Sunday, March 29, 2015

Colonel Philip Ludwell, III

It recently came to my attention that a cousin of Martha Washington, one Col. Philip Ludwell, III (1716–1767), seems to have been the first Orthodox Christian to reside in North America.  

Col. Ludwell, who was received into the Church in 1738 during one of his many visits to London, made the first English translation of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, which translation was used by ROCOR cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington, DC for the celebration of the Liturgy on 20 March this year.  He also prepared an English translation of the Orthodox Confession of Peter Mogila, Metropolitan of Kiev, which was approved by the Holy Synod of Moscow,  and a tract for visitors on how to behave during Orthodox services.  His daughters were also received into the Holy Orthodox Church

So, when the Russians and Greeks are quarreling about who was here in America first, just remember -- we converts from Anglicanism were here before either of them!!!