xt7xd21rk06k https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt7xd21rk06k/data/mets.xml Historical Records Survey (New York, N.Y.) United States. Works Projects Administration. Division of Professional and Service Projects New York Historical Records Survey (New York, N.Y.) United States. Works Projects Administration. Division of Professional and Service Projects 1940 xxvii, 178 numb. l. 28 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries. Call Number: FW 4.14:N 42yc books English New York City, This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. New York Works Progress Administration Publications Orthodox Eastern Church--New York (State)--New York Armenian Church in America--New York (State) -- New York Archives -- Churches--New York City -- Catalogs New York (N.Y.) -- Churches Inventory of the Church Archives in New York City. Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Armenian Church in America, 1940 text Inventory of the Church Archives in New York City. Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Armenian Church in America, 1940 1940 1940 2020 true xt7xd21rk06k section xt7xd21rk06k ON

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THE HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY

IN NEW YORK CITY

In: Inﬂhrlvﬂwhﬁun

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INVEETTORY OF THE CE'RCH ATCHIVES
IN NEW YORK CI

TEE PLEECIAIA CELT

FREE“ ARE LI
TEE HI STCRI CA1 RECORDS SURVEY
DIVE SIORT OF PROF LSSIC‘ZTAL AZ'D 83? VL,IC PRO JECTS
TJ'ORK PROJECTS ADLZIZIISTRA T101?
FEET YORK CI TY
DECEMER — 1940

RECORDS SURVEY

Sargent B. Child, Fetional Director
Charles C. Fisher, State Supervisor for Few York City

DIVISION OF PROFTSSIOKAL AND SERVICE PROJECTS

Florence Kerr, Asistdnt Commissioner
Agnes S. Cronin, Chief Regional Supervisor
Joseph L. Ginniff, Director for few York City

WORKS PROJECTS ADMIHISTRATIOH

Howard 0. Hunter, Acting Commissiozer
R.C. Branion, Regional Director
Oliver A. Gottschalk, Acting Adrinistretor for fenlbrk<ﬁty

SPONSOR

Fiorello H. La Guardia
Mayor of the City of New York

FOREWORD

rude

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We are happy here to have the opportunity to express our

for this historical document detailing the Archives of the Russian Or—

1 .

thodox hurch. We appreciate the amount of work this publication has

entailed the lew York Historical Records Survey, and are please

to say
that the result is an historically sound and unbiased boo; Which will
olease and orofit all who have an interest in Russian Orthodox Church

activities

Licnolas

Archbishop of Irthodox

ChurcL in Iorth rd Aleutian
July 15, 1940 Islands

I have read with pleasure the excellent historical sketch and

archival in entory of the Syrian Archdioccse of Iew York on“ All Eorth

America, prewarcd b7 the Historical Records Survey of sew York City.

The work is an accurate portrayal of the growth of our Church ir Tam

York City an has uncovered a wealth of immortant inforrntiOi which

would othcrwise be dhcvcilabl=. It is 0"r home that the iistoricnl

Records Survey will be hols to complc e this valuable program for as
inventory of all church archives within the city
Aetrcoolitah Antony Eashir

The Syrian Archdiocese of Kew York
December 18, 1340 and All Iorth America.

Foreword

It gives us great pleasure to express our appreciation afterine
have seen your earnest endeavour in compiling the necessary data for the
many and ‘ifferent historical sketches concerning Church life and organ~
ization in the United States. We can imagine how difficult a task it
must have been to gather so many facts of historical importance and ar—
range them in final form. with all necessary corrections and elucida—
tions, for publication. Certainly it must have been done very cautious—

ly, as otherwise any erroneous statement published in a historical

ketch would have deprived it of the very significance end imoortance
which is required from such a work.

Archbishop Adam
The Horth American Carnatho—Russian
December 23, 1940 Orthodox Greek Catholic Diocese, Inc.

I went over the compilation of records of the Greek Orthodox
Churches in New York with pleasure. I find it a work of great import—

the

‘1

ance to the Church historian and also to the general public. 39in.
first effort and an original research work, it is only natural that
some errors may be observed here and there, but as a whole it is a
valuable record.

The Historical Records Survey of the Work Projects Administration

and all those who took the initiative in compiling the record deserve

the warmest congratulations. The Work is indeed a great capital to the
future generations and truly enriches our beloved America, this really
great and civilized country.

