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Reverend Father Alexei Knagin
Birth Date: 10-4-57
Aleut Native Heritage
Married: Enid (Nadezhda - Baptismal Name) - (3-31-56)
Children: Shannon (Dominique - Baptismal Name) 16 yrs old (7-13-85)
Shane (Alexei - Baptismal Name) 14 yrs old (5-1-88)
Home: Port Lions, Alaska on Kodiak Island
Population: 250
Home Parish: Nativity of the Theotokos
Rector: Father Benjamin Peterson
Alexei was born in Kodiak. His family lived in Afognak until Alexei
was 6 years old. The village of Afognak was destroyed by tidal waves
resulting from the great earthquake of 1964 - damaging and changing
much of the surface of Alaska at that time. The destroyed village
of Afognak was relocated in Settler's Cove. The community was renamed
Port Lions due to the great rebuilding efforts and contributions
of the Lions Club and Red Cross. As others from Afognak, Alexei's
family made their home in the new Port Lions community. Alexei did
not graduate from High School. After completing the 8th grade, as
a young man, Alexei joined his father in the family fishing business.
His primary work is fishing and carpentry businesses. He is skilled
in construction work as well.
Alexei met Enid in Port Lions when she came from her home in Kirkland,
WA to visit her sister. They married, he says "so many years
ago." Alexei became interested in serving the Lord after visiting
Kodiak and St. Herman Theological Seminary. He says that after going
the first time to Kodiak and meeting Fr. Jon and Matushka Bea Dunlop,
he would return to Port Lions with a feeling that had left his home
- his heart and spirit were in Kodiak. Alexei felt he needed to
learn more about Our Lord and the Orthodox faith. He began studying
on his own while in Port Lions and sitting in on classes at the
seminary - without any formal enrollment. Fr. Jon and Matushka Bea
supported him by providing correspondence courses for his studies.
Alexei felt a calling and was "checking it out." He realized
he had a good gift for learning church history. He began to teach
people about Orthodoxy - excited for what he was learning. He would
talk to Orthodox and non-Orthodox - teaching the faith to anyone
who would listen. Alexei discovered that when he talked, people
would listen to him and become more interested in Orthodoxy for
their own lives. Alexei was blessed for Reader services at Monk's
Lagoon in 2000. He was Tonsured a Reader at St. Herman's Theological
Seminary by Bishop NIKOLAI in September 2001. He visits the hospital
in Kodiak daily and the Senior Center, as their hours will allow.
Alexei first attended St. Herman's Theological Seminary as a fulltime
student the 2001/02-seminary year. Shannon likes being with her
father. She is an Honor Roll student at her school in Kodiak. Shannon
has been selected to travel to Washington D.C. in August to represent
Alaska as an Honor Student. Enid is a Health Aid at the school in
Port Lions and has had the care of a handicapped child - her niece.
She works with her niece 4 hours a day. Alexei says the pay is terrible
but she loves this child and cannot leave her. Shane is in Port
Lions with his mother. Since Port Lions is only 10 minutes by air
and about 25 minutes by speedboat, Bishop NIKOLAI approved Alexei's
situation for him to attend St. Herman's Theological Seminary and
visit his wife and son every weekend. This is when the entire family
is together. During those weekend visits, he provides services for
Nativity of the Theotokos Orthodox Church in Port Lions and does
outreach to protestant people living in the community. Shane helps
his father with Reader services. He has provided the services on
his own for the parish when Alexei is not there. Alexei says, "We
are really blessed with two wonderful kids. We talk with them all
of the time. They are spoiled." For Enid - she has fully accepted
this whole thing. Alexei says the challenges have been minimal.
His studies are going good. He feels quite prepared for this work
and a great need to teach the faith. Ask Alexei about goals and
he responds, "My goal was to work like the Apostle Paul. I
can't say 'No' to whatever the Lord says my goal will be. It is
important to be able to serve the Lord. Especially in the world
we live in today."
Alexei and Shannon will return to Port Lions in May for summer fishing.
He will fish for Halibut beginning in May and for Salmon in July.
Alexei will return to St. Herman's Theological Seminary to complete
his 2nd year of studies in August for the 2002/03-seminary year.
An Institution of The Diocese of Alaska
2421 Perry St. • Wichita, KS
67204
316-832-0734
info@outreachalaska.org
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