Category: Orthodoxy in the Americas

The first biography of St. Innocent, part 3

What follows is Part 3 of Charles Hale's 1877 biography of St. Innocent. Click here to read Part 1, and click here to read Part 2. Consecrated for a great work he [Innocent] was as prompt to set about it as he was earnest in his labor. Stourdza's "Remembrancer" contains...

The first biography of St. Innocent, part 2

Editor's note: Last week, we presented the first part of the first biography of St. Innocent, written by the Episcopalian clergyman Charles R. Hale. What follows is Part 2, which details the introduction of Orthodoxy to Alaska and the priestly ministry of Fr. John Veniaminoff, the future St. Innocent. Tomorrow,...

The first biography of St. Innocent, part 1

Editor's note: The first biography of St. Innocent of Alaska was not written by an Orthodox author, but by an Episcopalian, Charles R. Hale, in 1877 (a year before St. Innocent's death). Hale (1837-1900) was an Episcopal priest (and later a bishop) who had great affection for the Orthodox Church....

Prayers for the President

Attend an American Orthodox parish today, of any jurisdiciton, and you're likely to hear prayers offered for the President of the United States (and, in some parishes, for the other branches of government as well). The first evidence I've been able to find of such prayers is from the journal...

The Historical Reality of Greek Orthodoxy in America

Last week, I was privileged to speak at the Greek Archdiocese Clergy-Laity Congress in Atlanta. I gave the same talk on two days, July 5 and 6. Below, we've published the text of my lecture. A couple of things, up front: first, I didn't include footnotes, because this was just...

A church in New York in 1850?

The first Orthodox place of worship in New York was founded in 1870, when the Russian Church established an embassy chapel under the care of Fr. Nicholas Bjerring. As we've discussed before, the idea of a New York chapel originated in 1866, and its purpose was primarily to further relations...

Video: Bp. Basil (Essey) on the Episcopal Assembly

The Antiochian Archdiocese website has just published video of His Grace, Bishop Basil (Essey) of Wichita, Secretary of the Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs of North and Central America, reflecting on that body. The video was recorded on June 17, 2010, at his diocesan Parish Life Conference. It's of...

St. Tikhon: address to a newly-married couple

Editor's note: The following homily, by St. Tikhon, was published in the March 1902 English supplement to the Russian Orthodox American Messenger, the official periodical of the Russian Diocese. From the reference to St. Macarios the Great, we can date this homily rather precisely. The feast of St. Macarios is...

Bishop Savas of Troas on the Episcopal Assembly

Bishop Savas of Troas, the Director of the Office of Society and Culture of the Greek Archdiocese, is one of the most visible Greek hierarchs in America. Recently, he was interviewed by Fr. Christopher Metropoulos for the Orthodox Christian Network. To listen to the 17-minute interview, click here. Click here to read...

Lecture at the Clergy-Laity Congress

For any of our readers who will be attending the upcoming Greek Archdiocese Clergy-Laity Congress in Atlanta: On Monday and Tuesday (July 5 and 6), I will be giving a talk on early Greek Orthodoxy in America. My talk focuses roughly on the 1860-1920 period, and regular readers of OrthodoxHistory.org...