Orthodox Icon of St. Peter the Aleut

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September 24th
Troparion (Tone 1)
O Peter, upon the rock of thy faith hath Christ built His Church, and in the streams of thy blood hath He hallowed our land. In thee thy people hath been sanctified, O Aleut; from the farthest islands of the west hath He raised thee, a light unto all. Glory to Him that hath glorified thee. Glory to Him that hath crowned thee. Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee.

A native of Kodiak Island, Alaska, Tchounagnak, whose Christian name was Peter, worked at the Russian outpost of Ft. Ross in California. When the Spanish colonial government ordered the expulsion of the Russian-American settlers in 1816, Peter was arrested with 13 other Aleuts. Jesuits came to the prison at night to torture them to renounce Orthodoxy and embrace Romanism. They cut off Peter's fingers one joint at a time, then his toes, until they had cut off his hands and feet. He bled to death. Upon hearing this from one of the surviving Aleuts, St. Herman stood before an icon and pronounced, "Holy New Martyr Peter, pray to God for us!" He is portrayed in his baptismal gown. He is holding a Cross to show his martyrdom. His hand is raised to show that it is fully restored in the resurrection!

This Icon is by the hand of Nicholas Papas. It is from St. Philip Antiochian Orthodox Church, Souderton, Pennsylvania.

Order # phm-13