October 30, 2021: First Divine Liturgy at St. Jacob's

With the blessing of Archbishop Peter of Chicago & Mid America, St. Jacob of Alaska Orthodox Christian Mission celebrated its first Divine Liturgy on the morning of Saturday, October 30th. Vespers and Liturgy were celebrated on the campus of Northern Michigan University, in the rented room where parishioners are accustomed to holding Reader’s Vespers and Typica services. Priest Micah Chisholm of St. Sebastian Orthodox Christian Mission Church in Traverse City, Michigan presided, assisted by the mission’s coordinator, Deacon Jesse Rimshas.

St. Jacob’s does not yet have a permanent location for services but sets up and tears down for services at NMU’s Northern Center every other weekend. In this they faintly imitate their great missionary patron St. Jacob Netsvetov, beloved of St. Innocent, who held Divine Liturgies in a tent he a carried with him to the remote areas of Alaska. Fr. Micah plans to return to celebrate the Great Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple in December. The parishioners of St. Jacob’s are deeply grateful to Fr. Micah for his continuing service and sacrifice.