Justin Kissel wrote:Ok, we Pennsylvanians will try to take St. Nikolai from Serbia, and you can have Alexis Toth? Just kidding
I hope no one gets offended because of this (it's part jest, part curious commentary on how we recognize saints and what we call them)...
How about a compromise...St. Alexis of Minneapolis and Wilkes-Barre.
I thought so as well, OOD, though human life is often more complicated than it comes across in the biographical info I've seen on the net about him. Perhaps it was a growing process for him. At first it was just some hard issues that effected him personally... but then eventually it snowballed and, having a theological education already, and growing closer to God, things just started to dawn on him at every turn. Or maybe not, I'm just speculating as I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Ireland's Rebuff
Only five weeks after his arrival, on December 19, 1889, Fr. Alexis went with one of the local Polish priests to present his credentials and secure the blessing of the local Latin rite Roman Catholic archbishop, John Ireland. While en route to the meeting, the Polish priest was called away to visit with some sick parishioners and Fr. Alexis was left to see the Archbishop by himself. However, Archbishop Ireland was leader among the Americanist Roman Catholics who favored "Americanizing" their Church. This view did not allow for the use of the Eastern rite in Liturgy by foreign speaking immigrants.
Archbishop Ireland refused to recognize him as a legitimate Catholic priest and withheld permission for him to serve in his diocese. Having been a professor of Canon Law and Church History, Father Toth knew his rights under the terms of the Unia and rejected the Archbishop's stance. Archbishop Ireland wrote to his parish priests that they ostracize Father Alexis and forbid their parishioners from receiving sacraments from him.
Meeting of Uniate Priests
The following year, in October of 1890, the married Uniate priests (all but two in America) were told that they were going to be recalled to Europe. Fr. Alexis convened a meeting at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania where eight of the ten Uniate priests in America expressed there concerns that American bishops had given them a hard time and had petitioned Rome that the Uniate clergy be recalled to Europe.
In response to this meeting, all the priests in attendance were recalled to Europe.
I wonder how much events like these above effected his decision to leave the Unia? It sounds like finding a bishop to be under had something to do with it.
Convenience??????????????????
From www.oca.org...
His wife died soon afterwards, followed by their only child - losses which the saint endured with the patience of Job.
His opponents may be characterized by intolerance, rude behaviour, unethical methods and threats against him and his parishioners. Yet, when Father Alexis was offended or deceived by other people he forgave them, and he would often ask his bishop to forgive his omissions and mistakes.
Although the Minneapolis parish was received into the Orthodox Church in March, 1891, it was not until July, 1892 that the Holy Synod of Russia recognized and accepted the parish into the Diocese of Alaska and the Aleutians. This resolution reached America only in October, 1892. During that time there was a climate of religious and ethnic hostility against the new converts. Father Alexis was accused of selling out his own Carpatho-Russian people and his religion to the "Muscovites" for financial gain.
In reality he did not receive any financial support for a long time, for his parish was very poor. Until his priestly salary began to arrive from Russia, the righteous one was obliged to work in a bakery in order to support himself. Even though his funds were meager, he did not neglect to give alms to the poor and needy. He shared his money with other clergy worse off than himself, and contributed to the building of churches and to the education of seminarians in Minneapolis. He was not anxious about his life (Mt 6:25), what he would eat or drink or wear.
So he bore the tribulation, slander, and physical attacks with patience and spiritual joy, reminding us that "godliness is stronger than all" (Wisdom of Solomon 10:12).
By 1909, the time of his blessed repose, many thousands of Carpatho-Russian and Galician Uniates had returned to Orthodoxy.
Who can tell of the saint's spiritual struggles? Who can speak of the prayers which his pious soul poured forth unto God? He did not make a public display of his piety, but prayed to God in secret with all modesty, with contrition and inward tears. God, Who sees everything done in secret, openly rewarded the saint (Mt 6:6). It is inconceivable that St Alexis could have accomplished his apostolic labors unless God had blessed and strengthened him for such work. Today the Church continues to reap the fruits of his teaching and preaching.
Father Toth's efforts did not go unrecognized in his own lifetime. He received a jeweled miter from the Holy Synod, as well as the Order of St Vladimir and the Order of St Anna from Czar Nicholas II for distinguished service and devotion to God and country. In 1907, he was considered as a candidate for the episcopal office. He declined this honor, however, humbly pointing out that this responsibility should be given to a younger, healthier man.
St Alexis' love and concern for his spiritual children did not cease with his death. Before closing the account of his life, it would be most appropriate to reveal but one example of his heavenly intercession:
In January, 1993 a certain man prayed to St. Alexis to help him obtain information about his son from whom he had been separated for twenty-eight years. Placing his confidence in the saint's boldness before God, he awaited an answer to his prayer. The very next day the man's son telephoned him. It seems the young man was in church when he was suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to contact his father. He had been taken to another state by his mother, and she changed his name when he was a child. This is why his father was unable to locate him. Having learned from his mother that his father was an Orthodox Christian, he was able with the help of an Orthodox priest to obtain his father's phone number in a distant city. As a result of that telephone call, the young man later visited his father, who rejoiced to see what sort of man his son had become. The father gave thanks to God and to St. Alexis for reuniting him with his son.
There appeared to be several issues of conflict at hand between the newly immigrated Unia and the American Catholic church, e.g. the private ownership of church property, self-administration, and preservation of traditions. St. Alexis Toth led his parish into the Russian diocese and paved the way for 80 other Uniate parishes that followed.
I'm only speculating--you may say that he came to Orthodoxy by for reasons of "convenience," but the difficulties he encountered with the uncomprehending Catholic hierarchy may have brought him to a greater understanding of the ecclesiastical error inherent in the Catholic church, and drew him into the true Church. Who are we doubt the integrity of a persons oath when they renounce the Papacy and embrace Orthodoxy and preserve that oath until their race has been run and they join the Church Victorious in Paradise?
There is a section dealing with the Unia and Alexis Toth in the 9th paragraph in this essay's section entitled "The Beginnings of Orthodoxy in the United States":
http://www.christthesaviornyc.org/bkshe ... yOCA.shtml
Ephraem
~He who seeth his own sins, seeth not the sins of others.
