____________________________________ From: LJSLumpy@aol.com To: LJSLUMPY@AOL.COM Sent: 3/28/2011 11:54:54 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time Subj: PRESERVING OUR FAMILY & RUSYN GENEALOGY 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. MY G-GRANDFATHER HELPED BUILT THIS CHURCH, JOSEPH WILLIAMS,,,,,,,, Russian name: YEVLAMPII LANOVLES CHELPANOVA nicked named "LIMPO" 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 Pryor 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.