St. Peter the Aleut Martyr

St. Peter the Aleut Martyr

(Commemorated September 24 n.c. / October 7 o.c.)


St. Peter the Aleut the Martyr († 1815) was a young Aleut who was born and raised on one of the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago.

It is known that Peter was a young man at the time of his martyrdom. He is believed to have been born between 1795 and 1802.

It is also known that in everyday life the young man was called Kunganyak, and Peter (most likely was his baptized name) in the church.

In 1815, as a young man, together with 13 fellow Aleuts, fishermen and hunters, he sailed to the shores of California where he was captured by the Spaniards. There he suffered a martyr's death, refusing to betray his Orthodox Christian faith.

Thanks to a friend who witnessed the torment and death of the young man, we know about this feat of devotion to Christ. There is not much information about the life of this boy - his life was short-lived. But this is the fate of a hard worker and a true Christian.

His friend, Ivan Kychali was the only witness to the martyrdom of St. Peter in 1815. The Lord kept him so that he could tell the world about the feat of the Saint. The young man's ordeal continued for 4 years. In 1819, he escaped from Spanish captivity, with great difficulty reached Fort Ross and, with the help of the Russians, was transported to Novoarkhangelsk (now Sitka), to Baranov Island. There he told Mr. Janowski, the governor, what death Peter had to endure. Having listened to the young man, Simeon Yanovsky was shocked by his story and told of the martyred young Aleut in St. Petersburg, having compiled a detailed report to the authorities.



Simeon Yanovsky (who ended his life as the schemamonk Sergius in the St. Tikhon of Kaluga Monastery), has left the following account:

“On another occasion I was relating to him how the Spanish in California had imprisoned 14 Aleuts, and how the Jesuits (actually Franciscans) were forcing all of them to accept the (Roman) Catholic Faith. But the Aleuts would not agree under any circumstances, saying, ‘We are Christians.’ The Jesuits argued, ‘That’s not true, you are heretics and schismatics. If you do not agree to accept our faith then we will torture all of you to death.’ Then the Aleuts were placed in prisons two to a cell. That evening, the Jesuits came to the prison with lanterns and lighted candles. Again they tried to persuade two Aleuts in the cell to accept the (Roman) Catholic Faith. ‘We are Christians,’ the Aleuts replied, ‘and we will not change our Faith.’ Then the Jesuits began to torture them, at first the one while his companion was a witness. They cut off one of the joints of his feet, and then the other joint. Then they cut the first joint on the fingers of his hands, and then the other joint. Then they cut off his feet, and his hands. The blood flowed, but the martyr endured all and firmly repeated one thing: ‘I am a Christian.’ He died in such suffering, due to a loss of blood. The Jesuit also promised to torture his comrade to death the next day.

But that night an order was received from Monterey stating that the imprisoned Aleuts were to be released immediately, and sent there under escort. Therefore, in the morning all were sent to Monterey with the exception of the dead Aleut. This was related to me by a witness, the same Aleut who had escaped torture, and who was the friend of the martyred Aleut. I reported this incident to the authorities in Saint Petersburg. When I finished my story, Father (St.) Herman asked, ‘What was the name of the martyred Aleut?’ I answered, ‘Peter. I do not remember his family name.’ The Elder stood reverently before an icon, made the Sign of the Cross and said, ‘Holy New Martyr Peter, pray to God for us!’”
*St. Peter the Aleut is mentioned in the Life of St. Herman of Alaska. There is a possibility that Kunganyak-Peter was his spiritual son.
There is very little known about St. Peter, except that he was from Kodiak, and was arrested and put to death by the Spaniards in California because he refused to convert to Roman Catholicism. The circumstances of his martyrdom recall the (similar) torture of St. James the Persian (November 27).
Both in his sufferings and in his steadfast confession of the Faith, St. Peter is the equal of the martyrs of old, and also of the New Martyrs who have shone forth in more recent times. Now he rejoices with them in the heavenly Kingdom, glorifying God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, throughout all ages.
St. Kunganyak-Peter is the first Saint of North American descent and the first indigenous North American Saint.
(Apolytikion in first Tone)
“O Peter, upon the rock of thy faith hath Christ built His Church, and in the streams of thy blood hath He hallowed our land. In thee thy people hath been sanctified, O Aleut; from the farthest islands of the west hath He raised thee, a light unto all. Glory to Him that hath glorified thee. Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee.”
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