Eastern Christianity in the American South

[adamhovey1988]

Okay, so I have been to a 1) Maronite Catholic church in Greer, SC, once. A Melkite Greek Catholic church, in Augusta, GA, many many many times, and a Syriac Orthodox church in Augusta, GA once. I also checked and noticed Stone Mountain seems to have more than a few Eastern Christian communities (to me, more than one in one city is a lot). I recently found out that there is an Eastern Orthodox monastery near where I live, I live in Edgefield County, it is in Aiken County (the same County as my university). Does anyone know why this is? Don’t get me wrong, I think it is great! (I have also been to the Greek Orthodox church in Augusta, but not for services). Now, in other parts of the country, I would expect these types of things (like in Chicago, I would expect there to be a many Ukrainian Greek Catholic churches or Ukrainian Orthodox churches). Now, I happen to know the Melkite community in Augusta has been there for quite some time. But what is it that draws southerners to the east? I mean, I said it before, and I will say it again, I’d have become Melkite had I known they existed, when I became Catholic (don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the venerable Latin Church). What do y’all think?

 

[Micosil]

I live in Edgefield County, it is in Aiken County (the same County as my university). Does anyone know why this is? Don’t get me wrong, I think it is great!

I had a look at the statistics for Edgefield County, SC here and it does seem a small minority is indeed Ukrainian (0.8%), so perhaps that is related? Or are you saying non-Ukrainians are converting in substantial numbers to Eastern churches?

I mean, I said it before, and I will say it again, I’d have become Melkite had I known they existed, when I became Catholic (don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the venerable Latin Church). What do y’all think?

If you had become Melkite, you still would also be Catholic, mind you. Just not in the Latin Rite.

 

[Casilda]

I live in the South and my husband is a protestant convert to Eastern Catholicism. He had embraced Eastern Orthodox spirituality but understood the fullness would be under a Catholic umbrella. He did not find that in the local, liberal Catholic diocese. That was foreign to him and more so to me, a cradle Catholic who was raised with the Latin Mass.

If you had become Melkite, you still would also be Catholic, mind you. Just not in the Latin Rite.

If you are Melkite (or other Eastern Catholic sui iuris) and attend a Latin church, if you want to be a priest or deacon, you are claimed by the sui iuris you were baptized in. I am sure it’s the other way around, also. So it matters where or who baptizes you.

 

[Micosil]

If you are Melkite (or other Eastern Catholic sui iuris) and attend a Latin church, if you want to be a priest or deacon, you are claimed by the sui iuris you were baptized in. I am sure it’s the other way around, also.

Interesting, though I guess you could still be bi-ritual later on if such a need is required.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I am a little confused about some of the comments, as I never said a word about Ukrainians in Edgefield County (though, those statistics are interesting) and I am well aware that Melkites are Catholic (I was just unaware that they existed when I became Catholic, which is odd, since the priest that Baptized me, Confirmed me, and gave me my first Holy Communion mentioned the Eastern Churches).

 

[Micosil]

I am a little confused about some of the comments, as I never said a word about Ukrainians in Edgefield County (though, those statistics are interesting) and I am well aware that Melkites are Catholic (I was just unaware that they existed when I became Catholic, which is odd, since the priest that Baptized me, Confirmed me, and gave me my first Holy Communion mentioned the Eastern Churches).

Woops, where I said “non-Ukrainians” I should have said “people not of Eastern heritage”.

I mentioned Ukrainians since they’re Eastern European and are linked to Eastern Catholicism and Orthodoxy, so maybe this helped bring an Eastern “flavor” to your county?

In any case, I asked before, is the phenomenon you’re observing that non-Eastern Europeans in general (like the typical American) are converting in numbers to Eastern Catholicism? Or were you wondering why there’s a substantial presence of Eastern European heritage in the American south?

 

[loumeland]

But what is it that draws southerners to the east?

A better question would be, what draws Easterners to the South?

 

[Zabdi_Premjit]

I can’t speak for Eastern Catholics, but I do know that, in the Orthodox Church in America, there are a lot of converts in the Diocese of the South (DOS). In fact, the DOS is known for its many parishes that are not “ethnically Orthodox.” It seems to me that a great deal of the converts found Orthodoxy through historical research about ancient Christianity. What they found led them to contact Orthodox parishes and join them. Then, of course, you do have those people that learnt about Orthodoxy through intermarriage, but I would say the historical researchers make up the bulk of converts. Of course, I cannot give you much first-hand data, since my experience with the DOS has been limited to two parishes in Florida.

I suspect that Eastern Catholics may get converts that way too. (Correct me if I am wrong.) Also, they may get transfers from the Latin parishes. Lastly, the South is not so devoid of immigrants as it once was (aside from New Orleans). These days, a lot of immigrants, from both abroad and from other parts of the US, are calling the South home.

