The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-19
GREEK CHURCHES
TAKE DIFFICULTIES
into HIGH COURT
Bible and Fixtures Missing.
Congregation Members
Are Accused.

When the friction between ST.
Nicholas's Greek Orthodox Community.
of Newark, n the Greek Orthodox
Church became so acute that the Bible
and church fixtures in the common
meeting place. 26S Washington street,
were missing, the community held an
indignation meeting from which re-
suited a bill in chancery. This bill
names the rival church as defendant.
and declares that it's leading spirits,
George D.. Pappas, a well-known Greek
among them, entered the hall and took
away the missing articles. secreted
them and are still secreting them.
There was a time, two years ago.
when the community and the church
worshiped and traded as one corporate
body. TO the patriarch at CONSTANT
nople and to the world at large the
little band of the faithful in this city
and the Oranges was known as the st.
Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
With an eye to things material. as
we'll as spiritual salvation, the Greeks
accumulated $1,000 and purchased the
property at 215 Washington street as a
site for a church. OF the purchase
price, $500 was paid in cash and 81. 500
was represented by the inevitable
church mortgage. The remaining $500,
the title to the property. the mortgage
and the glory were in the am of the
st. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church,
and there they remained until early in
September. when the st. Nicholas Greek
Orthodox Community of Newark was
incorporated, and, 1t is claimed. the
church then and there died a legal, un-
%nlourned death.
steepIe Color an Issue.
1t is not known whether the congre-
cation became divided over the color
the new steeple should be painted or
not, but it is certain that 1t was rent
in twain, and the shock of its internal
warfare was heard halfway round the
world, reaching C~onstantinople, where
the patriarch promptly turned down
an application Of Mr.. Pappas and his
dissenting followers for a new priest.
T%hereupon Mr.. Pappas and his lieu
tenants, it is charged. who were in the
majority of the executive body, voted
to fire" the Rev. Theodore S. Prus-
sianos, the priest, and then go and
start a church of their own. They still
controlled the $500 in bank, the prop
erty and the mortgage, although the
patriarch gave the glory to their ~
ponents. And the Rev. Theodore S.
Prussianos. awaking without a job or
a salary, called the faithful o him
and, in the name of the community,
sued Pappas and his followers, in the
name of the church, for back salary.
He was given judgment and attached
the $500 III the community's name in
the Union Bank. The judgment salts
fed, $146 was left which Pappas ct ais.
took for the church.. The community
reappointed Prussianos their leader.
and it is said that church and COM
munity then ceased to exercise
hrotherly love to such an extent that
they failed to speak when they met in
the street. ,s
Bible Is Taken.
Then the Bible and the fixtures
somehow wandered away from the
! community to the church. and there
| were those among the community con-
! gregation mean enough to insinuate
| that Pappas ct ais. helped the Bible on
its Journey. So they put that, with
every other charge that occurred to
them, in the bill. asked for its return,
and took the whole squabble to Chan
Gerry Court. where it came UP, with a
swarm of witnesses, before Vice-Chan-
cellor Howell today.
The community also wants the
money. property and mortgage back,
and has asked the court to return these
along with the Bible and fixtures.
Pappas and his allies deny all the
m~isbehavior they are charged with, n
say that the community seeded n
they are the real and only Orthodox
Greek congregation in the city.