A (very) brief history of Orthodoxy in America

In North America the Orthodox church and faith are largely unknown to most people, or thought of perhaps in a casual and confused way as a sort of Catholic church that uses Greek or Russian for some reason. Part of the reason for this of course is that much of the early immigration to this continent and the founders of the various nations and colonial realms were largely from Western Europe, and thus either Roman Catholic or Protestant.

The only early Orthodox presence was on the far western edge of things in Alaska, which was a Russian colony and where figures like the missionary later recognized as St. Herman did much to establish an Orthodox presence in that area. Herman and other Orthodox clergy were tireless advocates of fair and respectful treatment for the native peoples, and established deep roots among them.

This Russian Orthodox foothold extended down into northern California, and being the earliest Orthodox presence in North America took onto itself, according to Orthodox canon and practice, the general shepherding of Orthodox peoples throughout the United States and Canada.

As time went on, many peoples from traditionally Orthodox countries besides Russia began to immigrate to the New World. Greeks, Syrians, Albanians, Macedonians, Carpatho-Russians and many others came here and sought to preserve their native Orthodox traditions and customs in their new home. In the late 19th and very early 20th centuries there was a window of opportunity for the establishment of some form of overall, unified Orthodox church in America. 

Bishop Tikhon of what was then called the "Metropolia" was a staunch advocate of Orthodox unity, and a keen respecter of the needs of the various ethnic groups. He sought to build a collegial body within which regional and ethnic traditions could be respected, but that would provide a cohesive unity beneficial to both the "cradle" Orthodox, and those in their new home who might be attracted to the treasure of Orthodoxy.

Unfortunately the onset of WWI with the subsequent terror of the Bolshevik Revolution, and the dissolution of the old empires led to a great surge of conflict and nationalism and ethnic focus. The resulting complications and tensions put much of the earlier work to naught and led directly and indirectly to the confusing aspect of Orthodoxy in North America today, where there are multiple "jurisdictions," all with their own bishops, monasteries and so forth. In recent years the long lasting impact of WWI and subsequent events seems to be receding somewhat, and new hopes and possibilities for great Orthodox unity in North America are emerging.

Please note that this is indeed a very brief and greatly simplified presentation of a hugely complex history. It is done only to illuminate that which is often so confusing to those coming to Orthodoxy and to provide some background to the establishment of our beloved parish. It is not intended to stand as a complete or in depth examination of a many faceted and at times contentious history.There are many good books on the topic, one being Orthodox Christians in North America: 1794-1994, by Mark Stokoe and Leonid Kishkovsky.