Category: Orthodoxy in the Americas

Amazing photo collage of Antiochian priests, circa 1920

First of all, I'm really sorry for my extended absence from this website. Beginning in December, my life went pretty crazy -- first the end of law school, then studying for the bar exam, and then moving and starting my legal career. Unfortunately, I've had no time at all for...

St. Raphael of Brooklyn on the Episcopalians

Today being the ninety-eighth anniversary of the repose of St. Raphael of Brooklyn (+1915), here is a pastoral letter he sent out in 1912 regarding relations with the Episcopal Church, mostly likely written on his behalf by Fr. Ingram Nathaniel Irvine. Thanks to Fr. Joseph Huneycutt of Houston for posting...

Herman, A Wilderness Saint: From Sarov, Russia to Kodiak, Alaska

The following is a book review from our friend and colleague Nicholas Chapman: Herman, A Wilderness Saint: From Sarov, Russia to Kodiak, Alaska is a new book that I think will be of interest to many readers of this web site. It has been translated from Russian and contains material not...

Orthodoxy in America – an Interconnected and Shared History

Presentation given by Nicholas Chapman of Herkimer NY at the OCL 25th Anniversary Conference, Washington DC on Oct 27, 2012. (Original here) Before I begin let me thank George Matsoukas and the Board of OCL for the invitation to present today. I would also like to acknowledge Matthew Namee whose place...

Fr. Andreades’ 1867 New Orleans homily

Archimandrite Stephen Andreades was the first priest of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in New Orleans. He arrived in late 1867, making him the very first resident Orthodox priest in the contiguous United States. Very little is known about Andreades, and most of what we know comes from a short homily...

Thanksgiving at St. Nicholas Cathedral, 1921

Thanksgiving Day as it is constituted as a civil holiday in the United States (and Canada) is not specifically found on the Orthodox liturgical calendar, but that doesn't mean that Orthodox Christians in North America have ignored it.  Here's a notice from the New York Tribune for a Thanksgiving Divine...

Freemasonry in American Orthodox history

Once upon a time, it was the norm for American men to be members of fraternal organizations. These were especially attractive to new immigrants, who wanted to be integrated into American society and make progress in business. And in that earlier era, fraternal membership was the best and quickest way to...

Two Greek youths come to America in 1823

Years ago, on an online database, I came across an article titled "The Two Greek Youth" and published in the April 1823 issue of The Guardian, or Youth's Religious Instructor, a short-lived American magazine. According to the article, Protestant missionaries brought these two boys over from Malta to study at...

This week in American Orthodox history (Nov. 5-11)

November 8, 1894: Memorial services for Tsar Alexander III of Russia were held in New York and Washington, DC. The New York memorial was held in Holy Trinity Greek church, because there was no Russian church in the city. In Washington, President Grover Cleveland attended the service, which was led...