ArchtishOp Athenagoras

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Forth
January 15, 1941 and South America.

PREFACE

In January 1938, by authority of a Presidential letter, the
Historical Records Survey was established under the national direction
of Dr. Luther H. Evans, to provide useful employment for needy unemnloye
ed professional technical, and clerical workers. Among the nation—wide
objectives of this project, was the compilation of inventories of all
ecclesiastical records in the United States, denomination by denomina—
tion. These records are izivaluable, though heretofore largely
unlocated or unknown, sources of social, religious, and vi‘

tal—statls—
tical studies of national and local history. On March 1, 1940, Ir.
Sargent E. Child succeeded Dr. Evans as National Director of the Survev.

Inventories of the records of each denomination will eventually be
published for every state. For the wurnose of this sur‘oﬁ, few York
City was designated as a forty—ninth state, under the successive direct—
orshins of hrs. Crete Hutchinson, Eoward E. Colgan, George J. Killer,
and since October 1939, Charles C. Fisher. The Yew York City project

ceased to exist as part of Federal Project #1 on September 1, 1939,
from which time it has operated under the snonsorship of Fiorello H.
La Guardia, Mayor of the City of Hen York.

The present inventory——one of a series which will eventually cover
every denomination represented in few York City-~includes every congre—
gation of the 13 Eastern Orthodox bodies and of the Armenian Eoly
Apostolic Church of America within the five boroughs of the City.
Although the Armenian Church formally broke with the Orthodox Church
in 491 A.D., its doctrine and ritual have remained similar enough to
that of the allied Orthodox Churches to warrant inclusion in the same
000K.

In the course of preparing this inventory, some records, astumed
to have been lest, and others long misplaced, were located; in some
cases, records found to be in poor condition have been reconditioned“
In at least one case, the discove y of a group of records from all
oarts of the continent, which should have formed an integral part of
records now in the Library of Congress, has resulted in an offer that
these records be assembled and oreserved in the national canital. It
is hoped that subsequent inventories will lead to similar discovery,
centralization, and preservation of other records now unknown or
believed lost.

The cooperative aid of priests and other church officials is
gratefully acknowledged as having been indispensable to the completion
of this inventory. Special acknowledgment is due to Archbishop
Nicholas of the Rusﬂen Orthodox Church in North America and the
Aleutian Islands. Metrooolitan Antony Bashir of the Syrian Archdiocese
of Few York and All Forth America, Archbishop Adam of the Forth

Preface

American Carpatho—Russian Greek Catholic Diocese, and Archbishop
Athenagoras of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and Sou h
America, for careful reading of the text and their contribution of
the Forewords, arranged by date of writing.

The work of collecting, verifying, and editing the inventory has
been done under the direct supervision of Harry E. Greene and his
successor, Mrs. Alice Louise Hayes. The historical sketches are mainly
the work of William Fisher and Charles E. Baker. Indexing was done by
Harry Pollack, The research on which the book is based was mainly the
work of Michael Vartanoff.

Final editorial responsibility was exercised by Charles E. Baker,
Editor—in—Chief of the New York City Historical Records Survey. Thi
iQVentory was prepared in accordance with instructions from the Kati
Office of the Historical Records Survey Projects; detailed editorial
comments and criticism were made by Donald A. Thompson, Assistant
-rchivist for Church Archives Inventories.

Charles C. Fisher
State Supervisor for Iew York City
Historical Records Survey

December 31, 1940

TABLE OF COFTEITS

Explanatory Notesz . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Organization Dates and Arrangement . . a
Form of Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . ,
Records System . . . . . , . . . . . . .
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . .'. . .
Gloasary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Historical Background . . . . . . . . f . . .

ﬁetrowolitan's Council . . . . . .

Carpatho—Russian Diocese . . . . . . . . .

Carpatho—Russian Eastern Rite Church . . . .

Archdiocese of forth America and Aleutian Islands

Exarchate of North America and Aleutian Island
Syrian Archdiocese of Korth America . . . . .
Greek Archdiocese of Eorth and South America
Ukrainian Orthodox Diocese . . . . . . . . .
Autocephalous Ukrainian Church . . . . . . .
A u t o n Omens Greek Church, Philadelphia Synod
Independent Greek Churches . . a . . . . . .
Rumanian Orthodox Church . . . . . . . . . .
Rumanian Orthodox independent . t . . . . . .

