Orthodox Christians: An American Presence (1981)

On January 9, 1981, For Our Times, a CBS News program that aired from 1979-88, broadcast Orthodox Christians: An American Presence. Longtime news anchor Douglas Edwards (1917-90) hosted the episode. Its narrator was Fr. Paul Schneirla (1916-2014), then the pastor of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church of Brooklyn, New York and a founding member of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas - SCOBA.
The 30-minute episode begins with an introduction to the Orthodox Christian jurisdictions in North America. Fr. Paul recounts how immigrants from the Middle East, the eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe brought their faith across the Atlantic Ocean, while Russian missionaries crossed the Pacific Ocean to evangelize the native population in Alaska, starting in the 18th and 19th centuries. Fr. Paul also explains to the television audience that the Eastern and Western churches were united for the first 1,000 years, and what led to their schism.
The show then features film from a Divine Liturgy celebrated by Patriarch Elias IV of Antioch (1914-1979) of thrice-blessed memory when he visited the Antiochian Archdiocese in 1977. It also shows Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America of thrice-blessed memory at the annual dive for the cross in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Next, Fr. Paul talks about the great feast of Theophany (Epiphany) and its importance. This part of the show features Metropolitan Philip (1931-2014) of thrice-blessed memory sanctifying the water at St. Mary Church in Brooklyn, which Fr. Paul pastored for 50 years. In the background, viewers will see and hear Mr. Basil Kazan (1915-2001), the chanter who created settings for the books of Byzantine music that bear his name.
The show concludes with Fr. Paul’s assessment of Orthodoxy in North America in 1981. He described SCOBA (the predecessor to the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America) as a body to help the leaders of the Orthodox Christian jurisdictions collaborate to solve common problems with hopes of creating one North American patriarchate.
Antiochian.org is very thankful to Fr. Paul’s daughter, Ms. Dorothy Schneirla Downie, for sharing this treasure with us. It now appears with other videos posted here on the Archdiocese’s RUclips channel. If you have historic film and video that can be digitized and shared, please write to [e-mail] and [e-mail].
www.antiochian.org

[@TheFeralcatz]

As a 24 year old man it's hard to imagine a world where a tv network has such a positive and genuine showing about our Orthodox faith. The priest who narrated did such a fantastic job. It seems that people spoke with more grace, vocabulary and class in that time.

[@mathyre232]

Let's hope that the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox don't get too friendly, I'd hate to see the Holy Orthodox Church polluted by the heresies of the West.

[@TheFeralcatz]

Indeed my brother, dialogue in the proper context that we are right and they are wrong! ha ha

[@Lafayette320]

Supplimenting: Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of N. and S. America and Metropolitan Phillip (Saliba). Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, were featured in this video. Both, along with the former Archbishop Athenagoras, Primate 1930-1949, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople 1949-1972, were the most strong and dynamic hierarchs in America.
Near the end of WW II, there was an effort to bring together the Primates of the Orthodox jurisdictions to get the U.S. Dep't. of Defense to accept the Eastern Orthodox Church as an identifier for their dog tags. I don't recall the name of the coalition; it was something like Federation of Primary Jurisdictions of the Orthodox Catholic Churches. NY Governor Dewey supported the effort. Example of the problem, my Dad's parish priest advised him to to identify himself as an Episcopalian---reconciliation with the RC church didn't begin until 1964; my uncle identified himself as a Roman Catholic. Both were members of the same Greek Orthodox parish. It wasn't until some time in the 1950's when "EO" was finally accepted. Archbishop Michael was the GOANSA Primate at the time whose administration had continued the campaign.
Upon the election of Bishop Iakovos of Meletia (Malta) to the GOANSA Archdiocesan Throne, he generated interest in developing a conference of Eastern Orthodox hierarchs in the Western Hemisphere. In 1960, he invited the Primates of the Pan Orthodox hierarchy in the U.S. to the GOANSA HQ in Manhatten who formed the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in the Americas which became known as SCOBA. I think one of the Russian jurisdictions did not participate.

[@spiderb3367]

Very interesting note about the Roman Catholic priest who ministered to the Orthodox faithful in their absence of an Orthodox priest, performing baptisms and funerals for them. What a blessing that in a new world, cut off from the Church, they were able to be ministered to and receive grace. That is true ecumenism in a positive sense. Not to concede our theological disagreements, God forbid, but when the rubber meets the road, it plays out a little different. God bless the Roman Catholic priest Fr. Pedro and may his memory be eternal.