How the Holy Fire Came to America

This is the story of a reverse pilgrimage. Instead of packing our bags to visit the site of a miracle, the miracle came to us. Every Pascha, a miracle takes place at the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem: a mysterious blue flame descends, and set candles spontaneously on fire. For the first half hour or so the flame is mysteriously cool, and hair or clothing placed in it do not ignite. This miracle has happened every year from the 9th century. The flame descended as usual on Pascha, April 8, 2017, but then something unusual happened: the next day, it was brought by plane to America. People began to share the fire from one church to the next. Before long, something of a movement arose to spread the fire as widely as possible, coordinating through a dedicated Facebook page, and hand-carried across the nation. This book describes the journeys made by "humble firebearers" to bring the Holy Fire even to distant, remote Orthodox communities. In the process, another unexpected miracle took place, as Orthodox Christians were united in a common goal across all ethnic and jurisdictional boundaries. May the Holy Fire continue to spread, and make us all one