orthodox community under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America ([[OCA]]) was established on the Big Island of Hawai`i, in Kailua-Kona. In 2007 this was named [http://stjuvenaly.org St. Juvenaly Orthodox Mission]. The administrator of this mission parish is Fr. Matthew Tate, and it is under the oversight of His Eminence, Archbishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco]] of the [[Diocese of the West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]]. In 2013, this community purchased a building in [[w:Honomu|Honomu]], on the east side of Hawaiʻi. The east-side mission is known as [http://ascensionhilo.org Holy Ascension Orthodox Church]. ==A Miracle in the Islands==During the month of October in the year 2007, a great miracle occurred in the State of Hawaii when the Miracleworking and Myrrh-streaming "Hawaiian" Iveron Icon of the Theotokos began streaming myrrh in the home of an Orthodox Christian couple in Honolulu.

[[Image:kamehamehaIveronIcon.jpg|left|frame|Russian Artist's Sketch of King Kamehameha the Great of HawaiiThe Wonderworking "Hawaiian" Myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon]]

In 1882The Iveron Icon, the Hawaiian Kingdom sent a diplomatic delegation to St. Petersburgsmall mounted print, Russia, to witness the coronation of Tsar Alexander III. The reports (a copy of the Hawaiian special envoy to Montreal [[Panagia Portaitissa|Iveron]] Icon), originally purchased at the Holy Trinity Russian court, Colonel Curtis Orthodox Cathedral'Iaukeas small church kiosk in Toronto by Archpriest Anatole V. Lyovin, about was given to the [[liturgy|liturgical]] services were widely published Reader Nectarios in Hawaiian-language newspapersHawaii as a gift for the aforementioned name's day. Two This Icon was in the Reader's possession for eight years laterbefore it, along with a small hand-painted cross, Tsar Alexander III sent King Kalakaua began exuding a fragrant oil-like substance traditionally referred to as "myrrh" by the Imperial Order of StOrthodox Church. It was decided by Archbishop [[Alexander NevskyKyrill (Dmitrieff) of San Francisco|Alexander of NevskyKyrill]], of San Francisco that this Icon of the Mother of God was to be taken to the highest Holy Virgin Russian award, Orthodox Cathedral in San Francisco where it underwent investigation and testing and was carefully examined by the Archbishop and established a permanent Russian embassy in Hawaii, along with a very small Orthodox chapel. Subsequently, 200 Ukrainians were imported by American sugar planterscommission of priests to verify the Icon's miraculous attributes.

In 1893, Queen Lili'uokalani was deposed by U.SJune of 2008, Marines and American sugar plantation owners, who were mostly the children "Hawaiian" Iveron Icon of American Calvinist missionaries, and a provisional government under the protection Mother of God was declared by the United States Russian Orthodox Church to be a genuine and miraculous Icon, which was installedin fact exuding myrrh on a continuing basis. In 1898, Hawaii It was incorporated into decided by Episcopal proclamation ([[Ukaz]]) that the United States despite near universal opposition from native Hawaiians. In Reader Nectarios, the early 1900sIcon's original owner, the Russian ambassador be "Her" guardian and was recalled, to escort the embassy was moved Icon to a small officethe various churches and monasteries of Holy Orthodoxy, in effect, and to provide for the Russian chapel was closedveneration of all Orthodox Christian faithful.

=== Rebirth of Orthodoxy ===On [[November 27]]Since that time, 1910 ([[Julian Calendar]]), with the blessing of the [[bishop]]s of Vladivostok Miracle-working Icon has visited over 1000 churches and in monasteries throughout North America, the first Russian Orthodox reader services were held by Reader Vasily Pasderin. November 27 wasEurope, and isAsia, the "Feast Day and has been venerated by millions of the [[Kursk Root faithful. The holy Icon]] has been a constant source of a growing number of miraculous occurrences, including the [[Mother healing of God]]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.

In 1916As She travels, at the petition of the Russian Orthodox community to the [[Holy Synod]] of the Icon has been lovingly called in Greek, "The Wandering Panaghia" since She does not have a [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]http://www.iveron.org memorial church shrine]to call Her own. When resources become available, plans are underway to build a Russian Orthodox priest was dispatched to proper chapel or church structure in Hawaii to pastor house the large population of [[Church Mother of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] faithful. On Orthodox Christmas (Dec.25/Jan. 7), Protopresbyter Yakov Korchinsky celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Saint AndrewGod's Episcopal Cathedral in Honolulu, and he established permanent liturgical servicesWonderworking Icon. Thus Orthodoxy was re-established It has also been affectionately referred to as the "Protectress of the Orthodox in Hawaii. Fr. Yakov, a well-known [[missionary]] priest, established churches " by some of the Orthodox Christian faithful in [[Canada]]Hawaii, since Orthodox Christians from all the [[United States]], [[Alaska]], Hawaii parishes have come to love and [[Australia]]. He was murdered in [[Odessa]] shortly after the [[October Revolution]] in Russia. [[Image:episcopal.jpg|right|100px|frame|Sthave grown very close to this miracle from God. Andrew's Episcopal as it appears today in downtown Honolulu]]

