Bishop Soter in America - August 15, 1907
Bishop Soter began his voyage to America from Bremen on August 15, 1907, accompanied by his secretary, Fr. Volodymyr Petrivsky, his brother Josyf Ortynsky, Br. N. Herman, OSBM, and Br. Dmytro Koniv, OSBM. They traveled aboard the German ship Kaiser Wilhelm II, a vessel built in 1902 that could carry 1,888 passengers and sailed at approximately 27.14 mph.
The bishop arrived in America in the afternoon of Tuesday, August 27, docking at the North German Lloyd pier in Hoboken, near New York. Priests Lavryshyn, Chopey, and Chaplinsky rented a small boat to greet him on board. About thirty more priests welcomed Bishop Soter onshore.
Later, at 4 PM, a prayer service was held at St. George's Church, which was then located at 332-334 East 20th Street. The new bishop was greeted by priests and the faithful, with the Boyan Choir beautifully singing during the service. Afterward, Bishop Soter addressed everyone with words of gratitude and then received the homagium, the obedience of the clergy.
That evening, a banquet was held in Bishop Soter's honor at the New Netherland Hotel on 5th Street near Central Park. This hotel, one of the tallest in the world at the time, was sadly demolished in 1927. Between 120 and 200 guests attended the reception, including priests, heads of various public organizations, and faithful from parishes all over America. The evening was filled with toasts and speeches, and Bishop Ortynsky spoke passionately about his mission in America, emphasizing that he brought with him “love for his church and for his people” and that with “determination and holy tenacity,” he was ready to begin organizing the eparchy.
The next day, on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bishop Soter served his first Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in America at St. George's Church, again accompanied by the Boyan Choir. Hundreds of faithful attended, and because the church was quite small, many gathered outside. After the liturgy, Bishop Ortynsky delivered a captivating 1.5-hour sermon, further establishing his reputation as an excellent preacher.
That evening, on August 28, the Boyan Choir prepared a special concert for Bishop Soter under the direction of conductor Myron Hundych. The concert took place in Arlington Hall on St. Mark's Square. In the 19th century, this hall belonged to German immigrants, and in the 1960s, Andy Warhol (Andriy Varkhola) organized his "Electric Circus" musical project there. Although the building still exists today, it has undergone significant reconstruction, completely changing its facade. At the end of the concert, Bishop Soter once again expressed his heartfelt thanks to everyone for the celebrations.
The following day, Thursday, August 29, Bishop Ortynsky traveled to Philadelphia to meet with Roman Catholic Bishop Ryan. By August 30, he was in Washington, D.C., meeting with Apostolic Delegate Falconio. Finally, on August 31, he was officially received in Philadelphia at St. Michael's Parish on 9th Street.
As you can see, Bishop Soter Ortynsky's first days in America were busy and filled with meetings, speeches, and celebrations, marking the beginning of his challenging yet dedicated service in the United States.
