Weeks after the funerals of three people who died as a result of a tragic house fire in Bethel, friends and family came together again to share memories and food in what is known in the Orthodox religious tradition as a 40-day Feast.
Bethel’s cold-weather emergency shelter, Bethel Winter House, hosted the feast at the Yupiit Picaryarait Cultural Center on July 24, precisely 40 days after Doreen Black of Bethel, Gregory Alfred of Kwethluk, and Nastasia Nick of Nunapitchuk were pulled unconscious by emergency responders from a Bethel home that caught fire. All three were medevaced out of Bethel, where they passed away.
Fr. Michael Trefon Jr., a priest at St. Sophia Russian Orthodox Church in Bethel, sang prayers to begin the 40-day Feast alongside the church’s choir director, Ana Hoffman. Trefon explained the significance of the event.
“The 40 days feast is reflecting off of Christ's 40 days where he ascended into heaven,” Trefon said. “These memorial feasts that we have [are] helpful, [are] more healing for the people that they left behind.”
Dozens of attendees, Elders first among them, filled their plates with everything from blackberry akutaq to pepperoni pizza. Then they sat to listen to songs and share stories about 60-year-old Black, 63-year-old Alfred, and 75-year-old Nick.
Bethel resident Trim Nick, who lost his older sister Nastasia in the fire, reminisced about growing up and watching her deliver the daily news in Yup’ik for KYUK TV, and how that inspired him to get involved with KYUK himself. He remembered her as a spunky personality.
“Orthodox Church is more somber, and it's liturgical and it's old fashioned. It's chanting and prayers and music. But once in a blue moon, Nuss would just blurt out ‘Praise the Lord!’” Nick said.
Nick said that Alfred, Black, and his sister looked out for each other amid the struggles they faced.
“Greg and Doreen, even though their home, it was humble and it was lacking in some things, they always took her in and took care of her,” Nick said.
Throughout the 40-day Feast, a common Orthodox refrain kept appearing: Memory Eternal. But this wasn’t in reference to memories of family and friends, like those shared about the three who passed away this summer. For Orthodox believers, it is a call to be remembered by God.
