RUSSIA-L Archives

From:
Subject: [RUSSIA] PRESERVING OUR FAMILY & RUSYN GENEALOGY
Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 15:29:42 -0400 (EDT)

PRESERVING YOUR FAMILY & RUYSN GENEALOGY

Ref. by:

Loretta Jean Sitka (Szczotka) Selway
5346 W. Port Au Prince Ln.
Glendale, AZ.

From The Monessen Daily Independent - - - - July 20, 1910 on
page 2.


THE FIRST CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS

"The First Russian Church of St. Nicholas" for which a charter is asked
at Marianna, PA., will be an object of great interest in the religious
world. The Church of the Czar has but a mere foothold in this land and a little
band of children who are striving to build them selves a home are
determined that it shall stand as a fitting monument to their efforts. A number of
Greek-Catholic churches whose members are Russians, are in existence, but
Marianna expects to have what the name implies, the first CHURCH OF ST.
NICHOLAS in the country. They are "THE OLD BELIVERS"
A colony of about 75 Russians is keeping the church spirit alive at
Marianna. They like the place, are content with their work and the reports
they sent to their friends and relatives will soon increase the colony to
several hundreds. Some of these not yet there are ready to send a little
money to help build a church in their future home.
Among the leaders in the Russian Colony are JOHN MOX, "JOSEPH
WILLIAMS" (our G-Grandfather) and LOUIS PEDEROFF. They have bought 80 x 120 feet
on the most beautiful location in East Marianna, where nearly all the
future members will live within sight of the new structure.
Some of the Marianna members attempted to organize a congregation at
McKees Rocks, but on account of the labor troubles there and the certainly
of employment, these Peaceable Russian New-comers abandoned the effort, but
they were not discouraged.
What relations they will establish with the Mother Church, and to
what extenet they will observe the Ancient Cermonies, will attract the
interest of all interest .

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marianna PA. is a "Coal Patch" town. The owner of the coal patch town &
coal mine gave to our Russian men all the bricks needed to build the new
church. And it is absolutely beautiful the bricks are sandy yellow color, it
has a cupola on top.
We stopped there to look up some of the last "old" remaining Russian
relatives &
families hoping to get a glimpse into our past. This is how I discovered
about the brinks for the church, findinga beautiful Russian woman in her
80's, her name was Norma and she knew of our Russian relatives. She is the
historian of Marianna, PA. and she knew & remembered our Russian kin. The
"Old Believers" were called White Russians. Belarusan translates to "White
Russian"

WHERE DID THE RUSYNS COME FROM AND FROM WHOM DID THEY RECIEVE CHRISTIANITY?

Article from: "OUR PEOPLE - CARPATHO-RUSYNS and their Descendants in
North America" 1995, by: Dr. Paul Robert Magocse.

The study of eastern European scholars it was generally felt that the
Carpathian region was the original home of all the Slavs. Today, however it
is felt that original Slavic homeland was just north of the Carpathians in
what is today eastern POLAND, southwestern BELARUS and northwestern UKRAINE.
Archaeological remains indicate the the human settlement in the RUSYN
region south in the Car[athians goes back for centuries before CHRIST, but it
is still not certain when our ancestors the RUSYNS first made their
appearance. Some support the so called autochonous theiry argue that the RUSYNS
were already in the Carpathians in the fifth & sixth centuries AD and that
they had a state ruled by a PRINCE LABOREC' which was "independant" until it
destruction by their Magyars at the end of the thirteenth century.
Most likely Rusyns first settled in the Carpathians as part of the
great migration of Slavs during the sixth & seventh centuries AD. They were
know at the time as "WHITE CROATS" and came from regions immediately to
the north & east like Galicia, Volhynia and Podolia, later Prince ofMukachevo
and the legendary founder of the near by Monastery of ST. NICHOLAS on
Monk's Hill (Chernecha Hora)
Traditionally, Rusyn historians argue that their people received
Christianity fro the "Aposties to the Slavs" Cyril and Mathofius as part of
their mission from the BYZANTINE EMPIRE to the state known as Greater Maravia
in 863.. Although based in formaer central Czechoslovia )Moravia, eastern
Bohemia, and western Slovakia. It should be mentioned that although the
Cyyil-Methodian mission brought Christianty according to the eastern
Byzantine Rite, it came "from the west" and was recognized by the Pope. The
Universal Church had , of course, not yet become divided into "western Roman
"and" eastern ORTHODOX" Christian spheres. The arival of RUSYNS (that is the
Rus' people or those of the Orthodox faith.
As for the Carpathpo-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church
(Johnstown Diocese) excepts both the "western " and "eastern" views, that is it
recognizes the importance of the Cynl-Methodian mission as well as the Kievan
Prince Vladimir's conversion for Capathp-Rusyn religions tradition. On the
other hand the Orthodox Church in America and the Patriarchal Exarchate (in
whch Carpatho-Rusyns are members) emphasize the "eastern theory" and
therefore they participated fully.

This thread:

• [RUSSIA] PRESERVING OUR FAMILY & RUSYN GENEALOGY by