When studying the Church’s history, it is always uplifting to connect with significant figures by examining the original primary source documents they created that are preserved in the Archives of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). When a document was handwritten by a saint, it is all the more poignant.
The feast of Saint Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn on February 27, which is celebrated on the anniversary of his repose in 1915, provides an opportune moment to see and appreciate an intriguing document preserved in the clergy file of Bishop Raphael of Brooklyn in the OCA Archives.
This document is a letter dated December 17, 1914, just over two months before Saint Raphael’s repose. It was addressed to Archbishop Evdokim, the newly-appointed ruling hierarch of the Diocese of the Aleutians and North America, who had received his appointment in July, but due to travel restrictions related to the outbreak of World War I, was delayed in traveling to his new see and was able to reach America only in May 1915. The original letter can be viewed here; a translation follows below. The text, beautifully handwritten in flawless Russian, vividly illustrates the words which Saint Raphael used to describe himself: “I am an Arab by birth, a Greek by primary education, an American by residence, a Russian at heart, and a Slav in soul.” Before coming to America, Saint Raphael had spent seven years in Russia, studying, teaching and serving as a deacon and priest. Less than a decade after his arrival in North America, he became the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated on this continent, assuming his see in Brooklyn as the second auxiliary to Saint Tikhon. His saintly spiritual labors among his flock and his fruitful missionary efforts culminated in his archpastoral service that reflected the unity of the ethnically diverse North American diocese of the Russian Church, which has since blossomed into the Orthodox Church in America.
The Church has the duty and honor to treasure and preserve such documents from the saints in its archival repository so that the holy legacy of these luminaries may continue to empower the Church’s mission today, while allowing future generations to connect with the saints through the study of these precious, original archival documents.
December 4/17, 1914
Your Eminence, Most Merciful Father and Archpastor
Having recently returned from my five-month missionary journey throughout North America, I learned from my beloved brother in Christ, Bishop Alexander, that Your Eminence has been appointed Archbishop of Alaska and North America.
Therefore, as the second auxiliary bishop and as one of the senior missionaries of the American Orthodox Church, I consider it my sacred duty to offer to Your Eminence my heartfelt congratulations and to affirm from myself and on behalf of my entire Syro-Arabic flock in North America our heartfelt love and sincere dedication to Your Eminence.
In view of the presently transpiring war of God-saved Russia against ardent enemies of Slavism, Orthodoxy and Christianity, i.e. Germans and Turks, I am not only praying unceasingly to the Lord God to grant victories over all enemies to glorious Russia, that is beloved by me and our people, but soon after returning to my see in Brooklyn, I began fundraising for the Russian Red Cross Society among our Orthodox Syro-Arabs, and have as of today collected nearly a thousand dollars.
Beseeching your archpastoral prayers for my entire flock, I forever remain with unfeigned respect and sincere allegiance,
Your most merciful Eminence’s most humble and most obedient servant,
(signed) Raphael,
Bishop of Brooklyn
For further information on Saint Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn, see: