The Saint Raphael Clergy Brotherhood

(Warning: this review may contain spoilers)

Apostle to the Plains is a book worth reading (or listening to, as I did)- both for perspective and building appreciation, as well as for learning a small part of the history of part of the Orthodox Church.

What a book to begin listening to during a time of pandemic! When I first started listening to this, we had been under stay at home orders for at least a month. We have not been to our church for at least five weeks. We were still ordering groceries from the delivery service. I was still going through extreme measures every time I returned home from work or from being out at a store. And while I did not feel isolated because I have a large family, and I was still working, I did feel disconnected.

Then on a 5 mile walk with my two-year-old, I turned on the story and she and I listened together to the story of Nicola Yanney, a Serbian man who immigrated to America with his new wife in the late 1800s. The descriptions of the immigration process, settling into a new home, and of frequent separations from his wife as he performed his duties as a traveling salesman were humbling. As the story went on, the tale depicted loneliness and a true longing for fellowship and worship, as the young immigrant couple labored to build a life and also to maintain their faith - on their own and without a local church or priest. The story reminded me that what we experience in longing for reunion and communion is real, and that it is a feeling that many have felt throughout the years. The sadness when the couple realized they had missed an opportunity to attend a service when a traveling priest visited the nearby town was so poignant, and their joy a year later when the same priest came back had me weeping alongside them. It had been 6 years for them, and it would be many more years, with more sadness and loss, before Nicola Yanney was able to worship and commune again. By the time he became Father Nicola Yanney, he had experienced deep sadness while maintaining his faith.

The story seems to begin again with his ordination. Father Nicola not only took on responsibility for the newly established local church, he also took on responsibility for a vast area of the Midwest, traveling at least four months of every year in order to serve other Orthodox Christians. Throughout the book there are tales of joy and sadness and much of the hardship experienced by Father Nicola and his family - the children left behind each time he took another missionary journey. We learn hardship and poverty that he, and they, experienced with grace and faith. The seeming monotony in the middle of the book, as we hear of travels to and from, of baptisms and burials, of discord and of marriages, all add credence to the struggle of this priest, and perhaps of every priest - the pull to worship and to serve and to be there for all in need, while also having a desire to be with family and care for them. In this tale, we hear of the struggle that is present for those in ministry.

We also hear of another time of pandemic, and the impact that had on the world and the church. Father Nicola Yanney served his parishioners during the flu in 1918. We hear in this tale of the precautions taken in different towns and of those who succumbed to the flu, including Father Nicola. The tale is cautionary to us, and encouraging.

In listening to this book, during this time of pandemic, I appreciated more what we do have during this time. I thought with gratitude of my own priest, and our parish, and even of the ease with which we travel when we are able to go to church - though ours is 90 minutes one way, I am reminded of how much joy there is in worship together and look forward to the reunion with those that have become family.

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review. It was time well spent listening. My children enjoyed it as well, though there were times when we would pause to discuss issues of loss, grief, interpersonal struggles and other real-to-life issues that arose.

4 Stars overall because the middle can seem long and repetitive.
4 Stars for performance because I ended up listening to the book at 1.5-1.7 x the speed - I felt the reader was slower paced than I would have preferred.
5 Stars for the story because it is absolutely worth listening to and I recommend it to anyone who is interested.… (mehr)