Napaskiak, Alaska, July 23, 2026
Photo: odosa.org
A church in Alaska has received new cupolas, marking a milestone in an ongoing construction project.
The domes were installed on the St. Jacon the Apostle Church in Napaskiak. Volunteers collectively placed the largest cupola on the structure as part of the effort, reports the OCA’s Diocese of Sitka and Alaska.
Archpriest Nicholai Larson, priest-in-charge of Holy Trinity Church in Kasigluk, is leading the work. Before his ordination, he spent decades working as a carpenter, and he has applied that background to the project along with the help of numerous volunteers.
Reader Vasily Nicholai, a third-year seminarian at St. Herman Theological Seminary, volunteered his time to the project, taking on responsibility for the installation and care of the cupolas.
Photo: odosa.org
His Eminence Archbishop Alexei commented on the completion of the cupola. “When we look upon the cupola rising over Napaskiak, we should see more than a beautiful feature of the church,” he said. “The whole temple now stands like a candle offered before God on behalf of the village. It bears the prayers of those who worship here today, the faith of the generations who came before them, and the hope of the children who will one day enter beneath it.”
Abp. Alexei also thanked those involved in the project. “I’m deeply grateful to Father Nicholai, Reader Vasily, and every volunteer and benefactor who has contributed to this sacred labor,” he said. “By raising this cupola, they are not merely completing a building. They are keeping the flame of faith burning and entrusting it to generations yet unborn.”
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