St. Alexiy Tovt: A patron saint of reversion, a guide for Orthodox America

Come, Orthodox faithful,

let us praise Alexiy, the new Man of God,

who shone forth as a radiant lamp,

dispelling the gloom of ignorance,

proclaiming the Truth to those deceived by error,

and restoring to them their blessed inheritance –

the Orthodox faith of their fathers!

 

St. Alexiy Tovt (Alexis Toth) is a major saint of the Russian Metropolia, now OCA, and was probably directly responsible for more conversions to Orthodoxy than any other saint in America.  Canonized by the OCA in 1994, he stands as an example of reversion to Orthodoxy, and much like St. Iov Pochaevsky, his life exemplifies the differences between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.

Preparations for Canonization:

 

 

Canonization:

 

 

Please take a few minutes to read his life.  You will be enriched:

https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/05/07/101300-repose-of-saint-alexis-toth-confessor-and-defender-of-orthodoxy

 

St. Alexiy lead people back to the Orthodox Faith of their ancestors.  He began his life as a Uniate - an Eastern Rite Catholic from the Carpathians.  He was a Carpatho Rusyn (Carpatho Russian), an ethnographic group in the Austro-Hungarian Empire that was traditionally Orthodox.  However, at a certain point in history the Church hierarchy went into union with Rome, becoming Uniates.  Uniates are members of a church body that left the Orthodox Church and was joined to the Roman Catholic Church.  Several Unias occurred in history.  Essentially, Uniatism is when a group of Orthodox are received into the communion of Rome, but are allowed to maintain some of their traditions from Orthodoxy under the terms of the particular Unia of which they are a part.  St. Alexiy was leading people back to Orthodoxy who had been part of the "Union of Uzhgorod" and "Union of Brest."

In our own day, Orthodoxy in America is suffering.  Like all ecclesiastical bodies, we are losing people, particularly youth.  Many disengage, and some outright apostatize.  This trend has been continuous and growing for quite some time, as evidenced by the outstanding work of Alexei Krindatch.  Be sure to investigate the statistics on his site "Orthodox Reality." [1] 

In our own day, there is a need to call back those who have departed from the Orthodox Faith.  Uniatism was the historical movement from the Orthodox East to the Heterodox West; specifically to Rome.  Now the movement is slightly different: Those born into the Orthodox Faith, or those who have converted, are turning to the Secularism of the Heterodox West.  One could say that the religion of the West was Roman Catholicism, but is now Secularism.

Many have squandered the Pearl of great price.  There is a need in our time for a return to our holy heritage.  We should be asking ourselves: "How can I be like St. Alexiy Tovt?  How can I lead people back to the faith of our fathers?  Am I praying for the salvation of those who have become apathetic toward the Church or who have left it and converted to something else?"

Through the prayers of St. Alexiy, may the apostates and lapsed return to the Orthodox Church.

Works cited

1. Krindatch, A. (n.d.). Orthodox reality. Orthodox Reality. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://orthodoxreality.org/ 

 

 

The views expressed on this blog are my own and are not necessarily official positions held by the OCA.  This blog is not intended to be an introduction to Orthodoxy or a catechesis, nor is it a place for intense theological debate and discussion.  If you are an inquirer, please see links to helpful resources near the end of the first article:  https://asonofthemetropolia.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-first-post-or-introduction-to-son-of.html  

The primary purpose of this blog is to discuss Church life.  If there is a topic or question that you have, feel free to contact.