The last in this week’s series of the different ways holy women live out their Orthodoxy is Matushka Olga.
Matushka Olga Michael was a Yup’ik Native Alaskan from a small village on the Kuskokwim River in Alaska. Her husband was not only a priest, but also the village postmaster and general store manager. Matushka Olga was the village midwife and could often tell if a woman was pregnant even before she had missed her period. She was deeply loved in the community for her empathy for anyone who suffered abuse of any kind, especially sexual abuse.
The soul of generosity, she often gave away her own children’s clothing to people who were poorer than her family was. She was an accomplished needlewoman who not only created lovely parkas, boots, and mitten for own children and vestments for her husband, but also knitted socks and created fur garments for other people. Distant parishes would receive surprise gifts from her (often the traditional winter boots called mukluks) to be raffled to benefit their building funds.
Although she has yet to be glorified, she is venerated by many. To those who are in need of healing she has been known to appear, sometimes in the company of the Theotokos.
Holy mother Olga, pray to God for us!
The icon was created by Heather McKean.