Emlgwian Orthodox Church . n . . . . . . . .

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Table of Contents

Holy Orthodox Church in America . .

Armenian Apostolic Church, American Diocese

Corjorete Titles of Churches Otherwise Unknowr

Bibliography . . . . .

Indexes:

Churches in the United States

in Alaska

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by Borou

in the United

and Canada

H.Y.C. . .

States . .

in Alaska and Canada . .

New York City

United States, Alaska,

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EXPLANATORY NOT

ganization

The Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Eastern Cnurcn is the collective
name of the various church bodies which nave stemmed from the orimitive
Christianity of the Eas st and base themselv ves upon tne creedal forudlations
of the firs seven ecumenical councils of Christendom. Theoretically they
have r emai ned in lull communion with one anothers whetner their origin was
by missionary activity or by absciSSion. Although some groups regard
:tners as schisnatic, all profess adherence t h sane essential doctrines

o t e
and soirit tual communion within the One Undiv ided Church.

The ancient Christian Church was divided
into bishoprics, over which full ecclesias 1c
Several bishops, subject only to the decrees o e
councils. Some of these bishoprics, because of e
Cities, their connection with FOWerful tempore l rule
of their bishops, came to have an outs tar noing tre t d
which lesser eparchies more and more deier red. The molt p

r - r

1 a umeni cal

ts in mportant

r the amoition
1nfluence, to

s om1erf1 of the
bishops were dinniiied with the title oi pat iarcn, and t eir cishoorics,
called patrie rchies, assumed jurisdic ional preeminence over the surround—
;ng eparchies. In the ancient Church, the blSLOJTICS thich attained this
preeminence Were those 01 Rome, Constantinople (Byzantium), Alexandria,
Jerusalem, and Antioch.

Because oi their seats 1n the capitals of the Eastern and Western
Empires and their political connection with the experors, the Patrierc he
of Roy is and Constantinople assumed c rival leadership in the Church which
ended only with the Separhtlon of the Tomin Church from the main body of
Christendom in lOSAla Since "a sacred character .as ascribed to the

ed ords l'ke the ishop: " the

Emperors, who were held to be anoint: 1 b ,
Byzantine. Emperor and, after 1455, t ultan of Turkey, sometim
patriarchs in favor of more pliaole appointees, in Whom they yes
tain civil as well as plenary ecclesiastical authority. The Pat
of Constantinople had a magnificent court and a large entourage. The
imperial dioceses oi Pont us, asia, Thrace, and Eastern Illyricum were under
its immediate jurisdiction, and as the Turkish Enpire extended its borders
others were organized or brought under the patriarchal authority. To the
extent that the Empire was universal, the Patriarch of Constantinople was
in fact ecumenical.

Explanatory Notes

The vast influence of the Ecumenical Patriarch, extended by mission—
ary activity and by the nominal obeisance of independent Orthodox Churches
which felt the need of a personal symbol of their unity in creed andrituah
has never developed the machinery of ecclesiastical sovereignty enjoyed by
the Pope of Rome. Although the other patriarchates and independent
churches have from time to time sought the prestige of ecumenical approval,
the Patriarchate of COnstantinople has no authority except over such metro-
politanates, archdioceses, dioceses, and missionary districts as have been
created by its own missionary activity or brought under its jurisdiction
by voluntary submission or by political coersion. Other bodies, deferriny
to the Ecumenical Patriarch's historical preeminence, may express them~
selves as recognizing his spiritual primacy, but actually thev remain as

autonomous as the Eastern Orthodox bodies vhich do not so express them—

selves.

In recent years, following the division of the Russian Church, the
influence of the Ecumenical Patriarch has been extending through the desire
of new church bodies for its moral and spiritual approval; among such
bodies were the Living Church of Russia (Holy Synod of Moscow) and the
churches of Finland, Esthonia, Czechoslovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the
Ukrainian Republic. In America, the following bodies have recognized the
Ecumenical Patriarch as the supreme spiritual authority: the Greek Arch-
diocese of North and South America, the Ukrainian Orthodox Diocese, the
Carpatho—Russian Eastern Rite Church, and the Poly Orthodox Church in
America.

