We are 100-years old.

On Sunday, December 15, we celebrated the centennial anniversary of the consecration of our Cathedral of St. Andrew-the-First-Called. Founded in 1897 as the St. Andrew’s Orthodox Brotherhood, our Cathedral is the oldest Orthodox Church in Philadelphia.

The historical links between our Cathedral and the Russian community in North America are apparent and indisputable. However, the Cathedral’s history is closely connected to the history of the Russian Navy, as well. In 1898, “Cramp & Sons”, a Philadelphia shipbuilding company, won a contract for building of two ships for the Russian Imperial Navy. These ships were the cruiser “Variag” and the armor-clad battleship “Retvizan”. Russian naval officers and sailors arriving for the inspection of these ships participated actively in the life of the young St. Andrew’s parish. Being among the first parishioners, they made generous donations to the Church, including the beautiful holy icons. To this day, some of these icons embellish the Royal Gate and the Altar of our Cathedral. Thus, St. Andrew’s Cathedral is a naval cathedral, indeed.

Bishop Tikhon, who later became the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, consecrated the Cathedral on December 8, 1902. Archpriest Father Alexander Khotovitsky celebrated the Divine Liturgy in our parish. Both Bishop Tikhon and Father Alexander were subsequently canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church; Bishop Tikhon as a Patriarch-Confessor, and Father Alexander as a Hieromartyr (he was martyred during the Stalinist persecution of the Orthodox Christians).

The history of our Cathedral was not always joyful. When the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia, our parish became isolated from the Mother Church. However, by God’s grace, all internal disputes and financial problems were solved, and the Cathedral was re-born. The Cathedral became a spiritual and a social center of the Russian Orthodox community in Philadelphia. The Cathedral welcomes a continuous flow of people who recently arrived to the United States or recently turned to the Faith. Holiday charity bazaars, Christmas children’s concerts (Yolka’s), and Name-day celebrations in the Church cafeteria became traditional. 

Early in the morning on December 15, 2002, our pastor, Mitered Archpriest Mark Shinn, other Cathedral’s clergy, and parishioners met Bishop Mercurius, who arrived from New Yoork with the Icon of Saint Righteous Warrior Feodor Ushakov (canonized on November 30, 2000). This icon containing a particle of the Holy relics of St. Feodor was donated to our Cathedral by Bishop Barsanuphius of the Saransk Diocese along with his blessings. Recently a decision was made to give an icon of St. Feodor with a particle of his relics to each naval Church of the Moscow Patriarchate including the St. Andrew’s Cathedral. In our case, this event coincided with the centennial anniversary of the Cathedral’s consecration.

The Divine Liturgy, which began at 10 AM, was celebrated by Bishop Mercurius and clergy of St. Andrew’s (Philadelphia) and St. Nicholas’ (New York) Russian Orthodox Cathedrals. Several guests of honor participated in the festivities, including Yuri Ushakov, the Ambassador of Russian Federation to the United States, Nikolai Pashchenko, the Consul of Russian Federation in New York, Admiral Igor Kasatonov, the President of Moscow-Sevastopol Foundation, Captain First-rank Mikhail Kozyrin, the Russian Naval Attache, Rear Admiral Joseph Hare of the United States Navy, as well as the representatives of the US Congress, the Philadelphia mayor’s office, and numerous Russian and American journalists. Following the Divine Liturgy, a procession with the Icon of St. Feodor took place. The Icon was carried by Admirals Kasatonov and Hare.

In his word to the flock, His Grace Bishop Mercurius said: “We recognize the continuity of everything we are witnessing here today with the events that happened long ago. Hence, we are all united in our responsibility before God and the Motherland, in our service, in our determination to do good deeds, in our work for the sake of God’s Glory. This religious, historic line connects us all, makes us responsible to God, to our brothers and sisters, to history.” His Grace also read the Address of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia to the parishioners of our Cathedral. In this address His Holiness said that the historic glory of the Russian Navy is based not only on the victorious battles, but also on the great spiritual feats enlightened by the Christian faith. Extending his blessings to the parishioners of St. Andrew’s, His Holiness said that they have truly become participants in the spiritual glory of the Russian Navy by preserving the historic St. Andrew’s Cathedral. 

Then His Grace Bishop Mercurius escorted by the guests and parishioners officially opened the new museum dedicated to the history of “Variag” and “Retvizan”. In the very beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, on February 8, 1904, the ships of the Russian Navy stationed in Port Arthur were attacked by a squadron of the Japanese fleet. “Retvizan” was heavily damaged in this encounter, but fought back fiercely and was saved by the crew who ran it aground. On February 9, 1904, a Japanese flotilla consisting of 11 ships blocked “Variag” and the gunboat “Koreets” (“The Korean”) in the Bay of Chemulpo, Korea, and demanded surrender of the Russian ships. Russian sailors refused to surrender, and “Variag” engaged the Japanese fleet against heavy odds. One hundred and nine sailors have fallen in that short, but heroic battle. The cruiser was scuttled by her crew, but remained in the people’s memory as a symbol of gallantry, self-sacrificial courage and selfless service of the Russian sailors.

Bishop Mercurius blessed the seven new bells donated to the Cathedral by Mr. Vladimir Surovtsev, a renowned Russian sculptor. The bells’ names are “Variag and Retvizan”, “Saint Andrew-the-First-Called”, “Saint Righteous Warrior Feodor Ushakov”, “Hieromartyr Alexander Khotovitsky”, “Nuclear submarine Kursk”, “Pavel Karnauch” and “Maria Dunets-Smarkola”. The last two bells are named after the late members of our parish in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the life of our Cathedral. Maria (Mary) Dunets-Smarkola was the person who bought our Cathedral at the auction, where it was sold for non-payment of debts during the trying times that followed the Bolshevik revolution and the resulting separation of our Cathedral from the Mother Church, and gave it back to the parish. Protodeacon Pavel (Paul) Karnauch was the founder of the original exhibit dedicated to “Variag” and “Retvzian”. The bells are now mounted in a temporary setting, but God willing will be moved to a new bell tower in the future.

Following the festivities at the Cathedral, a banquet was held, during which the honored guests spoke of strengthening the ties between our parish and the civil authorities of the United States, Russia, and the City of Philadelphia.

Many thanks to everyone who made this celebration possible! May the Lord save you!