Matthew Namee

Matthew Namee serves as editor of OrthodoxHistory.org. He specializes in the history of Orthodoxy in America from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries. He's written a lot about church history, both at this website and elsewhere, and he's spoken at numerous conferences and events. Matthew is the former research assistant to Bill James, the legendary baseball author and Boston Red Sox executive. He went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Kansas and serves as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer for Orthodox Ministry Services. He and his wife Catherine and their children attend Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in Vancouver, WA. Matthew can be contacted at mfnamee [at] gmail [dot] com.


mfnamee@gmail.com

Solving the mystery: the 1921 pan-Orthodox gathering of bishops


Back in July, Fr. Andrew wrote about the above photo, which depicts a gathering of American Orthodox bishops in the early 1920s: Greeks Meletios and Alexander, Russians Platon and Alexander, and Syrian Aftimios. At the time of Fr. Andrew's original post, no one knew exactly when this photo was taken,...

The Erratic Life of Fr. Patrick Mythen


Fr. Patrick Mythen was an Orthodox Christian for just four years, but in that time, he was one of the most powerful priests in the whole Russian Archdiocese. This period -- 1920-1924 -- was one of great tumult and trial for the Russian jurisdiction, as it shifted from an archdiocese...

The First English-Speaking Parish


For a while now, I have been meaning to write about the first all-English Orthodox parish in America, founded in New York City in 1920. Today, I'm going to give a brief introduction to that parish, and the main characters involved. This is hardly the whole story; it really is...

“Oh foolish parent, who hath bewitched you!”


If you are a regular reader of this website, you already know about Fr. Ingram Nathaniel Irvine. Briefly, for those unfamiliar with him: Irvine was a longtime Episcopal priest who was defrocked by his bishop -- unjustly, so he said. St. Tikhon agreed, and, in 1905, Tikhon ordained Irvine to...

Parish Names in American Orthodoxy


Here's a trivia question for you: What is the most common name for an Orthodox parish in the United States? This isn't really an historical question, and it's opening what is not strictly an historical article. But, to answer the question: the most common parish name is "St. Nicholas," followed...

Theophany in American Orthodox history


The latest episode of my American Orthodox History podcast is up over at Ancient Faith Radio. In it, I discuss the feast of Theophany, focusing on several historical celebrations of the feast, including the famous annual celebration at the Greek cathedral in Tarpon Springs, Florida. In the podcast, I read...

Blessing the Kansas River, 1910


    For Orthodox Christians on the Old Calendar, today is the feast of Theophany. I'm hoping to air a whole podcast on Theophany very soon, but in the meantime, I thought I'd reprint an article about a Theophany celebration that took place one hundred years ago.  I live in...

Anti-Greek Riots in Omaha


The Greeks first arrived in South Omaha, Nebraska, in 1904, brought in as strikebreakers in the local meat-packing industry. That didn’t exactly endear them to the community, but they settled in, and by 1907, over 2,000 Greeks were reportedly living in the city. It wasn't long before they built a church, dedicated to St....

Protestant missions among Syrian Orthodox in Boston


Exactly 100 years ago -- January 15, 1910 -- the following article appeared in the Boston Globe: GREEKS OBSERVE NEW YEAR. Services Held in City Churches and Gifts are Exchanged. The members of the Orthodox Greek church celebrated their new year yesterday. The observation of the day included prayers in the two churches...

A Life of St. Herman from 1919


  Vera Vladimirovna Johnston was born in the Russian Empire, married an Englishman, and eventually moved to New York. Her own story is extremely fascinating, and we will discuss it in detail in the future. Today, however, I am reprinting an article she wrote in 1919, entitled, "Herman -- Russian...