Herman of Alaska, known in the Russian Orthodox Church as “St. Herman: Wonderworker of All America,” was the first saint to be canonized by the Orthodox Church in America.

Herman was born in Russia, near Moscow, in 1756. His baptismal and family names are unknown, and he is known only by his monastic name. Naturally pious from an early age, Herman entered the Trinity-St. Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg at the age of 16 and, drawn to the s…