On a rare but beautiful sunny day in Kodiak, the St. Herman Seminary community of faculty, students and families gathered together for our Christmas photo on the steps of Holy Resurrection Cathedral, where the relics of St. Herman of Alaska rest. The photographer was the local author Mike Rostad, who wrote the article listed below.

The three young men in the front are holding traditional Native Alaskan Christmas Stars. These stars are carried with groups that carol from house to house during the Nativity Season. The star is held by a handle and twirled around the center icon of the Nativity of Christ. During "starring" there are also traditional Christmas carols sung in Alaskan Native languages. The whole community looks forward to starring because of the joy it begins to each family that is visited by the star.