In an 88-minute documentary issued in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the founding of St. Tikhon’s Monastery , "America’s Holy Mountain," filmmaker Grisha Ressetar traces the holy habitation’s history. Through the use of rare photo and movies, some from private collections and never seen before publicly, the story of the monastery is told in the context of Orthodoxy in North America. Included are the arrival of the first monks to Alaska, Patriarch Tikhon and Archbishop Arseny, the Russian Orthodox sobor of 1917-1918, the many bishops who lived there, the seminary and more. The film also interviews several with first-hand knowledge of the monastery’s history, such as Metropolitan Herman, Fr. John Nehrebecki, Fr. John Perich, Fr. Daniel Ressetar and Julia Jacewicz. Narrating is Fr. Daniel Kovalak. Recent footage features St. Tikhon’s through the seasons, from the colorful foliage of fall to the white snow of winter. Scenes from the annual Memorial Day pilgrimage are included as is the all-but-forgotten "second" monastery church, which was destroyed by an arsonist. The educational documentary makes a suitable gift or addition to a parish or personal library.
