The Portland daily press., 1870-11-14
DAILY PRESS.
MD.
Monday Morning, November IA, 1870.
The Greek Church i'm New yor,,
PORTLAND;

The Greek Church i'm New Yorl
1t was expected that the new Greek church
on Second avenue, New York, would be in.
augurated on Sunday last, but the non-arriva,
of some of the paraphernalia of costume, dec
orations and vessels necessary for the celebra-
tion of mass and the sacraments from the
Grand Synod at st. Petersburg, rendered a
postponement necessary. But Papa Bjerrine
showed reporter with pleasure those things
that had arrived, which are described below.
The description of the theology and rites Of
this church will be found interesting:
There were the ves,ments, the stikarion, an
under dress of cloth OF silver richly embroider-
ed, answering to the chasubie OF the Ritual
lsts; the phelOniOn, an over dress of cloth
OF gold richly embroidered, similar to the cope.
the epitrakilion, an embroidered scarf, an
swering to the stole; the epimanika cuffs of
cloth of gold and green velvet; the orarion, a
rich scarf, worn by deacons, crossed over the
breast; the epi gonation, a species of apron
worn like sabre-tasche, for bishops and high
dlgnitaries; the mithra, or mitre, shaped like
helmet without visor, and the golden
crowns used in weddings according to the
Greek ritual.
The church at present is to be held in the
rooms of private house. The altar and offer
tory table are arranged in small back room,
and the seats Tor the congregation will be in
the front room, which is long paralelOgram,
rather narrow, but affordiLg accommodation
for about seventy persons. On each side are
ranged Russian pictures of saints and angels
and of the Mother OF God, executed in very
pleasing style on tablets of wood. st. Michel
and st. Gabriel are there conspicuousy, both
Of them being special favorites of the Sclavon-
ic people, though among the Czechs of Bohe-
mia there is belief widcly current that Lu-
cifer is the real archangel, and Michel the
real arch-fend, and that by horrible subtlety
mems minds are deceived. The current
thanks of the beggar are "May he who is
wronged reward thee" The current curse is
MAY he who is wronged avenge me ON thee"
Before these tablets are the silver stands
with little candlesticks, which votaries fire.
quent when they come to ask a favor of a
SAINT. They purchase certain number OF
little candles, stick them in the stand and
light them, and go away in the full anticipa-
ton of gaining their hearts desire through
the mediation of the gratifled archangel or
saint. OF these stands the Greek church in
New York is provided with three; and it is
presumed when the church is erected that
there will be one for every tablet.
Papa Bjerring pointed out the close similar
ity between the Greek Church and our Amer
lean Ritualists, save and except in the adora-
ton paid to the Virgin Mother of God. DR..
MOrril, of st. Alban's and others of the same
way Of thinking, have called upon the Papa,
and he is requested TO join them this week in
the conservation of al lRitualistic Church. He
will wear the full canoncals of his Order,
which are, without exception, the most mag
nifcent since the days of Solomon. The
priests OF the Greek Church are allowed to
marry, and give the communion in both
kinds, as do the Episcopalians. Tiny admit
the equality of all the Christian churches, and
pray for them in their liturgy, compiled by
that beloved Father OF Christianity st. John
the GOlden-mOuthed, or Chrysostom. They
have never been guilty of persecution, and
their efforts at proselytsm have been confined
to Poland, where probably politics had far more
to dowith the matter that any real wish to gain
converts. And it is without any such desire
that the church has been opened, but rather
for the convenience of the Greeks and Rus
slams in this city, who are constantly OH the
increase, though there is not more than a
hundred ofthem altogether Papa Bjerring was
particularly in earnest in enforcing this point
as he was afraid that the place would be filled
with the curious, to the exclusion of the gen.
uine worshippers. When the church which
the liberality of Messrs. Catacazy and Botassi
is building, is finished, he will willingly wei
come all that come, but until that time the
services will be strictly private.
1t will be remembered that this gentleman
was a professor of history and philosophy at
the Seminary of ST. Alfonso, a training school
for priests of the Redemptorist Order. Vari-
GUS errors have appeared in print in this res
pect, and the letters which have resulted from
enthusiastic Catholics, Papa Bjerring con-
-siders- -cleYer. but disingenuous, since they
give the impression that he never was at
Baltlmore-.-a species of SuppreSsiO ueri which
according to- -1ongiorgius and ROthenfue, is
praiseworthy in a good cause. The further
declaration of the blanket sheets that the
Greek Church contains from eighty to one
hundred thousand souls has been the source
of considerable merriment, since, in fact, the
true numbers lie between one hundred and
ten and one hundred and fifteen millions.
The absolute period for the opening service
has not been determined, but it will be in
English. The beautiful liturgy of St Chrys-
ostom has been translated in many languages
already, as it is fundamental principle of the
Church that it shall be in language under
stood by the congregation. This is one of
those many features in which it is akin to the
Episcopalian, and the fusion of the two is
really contemplated by the Ritualists.