Z dziejów białoruskiej prawosławnej prasy na emigracji. Czasopismo „Carkoŭny Świetacz” (1951–1988)

Abstract

After World War II the United States was one of the largest centres of Belarusian emigrants in the West. Belarusian Orthodox emigration, which composed the majority among emigrants of Belarusian nationality (80%) was divided internally. Belarusian emigrants of the Orthodox faith were within the jurisdiction of two church organizations: the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Belarusian Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The largest Belarusian parish in the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was the parish of St Eufrozyna Polocka in South River (New Jersey), where Nicholas Lapicki was the parish priest. There were conducted organizational, religious, cultural and educational activities, including publishing one. In 1951–1988 the journal ‘Carkoŭny Svetač’ was issued, at first by pr. Nicholas apicki and since 1976 by pr. Sviataslav Kovš, the next parish priest of St Eufrozyna Polocka in South River. It belonged to one of the longest published religious periodicals of the Belarusian diaspora in the 20th century. In the journal the texts with religious, social, historical and cultural content were published. Thanks to the ‘Carkoŭny Svetač’ it is possible to reconstruct in detail the history of the Orthodox life of Belarusian emigrants in America.