www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall history of melkites and marionite in USA

I thought the Melkites were Austrian.

Confused.

Andrew

Evidently . . .

Alex

It explains the traditional bishop's Steireranzug of the Melkites.

Austria, land of skiing and close to the ancestoral home of Ruthenia. St. Melk may have preached the gospel once upon a time in Austria. But no documents exist to prove othewise.

Incognitus,

Saint George's closure was unrelated to the events that I described above. Father Ghosn, of blessed memory, served the parish for about 30 years after those happenings, until his repose. At that time, early to mid-50s, Cardinal Spellman intended to close it on the grounds that there were no longer any Melkites living in the area and being served by it.

As I recollect, a priest associated with CNEWA interceded and Father Allan Maloof, of blessed memory, was assigned there for a few years, before being transferred to Virgin Mary in Brooklyn. I believe the parish remained open with a Latin administrator for a couple more years, but was eventually suppressed in the late '50s. Cardinal Cooke returned it to the Melkites shortly after the installation of Sayednah Joseph, of blessed memory. If my memory isn't playing tricks on me, there was a short-lived effort made to revive it - I can't state unequivocally whether a priest was actually assigned (or whom it might have been) or whether Father Exarch Elias Skaff, of blessed memory, and his assistants served it from Virgin Mary.

I do know that the effort was unsuccessful; as was the case when it was initially suppressed, there weren't sufficient Melkites living/working in the area for a viable congregation to be formed. Ultimately, Sayednah Joseph closed and sold the church and property. I believe there is now a restaurant at the site.

Or, did you have some other events in mind that I have missed

Many years,

Neil

The priest was Father Patrick Moloney, who did indeed succeed in getting Saint George's into a functional condition - whereupon a certain Lebanese Archbishop who will here be nameless suddenly pulled the rug (a prayer-rug, no doubt) out from under, egged on by an Archimandrite in a neighboring parish who didn't like the idea of competition.

Cardinal Spellman closed the Italo-Greek Church, the Melkite Church (Saint George's) and the Maronite Church (which was a memorial to Andrew Shipman). He would gleefully have closed the Russian Church, had not, by God's grace, the Cardinal pre-deceased Father Archpriest Andrew Rogosh. With such a penchant for closing churches, one is tempted to ask for whom Spellman was in fact working.

Incognitus

Incognitus,

Would that not have been a Syrian Archbishop?

I recollect that a former Bostonian (a Latin) and I recently discussed Cardinal Spellman's attitude toward Churches of the East - he had a telling anecdote that I didn't find surprising but which escapes me at the moment. Will try and resurrect it. Suffice it to say that I don't think the man from Whitman, MA was any friend to us.

Many years,

Neil

A Niall, a chara dhil,
Not even I would dare to repeat the comments of Father Allen Maloof (Memory Eternal!) about Francis Cardinal Spellman.

Incognitus

Incognitus,

I found the remarks that my fellow Bostonian sent to me regarding Cardinal Spellman. My recollection on re-reading them is that we were discussing the prospects (or lack of same) for an Easterner to succeed Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory. I brought up the instance of the attention given to His Beatitude Krikor Bedros Cardinal Aghajanian, also of blessed memory, at the time of Pope Pius XII's repose.

My friend wrote:

My reply to him was my suspicion that the letter had likely been given short shrift.

And that evoked from Father Allen, memory eternal, who, from all indications, was someone whom Spellman liked. One can only imagine the reactions he evinced in those whom he actively disliked. My personal feelings about him are strongly colored by his disdain for Cardinal Cushing, memory eternal, of whom I remain an admirer these many years after his repose.

Many years,

Neil

Cardinal Cushing was well liked in my neck of the woods, my baptism certificate carries his signature in ye old fountain pen.

james

Hey James

Some of us oldies still use ye old fountain pen.

My husband always uses his , I do when writing something I want to look good.

My elder daughter always uses one.

Our family has a tradition of giving one as a 21st birthday present to the various offspring of my cousins.

Aaaaaand my 10 yr old Grandson has just been given his first fountain pen.

the obviously far too old Anhelyna - who used a 'dipping' pen at school

A Niall, a chara,
Your humble servant is also an admirer of Cardinal Cushing - he and Archbishop Fulton Sheen could well be declared patrons of the Irish Melkites. Perhaps a pilgrimage to Melk Abbey in their honor would be worth-while? We could stop in Vienna and partake of Viennese pastries.

le gach beannacht,

Incognitus

I guess that one difference between the history of the Melkites and the Rusyns and Ukrainians in the USA is that because when the Rusyns and Ukrainians started to come to the USA, Orthodoxy was not a strong factor. So, when the Rusyns and Ukrainians became Orthodox, it was more noticable.
Any other ideas?