Parish History

St Jacob of Alaska Mission began in September, 1994, as a mission outreach of Holy Trinity Church, Springfield, VT. Recognizing the lack of an Orthodox presence in central Vermont and its capital, Montpelier, Metropolitan Theodosius gave the blessing for services in the area. Fr Mark Sherman began holding Friday evening Great Vespers services, followed by Orthodox instruction, at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier. Attendees included Orthodox Christians from American, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, and Coptic traditions, as well as non-Orthodox interested in the Faith.

The mission's first Divine Liturgy was held on Saturday, December 17, 1994. Fr Mark celebrated with the priest from Holy Dormition Greek Orthodox Church in Burlington, VT, and eight people were received into the Church through the Sacraments of Holy Chrismation and Holy Communion.

In October, 1995, Fr Mark was granted release from Holy Trinity in Springfield to serve and develop the mission. At this time, Mission status was granted by Metropolitan Theodosius who by the grace of God assigned newly canonized Priest Jacob Netsvetov as our Patron. The Montpelier Church is the first under the patronage of St Jacob who was the first American-born Orthodox priest. Metropolitan Theodosius also established the Patronal Feast Day as September 24, the day of celebration of All Saints of Alaska.

For the next six years, the Mission met in leased, second-floor space at 50 State St in downtown Montpelier. From this time, St Jacob of Alaska Mission began to celebrate a full cycle of services including Vespers each day. At our first Patronal Feast Celebration on Sunday, September 22, 1996, Ray Hudson, an authority on Aleut history, spoke to us on the life of St Jacob Netsvetov. It was our great blessing and good fortune on the weekend of March 1-2, 1997, to receive our first Archpastoral visit of His Beatitude, our Metropolitan Theodosius. His Beatitude urged us to continue as a community first of all in prayer. His Beatitude's visitation made our establishment as a mission complete.

In 2001, after much prayer and consideration, St. Jacob of Alaska Mission purchased its present facility in Northfield Falls, VT, from the United Methodist Church. Called "the Falls Church," the building forms the central point of the small Vermont village of Northfield Falls. The first Divine Liturgy was served in Northfield Falls on July 1, 2001.

St Jacob of Alaska Mission continues to serve Montpelier, Burlington, and central Vermont with the worship and celebration of God through His Holy Church.