Священномученик Иоанн Кочуров: годы служения в Америке

Abstract

The article explores the American period in life and service of Holy Martyr Ioann Kochurov (1895–1907). This formative period for Fa. Kochurov when he grew up as a priest, missionary and a church leader remains relatively unexplored due to a lack of sources originating from the man himself (except for a couple of his writings in “American Orthodox Messenger” and few letters written to relatives at home). The newly available documents from the Library of Congress Manuscript Division (Alaskan Russian Church Archive) fill this void. They consist mostly of Kochurov’s own regular reports to his superiors (bishops Nickolay and Tikhon, as well as a dean of New York deanary Nedzel’nitsky) and provide a vivid picture of his multiple activities: missionary, parish life, church building and diocese responsibilities. These documents shed a new light on Fa. Kochurov’s relationships with his superiors as well as his overall contribution to the development of Alaskan and Aleutian diocese which reached its peak under Bishop Tikhon’s guidance. The new documentary evidence also reveals Holy Martyr’s personal traits – his deep devotion to the Orthodox mission in America, his integrity and courage of Christian convictions which ultimately led to his martyrdom in 1917.