In ecclesiastical affairs, the Patriarch acts with two governing
bodies: (a) a permanent Holy Synod, consisting of 12 metropolitans, six
of whom are reelected every year from the whole number of metropolitans,
arranged in three classes according to a fixed cycle; (b) t e Permanent
National Mixed Council, consisting of four metropolitans, m mbers of the
Holy Synod, and eight laymen. All of these are chosen by electoral
body, consisting of all the members of the Holy Synod and 8 Permanent
National Mixed Council, and 25 representatives of the paris es of Constan-
tinople.

h
e
h
h

The Patriarch is chosen by an electoral assembly formed for the pur-
pose, consisting of the 12 members of the holy Synod, the eirht lay members
of the National Mixed Council, 28 representatives of as many dioceses (the
remaining dioceses having only the right to nominate the candidate by
letter), 10 representatives of the parishes of Constantinople, lO repre-
sentatives of all persons who possess political rank, 10 representatives
of the Christian trades of Constantinople, the two representatives of the
secretariat of the Patriarchate, and such metropolitans, to the number of
ten, but no more, as happen at the time to be in Constantinople for some
canonical reason. On the death or deposition of the Patriarch, the Holy

Explanatory Notes

Synod and the National Mixed Council at once meet and elect a temporar
substitute. Forty days afterwards, the electoral assembly meets, unde
his presidency, and proceeds to make a list of 20 candidates (at the
present day they must be metropolitans), who may be proposed either by
the members of the electoral assembly or by any of the metropolitans of
the patriarchate by letter. This list of 20 candidates is sent to the
head of the state (Sultan or President), who may strike out five names.
From the 15 remaining candidates the electoral assembly chooses three.
These names are then submitted to all the clerical members of the elec~
toral assembly, who nest in church, and after the usual service, make the
final selection; and the Patriarch is then invested with his ecclesiasti-
cal and secular authority, formerly by the Sultan.

v1 e<

The household of the Ecumenical Patriarch
who serves as deacon in the liturgy and pr en
Grand Visitor, Who superintends the monasteri r
who superintends ecclesiastical causes; a Deputy Vis'tor rho visits the
nunneries; a Protonotary; a Loaothete, who re t
governmental offices and elsewhere; 9 Censer F
of the guard; a Weferendary, Secretary, Chief Syud

auses), Secorder, and scores of others including e
attendant of the lights, and bearer of the images and o

des: a Grand Steward,
didates for orders; a

the lamps,
he holy ointment.

The Fatriarchate of Moscow and All Russia

The Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia, established in 1589, bore
much the same relation to the Crank Duke of Nuscovy, who had married the
niece of the last Byzantine Emperor, as the Patriarchate of Constantinople
to her uncle and his successors, the Sultans of Turkey. The Czars similar-
ly deposed Patriarchs and in 1721 abolished the Patriarchy altogether,
setting up in its stead a Host Holy Synod, over vhich an Ober Procurator
exercised the power of the throne, until the Patriarchate Was reestablished
during the Revolution of 1917. As Russia became the most powerful of
Eastern Orthodox states, the Russian Church concomitantly encroached upon
the influence of the Ecumenical Patriarch and assumed a quasi—ecumenical
protectorate over many church bodies formerly recognizing the Patriarch
of Constantinople as the supreme spiritual authority. AmOng tmese bodies
was the Patriarchate of Antioch. The Russian Archdiocese in North America
was the largest missionary body responsible to the Most Holy Synod.

The Patriarchate of Moscow, as .eestablished by the Fomiestny Sobor
of 1917, has a tri-partite organization: (1) the Patriarch, head of the
Church; (2) the Sacred Synod, of Which the Patriarch is chairman, consis—
ting of the Metropolitan of Kiev as permanent member, six hierarchs chosen
every third year by the All—Russian Sobor and five hierarchs called in each
year in rotation; and (5) the Highest Church Council, of which the Patri—

Explanatory Notes

arch is chairman, consisting of three hierarchs chosen by -he Sacred Synod
from among its members and one monk, five clerics, and six laymen chosen
every third year by the All—Russian Sobor. The Patriarch, charged with
the internal and external welfare of the Russian Church, and the two
assisting bodies are subject to the supreme authority of the triennial
Russian Pomimmny Sobor, composed of bishops, clerics, and laity from the
whole Church.

The political situation in Russia has prevented this organization
from functioning at all times according to its own constitution. Since
1925, no Patriarch has been chosen, but the authority of the Fat nal
Throne has been exercised by locum tenenti.

The Patriarchal authority in America is exe eroised by an E3