Diocese: Diocese of Alaska
Deanery: Russian Mission / Yukon Deanery
Church: 907-549-3827
Parish Contacts
Marshall, AK 99585
Directions
St Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church is located in Marshall, AK, about 75 miles northwest of Bethel on the Lower Yukon River. Its location in Marshall is on the corner of 6th St and Yukon Ave.
Schedule of Services
6:00 PM Vespers and Confessions.
Saturday Evening
9:00 AM Hours and Divine Liturgy.
Sunday Morning
Please call VRev Stephen Heckman at 907-549-3827 for schedule of other services, or to arrange Baptisms, Marriages, Memorials, etc.
Parish Background
In the fall of 1960 construction of St Michael the Archangel Chapel at Marshall was completed. Before 1960 church services were held at the log home of the late Church Warden Andrew Shorty. The late Very Rev Vasily Changsak, who was based at Russian Mission, was the pastor of this small but growing parish.
The chapel contains the iconostas (icon screen) from the Church of the Holy Protection originally built between 1842 and 1845 at the Mikhailovsky Redoubt now known as St Michael, Alaska by Peter Epiphanov, the manager of the Russian American Company (taken from “Russian Orthodoxy in Alaska” by Barbara S Smith, 1980). The entire contents of the old and abandoned Church were moved to Marshall in the mid-1950’s (according to the elders).
His Grace Bishop Theodosius, then Bishop of Alaska, now Metropolitan, was the first bishop to serve in this small chapel in the early 1960’s during the annual Yukon Conference.
Presently, there are about 155 baptized Orthodox in the community of Marshall, roughly a little over a half of the total population of this small Lower Yukon community. The majority are descendants of those who moved to Marshall from Ohagamuit and Takchak, communities that are now abandoned.
The Very Reverend Stephen Heckman, who is based at Pilot Station’s Church of the Holy Transfiguration, is the pastor. He comes to Marshall at least once a month to serve liturgical services.
Plans to construct a new building are in its initial stages as the present building is old and becoming unfit to use.