 

[Kosta]

I can’t speak for Eastern Catholics, but I do know that, in the Orthodox Church in America, there are a lot of converts in the Diocese of the South (DOS). In fact, the DOS is known for its many parishes that are not “ethnically Orthodox.” It seems to me that a great deal of the converts found Orthodoxy through historical research about ancient Christianity. What they found led them to contact Orthodox parishes and join them. Then, of course, you do have those people that learnt about Orthodoxy through intermarriage, but I would say the historical researchers make up the bulk of converts. Of course, I cannot give you much first-hand data, since my experience with the DOS has been limited to two parishes in Florida.

I suspect that Eastern Catholics may get converts that way too. (Correct me if I am wrong.) Also, they may get transfers from the Latin parishes. Lastly, the South is not so devoid of immigrants as it once was (aside from New Orleans). These days, a lot of immigrants, from both abroad and from other parts of the US, are calling the South home.

This isn’t the video I was looking for, but hey it’s still a nice one. youtube.com/watch?v=lb6ZLx0qPNY

 

[Thomas48]

Like many others, Eastern Catholics came to the U.S as immigrants. Immigrants often settle in and around the suburbs of large cities. Both Houston, Texas (where I live) and Atlanta, Georgia in the South are home to numerous Eastern Catholics. I believe here in Houston you can actually find an Eastern Church from every Rite. Syro Malabar Catholics alone have three parishes plus one Knanaya parish in the Houston area. I can attest for the Eastern Christians from India, what draws us to the South and especially Houston is the booming medical field where the large majority of us are employed.

 

[twf]

Like many others, Eastern Catholics came to the U.S as immigrants. Immigrants often settle in and around the suburbs of large cities. Both Houston, Texas (where I live) and Atlanta, Georgia in the South are home to numerous Eastern Catholics. I believe here in Houston you can actually find an Eastern Church from every Rite. Syro Malabar Catholics alone have three parishes plus one Knanaya parish in the Houston area. I can attest for the Eastern Christians from India, what draws us to the South and especially Houston is the booming medical field where the large majority of us are employed.

But is Augusta a major city? Based on the OP’s description there seems to be a lot of Christians of Middle Eastern descent in the area.

 

[RyanBlack]

Like many others, Eastern Catholics came to the U.S as immigrants. Immigrants often settle in and around the suburbs of large cities. Both Houston, Texas (where I live) and Atlanta, Georgia in the South are home to numerous Eastern Catholics.** I believe here in Houston you can actually find an Eastern Church from every Rite. Syro Malabar Catholics alone have three parishes plus one Knanaya parish in the Houston area.** I can attest for the Eastern Christians from India, what draws us to the South and especially Houston is the booming medical field where the large majority of us are employed.

Is there a Coptic Catholic parish in Houston? I know that in addition to parishes you mention, there are three Byzantine Catholic communities (a Ukrainian parish, a Ruthenian parish, and a Melkite mission), and a Maronite parish, but I’ve never heard of a Coptic Catholic parish in Houston.

 

[exnihilo]

I recently found out that there is an Eastern Orthodox monastery near where I live, I live in Edgefield County, it is in Aiken County (the same County as my university). Does anyone know why this

Why the monastery is there? I have a Greek Orthodox friend who mentioned there being a monastery in NC which surprised me. An Eastern monastery in SC also somewhat surprises me. I know my city and Charlotte have had sizable, at least for the South, Greek immigrant populations for I think at least eighty years now. As a kid my Protestant Church youth group visited the local Greek Orthodox Church. I really enjoyed it and thought the iconostasis was beautiful.

 

[Kielbasi]

A better question would be, what draws Easterners to the South?

Exactly, that’s the biggest engine for growth of Eastern Christian (as well as Latin rite Catholics) into the formerly quite solidly protestant southlands.

The Pittsburgh region attracted a lot of immigrants from the Carpathian region, Syria, Ukraine as well as elsewhere during its period of high economic growth at the dawn of the 20th Century, and they brought their own priests and their own faith. They chose to come here, because this is where there was economic opportunity. Not because Pittsburgh was particularly friendly, but because they needed the work and employers like Frick had ground floor opportunities in the challenging field of coal excavation and transportation.

When steel collapsed in the 70’s and 80’s, many of the former immigrants and their descendants moved to where the jobs were- places like Texas and the Carolinas, yet they still remained eastern Christians.

 

[malphono]

Is there a Coptic Catholic parish in Houston? I know that in addition to parishes you mention, there are three Byzantine Catholic communities (a Ukrainian parish, a Ruthenian parish, and a Melkite mission), and a Maronite parish, but I’ve never heard of a Coptic Catholic parish in Houston.

Two my knowledge, there are still but 2 Coptic CC parishes in the US: one in Los Angeles and the smaller mission parish in Brooklyn.