Last modified: 2018-09-09 by rob raeside
Keywords: saint herman |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
The Cross of Saint Herman (of Alaska) was modelled on the various saints
flags found in Europe and elsewhere, inspired by the design of the St. George
Cross flag of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem.
The Alaskan missionary
monk and hermit Saint Herman of Alaska (reposed 1750) became the first glorified
saint of the Orthodox Church in North America in 1970. Years later, it was
reckoned that a flag for this western saint should be designed based on similar
banners (such as the ancient white saltire cross of Saint Andrew, and the flags
of Saints George, Patrick and David of Wales).
The saint is entombed at
the Sts. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Chapel in Alaska (photo attached - see
Wikipedia entry below).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sts._Sergius_and_Herman_of_Valaam_Chapel
Research for the flag was begun in the early 2000s.
The flag of Saint
Herman bears a black cross, recalling the heavy iron cross the Alaskan hermit
wore chained under his clothing (a holy relic which is still preserved today in
the Alaskan church that houses his relics). The black cross is emblazoned on a
white field, to commemorate the snow-covered land of Alaska, in whose soil Saint
Herman firmly planted the Holy Cross, as we hear in the Troparion hymn used on
the feast day of the saint. The flag resembles the Kroaz Du flag of Brittany,
used during the Middle Ages up until the Hundred Years' War, although in proper
rendering the black cross on the present flag is about twenty percent heavier
than its earlier cousin.
After years of design work and vetting, the flag
was formally presented to Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America
at the 2017 Canadian Archdiocesan Assembly, by vexillologist and designer
Archpriest Geoffrey Korz, where attendees received their own smaller versions of
the flag to take home with them. Despite the origins of St. Herman in Alaska,
the flag bearing his name has been more widely used in Canada and the
northeastern states of America.
Archpriest Geoffrey Korz, 6 August
2018