Archpriest Michael Oleksa fell asleep in the Lord on November 29, 2023, following five decades of service to Alaskan communities. He will be lovingly remembered as a faithful son, brother, husband and father, a gifted storyteller, and a loyal friend, as well as for his contributions as a historian, linguist, educator, and steadfast advocate for Alaskan Native peoples.
Born March 16th, 1947 to Doris Conrad Oleksa and Michael Oleksa of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Father Michael graduated from Georgetown University in 1969 before completing his Bachelor of Divinity at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1973. He first came to Alaska as a seminary student serving the village of Old Harbor on Kodiak Island during the summer of 1970, and met his wife of 49 years, Xenia Angellan of Kwethluk, when he returned to Alaska a following summer.
He was ordained into the priesthood at Saint Jacob’s Church in Napaskiak in 1974, and with Xenia served dozens of Orthodox parishes throughout Alaska. Some of these include Saint Seraphim of Sarov (Dillingham), Three Saints (Old Harbor), Saint Innocent Cathedral (Anchorage), Saint Herman’s (Fairbanks), Saint Sophia (Bethel), Saint Michaels (Koliganek), Saint Michaels (Sitka), Saint Nicholas (Juneau), and Saint Alexis Chapel (Anchorage). They also served parishes at Lake Iliamna, North Naknek, Eek Kwigillingok, Kongiganak and the Protector of the Holy Virgin parish in Santa Rosa, California, and helped build Saint Herman’s Orthodox Church (with a Saint Matushka of Alaska bell tower)in the Nandi Region of Kenya
Father Michael completed his doctoral work in Church History and Patristics at the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Presov, Slovakia in 1988. Following a year of research and teaching at Moscow’s Saint Patriarch Tikhon Theological Institute, he was elected Dean of Saint Herman’s Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska in 1996. Father Michael also served as chancellor of the Diocese of Alaska and as a representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the World Council of Churches and the International Orthodox Christian Charities. He taught at Alaska Pacific University and extensively throughout the University of Alaska system and was the author of numerous books and articles about Alaska Native cultures and history. His four-part PBS television series, “Communicating Across Cultures’, which first aired in 1996, catapulted Father Michael’s long career as a public speaker and consultant advocating for awareness, appreciation and understanding across differences in race, culture and religion.
Though he was the recipient of numerous awards from local, state and federal agencies, Father Michael said that one of his greatest honors was being recognized as an Elder by the Alaska Federation of Natives. He was adopted by members of the Yup’ik, Sugpiag, and Lingít nations, and spoke multiple languages, including his wife’s first language, Yugtun. One of his final accomplishments was documenting evidence to support the canonization of Matushka Olga Michael, who will become the first woman saint, and the first Yup’ik saint of North America.
For all of his accomplishments, Father Michael was known to be genuinely nice, funny, and have a warm and generous spirit. His family shares they have been truly astounded to learn how many people throughout Alaska, the nation, and the world were helped, encouraged, supported and inspired by him.
The schedule of services for Father Michael are as follows. All services will be held at Saint Innocent Cathedral, 401 Turpin Street, Anchorage, AK:
Monday, December 4
3:00 PM Panikhida and viewing
Tuesday, December 5
10:00 AM Funeral Service
The burial will take place following the Funeral Service at Saint John Antiochian Cathedral in Eagle River.
May Father Michael’s memory be eternal!