Fr. Michael Oleksa
Oleksa speaking at a conference in 2014
Born(1947-03-16)March 16, 1947
Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedNovember 29, 2023(2023-11-29) (aged 76)
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Occupation(s)Russian Orthodox missionary, linguist
Known forLinguistical work throughout rural Alaska
SpouseXenia Oleksa
ChildrenFour

Michael James Oleksa (March 16, 1947 – November 29, 2023) was an American missionary priest of the Orthodox Church in America, who spent 50 years traveling, speaking and writing about culture and race in Alaska.

Life

Michael James Oleksa was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on March 16, 1947. In 1970, after studying at St. Vladimir's Seminary in New York, he moved to Alaska, accepting an invitation from the Alutiiq village of Old Harbor on Kodiak Island.[1] His experiences while there motivated him to continue speaking in Alaska, and did multiple presentations over the next three decades, while also serving as a Russian Orthodox priest in these relatively small communities.[2] In 1972, he moved to Kwethluk, where he met his wife and continued his work as a missionary priest in various small communities along the Kuskokwim River.[1]

In 1988, Oleksa graduated with his doctoral degree from the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Presov, Slovakia. He made a point to graduate with an emphasis on Native Alaskan history during the Alaskan Russian period, which occurred from 1741 to 1867.[3] He then continued to speak to at least twelve separate villages across Alaska on the issue of race and culture in education. After this, he lived in Anchorage, Alaska, with his wife, his daughter, and one of his three grandsons.

Oleksa suffered a stroke and died during the early hours of November 29, 2023, in Anchorage, at the age of 76.[1]

Career

Oleksa was versed in the fields of history, theology and linguistics and wrote books, articles, and publications focusing on multiple Alaska Native cultures.[2] He created a four-part video series, which aired on PBS, called "Communicating Across Cultures".[4] His influential work made its way into some of JSD's (Juneau School District) senior high curriculum, and all three of the UA (University of Alaska) campuses.[2] He is also a dedicated public speaker, and has travelled through multiple Alaskan villages speaking about various linguistic topics of interest. Michael Oleksa has accumulated a host of titles along his travels, proving his authenticity as a missionary, and a linguist. He is recognized as an "Elder" by the Alaska Federation of Natives, has been honored by the Alaska State Legislature and the National Governors Association, and is acknowledged as a "distinguished public servant" by the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska.[2]

Oleksa was educating teachers across Alaska on the importance of cross-cultural education and the boundaries of race and culture. The most prominent of his texts that focus on this topic is his collaboration with the Association of Alaska School Boards, which explores the unique cultural fabric of Alaska's educational environment.[5] His most recent work available to the public is from 2006.[5] Prior to his death, he initiated the process to have Olga Michael recognized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church.[1]

Selected publications

  • Alaskan Missionary Spirituality.  1987. Paulist Press, Mahway, New Jersey.   3-35.[5]
  • Another Culture / Another World.  2005.  Association of Alaska School Boards.  Juneau, Alaska.[5]
  • “Civilizing” Native Alaska: Federal Support of Mission Schools, 1885–1906.  January, 1991.  Prepared for the National Education Association.  Washington, D.C.[5]
  • Evangelism and Culture.  1995.  International Review of Mission.  Authentic Witness Within Each Culture.  Section 1; Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 1996). LXXXIV No. 335, October 1995.  The World Council of Churches.  387–393.[5]
  • Father John Veniaminov and Father Jacob Netsvetov.  July, 1975.  Digital Typography.  www.asna.ca.[5]
  • I Didn't Even Need a Passport!  February 2006.  Lit Site, Alaska Traditions.[5]
  • Icons and the Cosmos:  The Missionary Significance.  1983.  International Review of Mission.  Issue 1 – Witnessing.  Vol. LXXII No. 285, January 1983.  The World Council of Churches.  42–123.[5]
  • Giving and Receiving.  Fall, 2005, AGAIN, The Ancient Christian Faith Today, Vol. 27, No. 3, Page 34.[5]
  • Orthodox Alaska:  A Theology of Mission.  St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, Crestwood, New York 10707.  1998[5]
  • Orthodox Missiological Education for the Twenty-First Century.  1996.  The Book, the Circle, and the Sandals.Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York.  83–90.[5]
  • Orthodoxy in Alaska:  The Spiritual History of the Kodiak Aleut People.  1981.  St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly.  Volume 25, Number 1.[5]
  • Overwhelmed by Joy.  1983.  International Review of Mission.  Conversion.  Vol. LXXII No. 287, July 1983.  The World Council of Churches.  415–420.[5]
  • Six Alaskan Native Women Leaders: Pre-Statehood. 1991. Alaska Department of Education, Juneau, Alaska[5]
  • The Creoles and Their Contributions to the Development of Alaska.  1990.  In Smith, Barbara Sweetland and Redmond J. Barnett (eds.) Russian America: The Forgotten Frontier. Tacoma, WA: Washington State Historical Society. 185–195.[5]
  • The Death of Hieromonk Juvenally.  1990.  Russia in North America: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Russian America, Sitka, Alaska.  August 19–22, 1987.  Limestone Press, Fairbanks, Alaska.  322–357.[5]
  • The Legacy of St. Vladimir:  Byzantium, Russia, America.  1988.  Papers presented at a Symposium commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, New York.  243–258.[5]
  • The Orthodox Church and Orthodox Christian Mission From an Alaskan Perspective.  2001.  International Review of Mission.  Ecclesiology and Mission (I).  Volume XC No. 358, July 2001.  The World[5]
  • Chilkat Valley News, Feb. 16, 2006, Haines, Alaska.  "Priest Brings Multicultural Message" by Christa Sadler[5]
  • Conflicting Landscapes American Schooling/Alaska Natives. Co-authored with Clifton Bates. The Kuskokwim Corporation 2008. Distributed by Univ. Alaska Press and University Press of Colorado.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Erickson, Evan (November 29, 2023). "Russian Orthodox Archpriest Michael James Oleksa has died at 76". KYUK News. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Oleksa, Michael. "Father Oleska's Bio" (PDF). Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Russians settle Alaska". HISTORY. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  4. ↑ "Father Michael Oleksa - Video Series". fatheroleksa.org. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Father Michael Oleksa - Publications (Print)". fatheroleksa.org. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
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