Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, December 2, 2020
Photo: YouTube screenshot
The funeral service for His Eminence Archbishop David of Sitka and Alaska of the Orthodox Church in America was served yesterday at Holy Trinity Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
The funeral was served by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada, His Eminence Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey, His Grace Bishop Alexis of Bethesda, His Grace Bishop Thomas of Oakland, Charleston, and the Mid-Atlantic of the Antiochian Archdiocese, and a number of clergy.
The service was sung by the St. Tikhon’s Seminary choir.
The entire service was livestreamed on the Orthodox Church in America’s YouTube page and can be watched below:
The video begins with the reading of condolences from Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, Bishop Matthew of Sourozh of the Moscow Patriarchal Parishes in America, and Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochian Archdiocese.
Bp. Thomas then spoke, sharing fond memories of serving together with Abp. David on the Assembly of Bishops’ Youth Committee and in other capacities.
“There are things we need to remember about him,” Bp. Thomas said. “It was a great joy and blessing on all Orthodox Christians … to have Abp. David there, because he was efficient, he was kind, and he was humble. And when you worked with him, you were working with him side by side even when you knew he in fact was best qualified to be our leader.”
He also spoke of the peace and tranquility that existed in Abp. David’s Archdiocese of Alaska during his rule, which flowed over to the Antiochian churches in Alaska as well.
Met. Tikhon spoke following the funeral, noting that it was always Abp. David’s hope to return to his diocese at least one more time and for his funeral to be served there. However, as the Metropolitan notes, current conditions did not allow his wish to be fulfilled. But, a number of clergy and faithful from the Diocese of Alaska were able to be present at his funeral in Pennsylvania, bringing the vestments that Abp. David was consecrated in, and is now buried in.
Then Fr. Innocent, the Chancellor of the Diocese of Alaska spoke, emphasizing the gratefulness and love of the faithful of the Diocese of Alaska, who perceived Abp. David as their own father and experienced much healing under his care.
Fr. Innocent, Chancellor of Diocese: bring a message of gratefulness and love from diocese of Alaska, thank you to family for sharing your father and grandfather, and “he became our father.” He brought tradition of having child in each hand for entrance prayers – acts like that, and him being present that brought us so much healing as a diocese.
May his memory be eternal!
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