To His Eminence, the Most Reverend Tikhon, Archbishop of the Aleutians and North America, from the rector of the Mayfield Church, Hieromonk Arseny

To this report is affixed the following resolution:

"May 31, 1905. The blessing of God is called upon the worthy undertaking to establish a monastic community in North America. Send $100 of my own funds to the care of Fr. Hieromonk Arseny, whom I appoint to be organizer of the future community. The deed of the donated land must be in the name of the diocesan authority."


Your Eminence,
The Most Reverend Vladiko!

You witnessed and took part in the joy which was begotten for the entire American Orthodox mission by the Orthodox Rusyns who are in the care of my Mayfield parish.

On May 28, 1905, the Orthodox Rusyns Kirill Stavitsky, Kirill Kelichava, Klement Buranich who live on their own farms amidst the breathtaking wilderness of the Pennsylvania mountains, offered 59 acres of arable land as a gift to the Orthodox mission in America, to erect a church and establish a men's monastic community. It is also suggested that an orphanage and an almshouse be established for the children and elderly who are in the care of the Orthodox flock. This possibility was raised during the Sixth Convention of the Orthodox Mutual Aid Society in Cleveland, and was referred to a specially elected Committee for further investigation. Filled with unutterable joy on this occasion and being one of the laborers in the American mission field, I believe it is timely to address your Eminence with the most humble request to: 1) grant me the authority to accept the offered land and record the deed; 2) give instructions regarding in whose name the deed should be recorded; 3) select and appoint, through your archpastoral resolution, a person who would accept the responsibility of arranging for the construction of the first buildings and of selecting worthy men for the community.

The most humble servant of Your Eminence