Byzantine Catholic Seminary Library
Special Collections
The Byzantine Catholic Seminary Library holds many rare and unique items, some found in limited locations nationally, some found nowhere else. These include rare serials such as Soyuz, the Kalendar of the Greek Catholic Union and Amerikansky Russky Viestnik, the longest running Rusyn-American newspaper in the United States. In addition, the Library contains more than 800 parish histories of Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches throughout the U.S. and Canada. And the Library contains many fine examples of treasure binding of sacred texts, most in ivory but several include intricate metalwork in jeweled gold.
Prostopinije (Slav. prostopinije, “simple chant”) is the traditional liturgical chant of the Rusyn peoples of the Carpathian Mountains, and of their descendants who emigrated to other parts of the world. This chant is sung in the parishes and monasteries of the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Church and the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church in the United States, and in the Ruthenian Catholic dioceses of Mukačevo (Ukraine), Prešov and Kosice (Slovakia), Hajdudorog (Hungary), Krisevtsi (Croatia), and Ruski Kerestur (Serbia) in Europe. Prostopije is a descendant of the ancient znammeny chant common to Slavic Christianity. Used for centuries among the Carpathian mountains, prostopinije absorbed melodies from Greek and Bulgarian sources, as well as indigenous Slavic folk music. Eventually, this chant was standardized in both Church Slavonic and Hungarian, but continued to show variations from one region or village to the end. Prostopinije is essentially traditional – that is, it has been passed down from one generation to the next. For centuries, it has been both an aural tradition (passed on by hearing and memorization) and a written one (passed on with the help of chant books or manuscripts). Generally speaking, the more ornate or seldom-used melodies were written down, while the simpler and frequently used melodies were simply sung from memory. This collection is two-part, containing small publication books as well as manuscripts. Both represent melodies that were committed to a written form in the early 20th century when immigrants from Eastern Europe came to America. These musical materials are from Byzantine Catholic (also known as Greek Catholic) parishes in or around Western Pennsylvania and represent a unique historical heritage.
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This collection consists of personal papers, music, recordings, and miscellanea from noted cantors and choir directors of the Byzantine Catholic Church in the United States. A complete index is in preparation.
Papers of Cantor John Lessler, Endicott NY
Papers of Cantor Andrew Petrin, Whiting IN
Papers of Cantor John Lessler, Endicott NY
Papers of Cantor Andrew Petrin, Whiting IN
(Coming Soon)
(Coming Soon)