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Parish Background
1880 The founders of this parish
came from Galicia, a crown land of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, located
in the southeastern section of today's Poland, north of the Carpathian
Mountains. Due to economic problems and crop failures, the migration to
America began about 1880. Answering the need for cheap labor
and the availability of low-cost housing, they settled in the
Williamsburg and Greenpoint areas of Brooklyn, and the Blissville and
Maspeth sections of Queens.
Liturgical services were first held in the home of Lukas Taras, who
lived on North 7th St in Williamsburg. Upon locating more fellow
countrymen who wanted to start an Orthodox Church, they collected $160.
This was used as a down payment with a mortgage of $16,000 to purchase
a vacant wooden Methodist Church located at North 5th St and Bedford
Ave. The church was named after St Vladimir. The building was renovated
to conform to Orthodox traditions, including a beautiful hand-carved
3-tier oak iconostas constructed by a German firm, Dopple. Various
organizations contributed all the necessary liturgical items.
1908 On Saturday, April 5, 1908, the
first Vespers service was served and on Sunday, April 6, 1908,
the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated. Both services were celebrated
by (Saint) Archpriest Alexander Hotovitsky from St. Nicholas Cathedral.
The first rector was the Rev. Theophan Buketoff, who came from
Montreal, Canada.
1916 As the parish grew, a larger church was
needed. A site was found, halfway between Williamsburg and Greenpoint,
consisting of 5 building lots on the corner of North 12th St and Driggs
Ave. The lots were purchased for $16,000. The architect, Louis
Allmendiger, based his design for the new church on the Cathedral of
the Dormition within the Moscow Kremlin, having 5 domes supported by
four large columns. The Schneider Company was contracted to build it
for $117,000. Work began in 1916.
1919 World War I created material shortages
and insufficient funds, delaying the church's completion. Due to the
shortage of funds, the N 5th St church was sold in 1919, and
church services were conducted in the incomplete building. The Rev.
John Krohmalney led a drive to complete the church whose cost had risen
by $20,000. Various organizations and individuals donated the stained
glass windows, and the Trinity Brotherhood donated a 1002 lb, tone "A"
bell.
Two additional altars were added to the N 12th St. Church. The north
altar was dedicated to St. Vladimir, the center altar to the
Transfiguration of Our Lord, and the south altar was dedicated to the
Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary. The altars required two additions
to the original iconostas that was transferred from the N 5th St church.
1922 Metropolitan Platon consecrated the
Church on September 3, 1922. Patriarch (Saint) Tikhon presented
the parish with the revered Holy Icon of the Mother of God of Pochaev,
which now hangs in a place of honor over the Royal Doors. The back has
an inscription "In blessing to the Russian Orthodox people of Brooklyn."
The Depression put the parish into financial difficulty. Loans made by
individuals and organizations could not be paid, and people were
begging for repayment. The Church committee was afraid it might have to
close the church.
1932 The V. Rev. Constantine Buketoff
arrived in February 1932, from Bayonne, NJ. The slow, painful
job of paying off loans was accomplished with the assistance of the
Church committee. It is said that through the parishioners' "nickels
and dimes," the church managed to become debt free.
The Sisterhood of Myrrh-bearing Women was founded in 1932, with
the help of Matushka Mallitza Buketoff.
The Transfiguration Church was raised to the rank of Cathedral in 1932,
by the Synod of Bishops.
1946 English was introduced into the Divine
Liturgy in 1946, with the returning veterans of World War II.
1949 A Cathedral Sunday School was organized
in 1949, with the birth of the "Baby Boomers" after the war.
1950 Metropolitan Leonty ceremonially
"burned the mortgage" in October 1950.
1952-Present Fr Constantine was awarded the Mitre by
Bishop John in 1952, by a decision of the Bishops' Sobor, for
his many accomplishments in organizing Orthodox churches.
Rev. Nicholas Yuschak was ordained in the Cathedral on November 7,
1953. This began the era of two priests being attached to the
Transfiguration Cathedral. English Divine Liturgy was served at 8:30 AM
and Slavonic Divine Liturgy was served at 10:00 AM, with Sunday School
classes held at 10.
Rev Daniel Hubiak followed as the next second priest. During this
period, the Sunday School had over 150 students.
Rev. Alvian Smirensky was ordained on September 14, 1958,
replacing Fr. Hubiak. Rev. Innokenty Semoff followed Fr. Alvian in 1961.
Rt. Rev. Constantine Buketoff retired in September 1964, having
faithfully served Transfiguration Cathedral for 32 years. Due to
circumstances at the time, the era of two priests attached to the
Cathedral ended.
V. Rev. Igor Tkachuk was appointed Rector on October 1, 1966.
Through his guidance and efforts, restoration and beautification of the
Cathedral continued. The Cathedral now contains beautiful and
irreplaceable Icons, Gospels, and liturgical items. During his tenure,
one of our parishioners, John Sokolich was tonsured a Reader,
eventually reaching the rank of Protodeacon, the first attached Deacon
of the Cathedral. He was later joined by Dn. Alexis Bona. Fr. Igor
retired in October 1984, and was made Pastor Emeritus by
Archbishop Peter of New York. Fr. Igor fell asleep in the Lord on November
8, 1995.
V. Rev. Anatoly Fiedoruk followed Fr. Tkachuk as Acting Rector. V. Rev.
Boris P. Vlasenko arrived in August 1986 and served until his
retirement in 1991. Rev. Wiaczeslaw Krawczuk arrived in
November 1992 and is the present Rector. In 1993, Peter
Andryuk was ordained Sub-Deacon and in 1996, Boris Slootsky was
ordained Deacon.
The children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of the forebearers
of the Transfiguration Cathedral are members and/or founders of
Orthodox parishes scattered throughout the United States, especially
those organized in the 50's and 60's.
The 5 copper cupolas topped with Patriarchal crosses are visible far
and wide in the New York area. It is one of the largest churches in the
New York Metropolitan area. Its well-known picture has appeared in
local, national and international newspapers and magazines. The
historic picture taken in 1922 was displayed at the American Exposition
in Moscow to show a Russian Orthodox Church in the United States
(1954). Viewers have seen it in commercials, on television, and in the
movie "House on Carroll Street."
Stories and pictures of the Cathedral have appeared in various books.
Among them are The History of New York City, of Brooklyn, The
Architects Guide to New York City, and Landmarks of New York State. On November
19, 1969, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the
Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord a
landmark of New York City. In recognition of its historical and
architectural significance, the Cathedral was listed in the National Register of Historic
Places by the
United States Department of the Interior, April 16, 1980.
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