One came by schooner, and then horseback. Two came by steam locomotive, and then stagecoach. Holy men on a mission-they came, they prayed and departed. Their presence at Fort Ross, Russian colony turned California State Park, is exceptional. It is the only public park in the United States that has been graced by three saints. In a sense, Fort Ross is a kind of hallowed ground.... In retrospect St. Innocent, [St. Sebastian] Dabovich and St. Tikhon had their trips to Fort Ross in common with their sainthood. They all took the time to record their observations for posterity. Since 1900, hundreds of Orthodox clerics tens of thousands of believers and Russian citizens have visited the rather plain chapel perched on the promontory overlooking the mighty Pacific Ocean. The distinctive chapel has been repaired and rebuilt. The cemetery has been studied by scholars and partially reclaimed. In 1897, Bishop Ziorov observed that looking back from the cemetery towards the Fort was a charming picture. He enjoyed the murmuring brook and open field covered with a motley rug of green and flowers and the setting sun with slanted rays that gilded the ocean, the Fort, the forest and us. Amazingly, things havent really changed much since then.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 04:39:44 +0000
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