THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC MUTUAL AID SOCIETY
AND ITS ROLE IN THE GROWTH OF
THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA

     The brotherhoods, which played a significant role in the growth of Orthodoxy in America at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries, have roots in similar societies which existed in Russia in the sixteenth century. At that time, Patriarch Joachim of Constantinople, while traveling through western Russia, gave his hierarchal sanction to Orthodox Christians who formed brotherhoods for the purpose of protection of the Orthodox faith from the Unia and from Latinization by the Polish Roman Catholic government. These brotherhoods promoted Orthodoxy by erecting temples of worship, organizing parochial schools in cities and villages, opening public libraries of Orthodox literature for the sake of enlightening future generations with the truth of the Orthodox faith, and promoting the study of Orthodox art. In addition,they organized and supported charities,orphanages, hospitals, hostels and monastic communities for the good of the Orthodox Christians.

     In the last decades of the nineteenth century, Greek-Catholic Carpatho-Russians and Galacians began migrating from the Austro-Hungarian empire to industrial areas in the United States in order to find a better material life and religious freedom. Simultaneously, these immigrants had a need for some agency or project which could insure for them a certain material and moral survival in their new and strange American surroundings. Such was the nature of the "Greek-Catholic Mutual Aid Society" which had brotherhoods in Minneapolis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre, and Osceola Mills.

     Although religious tolerance was a basic tenet of this organization, many of its members, including one of its very initiators, Father Alexis Toth, were expelled from its membership because of their return to Orthodoxy. Since it was the intention of the Orthodox to bring back as many as possible of the faithful who had been under the Uniate yoke, the Orthodox had to form such an organization of national dimensions, but with the additional purpose of reuniting Uniates to the Orthodox faith and solidifying their commitment to the Orthodox church. For this reason, Father Toth, with the endorsement of Bishop Nicholas, ruling hierarch of the North American Mission, convened a meeting of clergy and lay representatives from all local Orthodox brotherhoods on April 10,1895, at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The meeting resulted in the organization of the Russian American Orthodox Mutual Aid Society(later ROCMAS) under the protection of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The Holy Synod of the Russian Church approved and gave its blessing to the federation on September 17, 1895.

     The local brotherhoods which constituted the Society were: St. Alexander Nevsky ,Pittsburgh; Holy Dormition, Wilkes-Barre; Sts. Peter and Paul, Minneapolis; Sts. Peter and Paul, Bridgeport; St. John the Baptist, Philipsburg; St.Michael the Archangel, Old Forge; Nativity of the Holy Theotokos, Osceola Mills; St. Nicholas, Streator,Illinois.

First Year of Existence
      In its first year, the society added eight more brotherhoods: St. John the Baptist, Sheppton, Pa.; Sts. Cyril and Methodious, Mayfield, Pa.; St. Basil, Ansonia, Ct.; St. Nicholas, Cleveland, Ohio; Sts. Peter and Paul, Buffalo, NY; Sts. Cyril and Methodious, Catasaqua, Pa.; Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, Ct.; St. Nicholas, Shepton, Pa.  At the Society's first convention in April 1896, 18 brotherhoods were represented.

Aims of the Society
     Among the many tasks of the brotherhoods, one of their most significant was the founding of Russian Orthodox parishes in the country. During these early years, the Light, the official organ of the Society, was a vital news medium for the entire North American Mission. As a result of this basic formative work in the area of Orthodox Christian life in America, ROCMAS helped organize and financed parishes in the following states: Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Massachusetts, California, Alabama, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Washington, Rhode Island, Maryland, Canada and Carpatho Russia in Europe.

     ROCMAS helped organize the following parishes in Eastern Pennsylvania: Catasaqua, 2 in Wilkes-Barre, Shepton, 3 in Philadelphia, Old Forge, Olyphant, Simpson, Reading, Mt. Carmel, St. Clair, Lopez, Slatington, Edwardsville, Scranton, Jermyn, Minersville, Lykens, Bethlehem, Palmerton, Chester, Coaldale and Shennandoah. At its peak the Society had 224 chartered local chapters, while the number of parishes in the Mission had risen from 18 to 315. ROCMAS helped organize 148 of these new parishes.

     On May 15,1905 in Cleveland, at the sixth convention of the Russian Orthodox Catholic Mutual Aid Society, the idea was proposed to establish a monastery and the challenge given to the young and energetic monk Arseny to investigate the possibilities.

     At the seventh convention, held in Mayfield,Pa. it was decided to advance $1,000.00 to help organize a Women's Society bearing the same name which would operate separately. The Women's Society began to function on July 1, 1907.

     The Russian Orthodox Catholic Mutual Aid Society established and maintained a home for Russian orphans on the grounds of the Monastery at South Canaan at the Sixteenth Convention in 1938.

The Activities of the Society
     The Society, as expressed in Part II, paragraph one of the Statutes, ought to devote itself to two goals-moral and material.  In relation to the first goal the activity of the Society has taken the following forms.

     The Society, through its members, has devotedly and successfully labored to spread Orthodoxy in America; many converts, mainly from the Unia, have been attracted to Orthodoxy and the Society. The first place in this work must be assigned to the local Orthodox missionaries, the Clergy of our Eparcy, who are also members of the Society.  The Society attempts to maintain as much as possible in the publication of the paper Svet.

     The Board of Directors of the Society actively looked after the religious and moral needs of the members of the Society. With this in view, icons, liturgy books, and calendars were procured in order to be sold to members and others who might desire them. Books and brochures of a religious and moral nature were sold to members at reasonable prices.

     Finally, the very growth of the Society, the facts which are given above, is nothing else but the spread and establishment of the ideas of Orthodoxy and nationality, the principles of Christian charity and mutual help, and consequently, the fulfillment, through the labors of its members, of the moral aims of the Society.

     Examining the record of our Society, we should note with joy the fact that people more and more look favorably upon it and are inclined to show more and more confidence in those representing it. The growth of the Society testifies to this as nothing else can.  But what are the reasons for this occurrence?  If they are temporary and accidental, then undoubtedly it is necessary to look at the inevitable fact of the Society's disappearance.   This statement was made on May 10, 1899 and is more true today then yesterday.   As we look to celebrating our 100th Anniversary in 1995.  We must continue to work to perpetuate the Society for the next 100 years.

TO OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WE SAY:  VECHNAYA PAMYAT; MEMORY ETERNAL

TO OUR BELOVED RUSSKAH0 PRAVOSLAVNAHO OBSHCHESTVA WE SAY:   MNOHYA LEYTA GOD GRANT YOU MANY YEARS