If you are interested in becoming an Orthodox Christian, it is necessary to have faith in God and accept God’s love. By following the Orthodox way of life, you will become closer to God and have greater capacity to face the challenges of life. This path will also strengthen your virtues and help you live according to the virtues of Christ. There are ten points of union with God that you must follow if you want to be a true Orthodox Christian.
Table of Contents
St. Barnabas was a Serbian immigrant
Barnabas was born in Gary, Indiana, around 1914. His parents were emigrants from Serbia. They returned to their homeland when he was nine. Later, he went to a monastery and took monastic vows. In 1940, he was ordained as a deacon. In 1944, he was in Sarajevo during World War II, when he defended the Orthodox Church against the fascists.
His original name was Joseph the Levite. He lived and spread the word of Christ. His feast day is June 11. Today, his memory is celebrated by Catholics. Although he was not among the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus, St. Barnabas is regarded as one of Christ’s 72 disciples. This makes him one of the most important men of the first century after the Apostles.
St. Peter the Aleut was put to death by Spanish missionaries in California
In the early 19th century, Peter the Aleut was a young man when he was put to death in California by Spanish missionaries. He was born on Kodiak Island in Russian America. In 1794, Russian missionary monks led by Archimandrite Joasaph (Bolotov) arrived in Kodiak. They converted the indigenous population and put them through baptism. Peter went on to work for the Russian-American Company, which specialized in hunting and fishing.
The missionaries tried to convert Peter to Catholicism, but the Aleuts refused. They were put to death in 1816 by the missionaries. His death recalls the torture of Saint James the Persian. In the eyes of Catholics, Saint Peter is equal to the ancient martyrs and the New Martyrs. The heavenly kingdom awaits him along with other New Martyrs. In the heavenly kingdom, he and the New Martyrs will glorify God in all ages.
St. Herman of Alaska was a Serbian immigrant
He had a great love for children, and he would bake dozens of cookies and biscuits for them, as well as pray for them and their sick relatives. During the smallpox epidemic that devastated Alaska, Father Herman went to the natives and personally cared for them. He built an orphanage and a school for them, and would teach them in his own community.
His missionary work brought him to Alaska, where he built a church and established a school. Later, he moved to Spruce Island where he lived a hermit’s life. He built a church, planted a garden, and started an orphanage. He lived his life according to Orthodox tradition, chanting church services, contemplating Scripture, and practicing intense interior prayer.
St. John of Alaska was a Serbian immigrant
The first Serb to immigrate to the United States was George Fisher, who came to Philadelphia in 1815. From there, he moved to Mexico and fought in the Texan Revolution before becoming a judge in California. Another early immigrant to the US was Basil Rosevic, who founded the Trans-Oceanic Ship Lines. In the early 1800s, many Serb sailors settled in New Orleans, and the Serbians founded a Greek Orthodox church there in 1841.
After obtaining his American citizenship, St. John of Alaska served as a missionary priest. He studied at the Kiev and St. Petersburg Theological Academies. He was tonsured a monk in 1887 and was then ordained a deacon. He later served as a deacon in the San Francisco cathedral and taught at a pastor’s school.
