"Great art Thou, O Lord, and marvelous are Thy works; and there is no word sufficient to hymn Thy wonders!"

With such words of praise, St. Jacob of Alaska Orthodox Christian Mission celebrated the Great Blessing of the Waters at Marquette Lower Harbor of Lake Superior, a few hundred yards from the iconic ore dock and historic downtown of Marquette, Michigan, on the Saturday after Theophany. Marquette residents looked on and took photographs.

Priest Micah Chisholm of St. Sebastian Orthodox Christian Mission Church in Traverse City, MI, a great friend and frequent guest of the community, celebrated the Great Blessing of the Waters after Divine Liturgy, assisted by Deacon Jesse Rimshas, who serves as Mission Coordinator of St. Jacob's, and by the faithful of St. Jacob's.

St. Jacob of Alaska Orthodox Christian Mission, a five-month-old community under the omophorion of Archbishop Peter, is named for St. Jacob Netsvetov, co-laborer with St. Innocent and the first Orthodox Christian priest born in North America. They are currently holding services every other week at Northern Michigan University until a more permanent location can be found. For more information about St. Jacob's, please visit https://www.marquetteorthodox.org