In subsequent years, May She forever protect the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] in [[Hawaii]] shipped or flew priests to Hawaii to care for the dwindling Orthodox population. [[Archimandrite]] Innokenty Dronov of Hilo, a contemporary of St. [[Jonah of Manchuria]] and St. [[John Maximovitch|John of Shanghai and San Francisco]] and Metropolitan [[Meletios of Harbin]], served the entire Orthodox Christian flock on all the [[Hawaii]]an Islands throughout the 1930s and 1940s. [[Image:innokenty.jpg|left|frame|Fr. Innokenty in front of the Old Apostles Episcopal church in Hilo]] Fr. innokenty 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 [[Archbishop Tikhon]] and for medical reasons. He is now purportedly buried on the [[Big Island faithful of Hawaii]]. !

In the 1960s a ==Parishes in Hawaii==*Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church (Honolulu) - [[Greekhttp://www.orthodoxhawaii.org Official website]] community established a seperate *Ss. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox parish under the auspices of the Cathedral (Honolulu) - [[Greek Archdiocese]http://www.ssconhelhi.goarch.org Official Website]*St. This community became known as the Saints Juvenaly Orthodox Mission (Big Island) - [[Constatine and Helen]http://oca.org/DIRlisting.asp?SID=9&KEY=OCA-WE-KONOCX OCA listing] , [[Church of Constantinople|Greek Orthodox Church]http://stjuvenaly.org Mission website]*St. Soon thereafter, in the early 1990's, a Lazar Serbian community established an Orthodox mission dedicated to Saint Mission Parish (Oahu) - [[Lazar of Kosovohttp://www.westsrbdio.org/info/showarticle.php?article=church_hawaii Contact Information]]. The Serbian mission later went inactive and joined the local (No resident clergy or regular services)*Maui Greek and Russian Orthodox churchesMission - [http://www. In early 2004 a new Orthodox community mauigreekorthodoxmission.com Official Website] (currently regrouping under the jurisdiction leadership of the [[OCA]] was established in Kona, HawaiiSs. This new mission has no association with the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox]] mission established by Archimandrite Innokenty Dronov of Hilo (+1940'sConstantine &amp; Helen).

In the late 1990s==Orthodox Clergy Assigned in Hawaii==*Priest Alexander Leong, Rector of Ss. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral.*Priest Athanasius Kone, the current pastor Rector of the [[Church Holy Theotokos of Russia|Iveron Russian Orthodox]] community, Father Church.*Archpriest Anatole V. Lyovin, one Retired Rector of the first [[Church Holy Theotokos of Russia|Iveron Russian Orthodox]] priests since Archimandrite InnokentyChurch.*Deacon Michael Bressem, was [[ordination|ordained]] to serve Cleric of the [[Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox]] faithful in [[Hawaii]]Church. Currently there are plans to build *Deacon Nectarios Yangson, Ikonophoros (Icon Guardian), Cleric of the first [[Church Holy Theotokos of Russia|Iveron Russian Orthodox]] [[church]] in HonoluluChurch.

==SourceReferences==<references/>

*[http://enwww.wikipediaohiia.orgThe Orthodox Hawaiian Iveron Icon Association "OHIIA"]*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodoxinhawaii/ A Yahoogroup dedicated to Orthodox Christianity in Hawaii]*[http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org/book.html TWO HUNDRED YEARS ON THE ROAD: A History of the Orthodox Church in Hawaii] by Amir A. Khisamutdinov and Rev. Anatole V. Lyovin. The book chronicles the history of the Orthodox Christian Church in the Hawaiian Islands from the 1700s to the present day. Containing rare photos and historical articles not seen before.*[[Wikipedia:Russian Fort Elizabeth]]*[http://wikiwww.fortelizabeth.org/Russian_Fort_Elizabeth Fort Elizabeth/ Pāʻulaʻula]*[http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org/dronoff.html "From Island to Island with the Word of God on His Lips - How the Only Orthodox Priest on the Islands Lives and Works"] An article about Fr. Innokentiy Dronoff of Hilo from 1937, translated by Rev. Anatole V. Lyovin.*[http://orthodoxhistory.org/2010/01/06/fr-jacob-korchinsky-missionary-and-martyr/ Fr. Jacob Korchinsky: Missionary and Martyr] A historical account of slain Protopresbyter Jacob Korchinsky.*[http://starbulletin.com/2001/08/25/features/story1.html "A Spiritual Connection" Greek Orthodox Church in Hawaii honors Chinese Martyrs] (Aug 25, 2001)*[http://starbulletin.com/2007/06/02/features/adamski.html Honolulu Star Bulletin article on Fr. Anatole Lyovin of the Russian Orthodox Church] (June 2, 2007)*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/latest_news/Visits_Fall2007/Hawaii.html News from the Serbian Orthodox community in Hawaii][http://serbianorthodoxnews.blogspot.com/2007/11/serbian-hierarchal-liturgy-at-russian.html](Nov 10-11, 2007)