Fr. Dmytro Leshchyshyn papers

Fr. Dmytro Leshchyshyn was a Ukrainian Orthodox clergyman in the United States and Canada in the early to mid 20th century. This collection contains his extensive correspondence with a wide range of individuals and organizations both religious and secular. It also includes personal and family correspondence, membership lists, other organizational records and publications, and similar materials.

Summary Information

CreatorLeshchyshyn, Dmytro
TitleFr. Dmytro Leshchyshyn papers
IDg.30
Dates1924-1951
Dates (bulk)1924-1944
Quantity1.3 Linear Feet
LanguagesMultiple languages
LanguagesApproximately 90% Ukrainian, 10% English, and a few individual documents in German and Polish.
RepositoryUkrainian History and Education Center Archives

Biographical / Historical

Fr. Dmytro Leshchyshyn was a Ukrainian Orthodox clergyman in the United States and Canada in the early to mid 20th century, eventually becoming a member of the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. He was born on November 5, 1899 in the village of Rozhanivka (today Zalishchyky raion, Ternopil oblast', Ukraine). He completed the Kopychyntsi Gymnasium in 1914. He emigrated to Canada in or before 1925, completed seminary in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1926, and was ordained to the priesthood on July 16, 1926 by Archbishop Ioan Teodorovych in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was assigned to parishes in Winnipeg (1926-1928); Dauphin, Manitoba (1928-1931); Goodeve, Saskatchewan (1931-1932); Toronto (1932-1936); and Windsor, Ontario (1936-1937) before moving to the United States in December 1937.

In the US, he served parishes in Abp. Ioan's eparchy, including St. Louis, Missouri (1937-1938); Woonsocket, Rhode Island (1938-1944); Cleveland, Ohio (1944-1950); Newark, New Jersey (1950-1955); Providence, Rhode Island (1959-1961); and Arnold, Pennsylvania (from 1961). He held the office of Secretary of the Consistory in the 1940s and 1950s.

Scope and Contents

Contains extensive correspondence with a wide range of individuals and organizations both religious and secular. It also includes personal and family correspondence, membership lists, other organizational records and publications, and similar materials. More details of contents are provided at the file level below.

Зміст фонду

Фонд складається з листування з широким колом людей та організацій як релігійних, так і світських. Він також включає особисту та сімейну переписку, членських списків, інші організаційні записи та публікації та подібні матеріали.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Fr. Dmytro Leshchyshyn papers; box number; folder number; Ukrainian History and Education Center Archives, Somerset, New Jersey.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for researcher use. Please contact the archivist (archives@ukrhec.org) for more information and to make arrangements.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Processing Information

Materials were originally housed in one expanding alphabetical file folder and two top-punch two-ring binders, one of which had English alphabetical dividers. The expanding file contained correspondence primarily from the 1920s and 1930s, while the two ring binder with alphabetical dividers contained correspondence primarily from the 1940s. The other two ring binder had correspondence with Fr. Semen Sawchuk and Abp. Ioan Teodorovych, separated by a cardboard divider. The expanding file and two ring binder with alphabetical dividers are the current Subseries 1 and 2 (respectively) of Series 1, and the other two ring binder is Series 2. Otherwise, original order has been retained.

Controlled Access Headings

Organizations

  • Ukraïnsʹka pravoslavna t︠s︡erkva v Kanadi
  • American Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA

Subjects

  • Ukrainian Americans--Religious life
  • Ukrainian Americans--Social life and customs

Genres

  • Personal correspondence
  • Business correspondence
  • Church records and registers

Status of materials

These materials belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, and are on deposit with the Ukrainian History and Education Center for processing, preservation, and access.

Container List

Series 1.  General correspondence, 1924-1951 (bulk 1924-1944).

Arrangement

Arranged within each sub-series alphabetically by surname of correspondent (for the most part). Note that the creator did not seem to be completely consistent in which English letter he filed a given Ukrainian surname, and some files contain material which do not appear to belong under that letter.

Scope and Contents

Contains personal, family, and administrative correspondence. More prominent individuals or organizations in terms of quantity or noteworthiness have been noted at the file level below. Please note that the term "Includes..." in those notes is used to highlight such notable contents, and that whatever follows is not intended as an exhaustive description of the contents of that file.

 
Subseries 1.  1924-1941. 
A, B, 1924-1940.

Scope and Contents

Correspondence with Vasile Avramenko (1934), O. I. Bochkovs'kyi (Saskatoon, 1936), V. Batyts'kyi (Soiuz Ukraintsiv Samostiinykiv v Kanadi, Winnipeg, 1936-1936), Fr. Petro Bilon (1930-1940), and letters from and related to V. Kaspruk (William Kasprook, 1932-1938). Also contains third-party letters from Fr. Iurii Baran (1938)

  • box 1 folder 1
C, D, E, 1927-1941.

Scope and Contents

Includes membership list and bylaws of St. Volodymyr Parish (St. Louis, Mo.), correspondence with and mailings from the Soiuz Ukraintsiv Samostiinykiv v Kanadi (Ukrainian Self-Reliance League of Canada), as well as membership lists from the Dauphin, Man. branch of SUSK (1930-1934), and correspondence with Fr. Semen Savchuk (1939-1941), Myroslav and Mykhailo Stechyshyn (1935-1938), Fr. Volodymyr Sliuzar (1935-1938), Mykhailo Smitiukh (1935-1936), Ivan Danyl'chuk (1935-1938), Sakaliuk family (1936-1938), P. Stepowy and the Ukrainian Orthodox Community in Windsor, Ont. (1933-1936).

  • oversize 1
  • box 1 folder 2-3
F, G, H, 1928-1938.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with the Symon Petliura Library in Paris (1930-1932), Avramenko Film Productions, Inc. (1 item, 1937), Theodore Humeniuk (1932-1938), Yurii Hassan (1932-1933, and obiturary), Fr. Ieronim Hrytsyna (1928-1938), and Fr. Phillip Halicke (Pylyp Halyts'kyi, 1936-1938).

  • box 1 folder 4
I-J, K, 1927-1940.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with the P. Mohyla Institute (1929-1935); Ukrainian Military Invalids in Poland and other Ukrainian exile organizations in Poland (1927-1932); Fr. K. Kyrstiuk (1935-1938); Vasyl' Kaspruk (including correspondence related to obtaining visa, 1937-1940); Stepan Kuryliv (1935-1938); Oleksandr Koshyts' (7 items, 1934-1937); Ivan Kovtaliuk (1927-1930); Fr. V. Kas'kiv (1938); and individuals in Harbin, China.

  • box 1 folder 5-6
L, 1931-1941.

Scope and Contents

Includes Alien Registration Form, address list of members of Woonsocket, R.I. church, church announcements, correspondence with family members (1931-1941), and correspondence with Ol'ha Lepkova (1939-1940).

  • box 1 folder 7
M, N, 1928-1940.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Fr. Omelan Mycyk (Omelian Mytsyk, 1932-1940) and Fr. Petro Maievs'kyi (1932-1935).

  • box 1 folder 8
O , 1932-1938.

Scope and Contents

Consists exclusively of correspondence with Dr. Ivan Ohienko of the periodical "Ridna Mova" in Warsaw. Ohienko would later become Metropolitan Ilarion, prime hierarch of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada.

  • box 1 folder 9
P-Q, R, 1926-1940.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with a Fr. Myroslav (surname unknown) of Fort William, Ontario (1926-1932, bulk 1926-1927) and correspondence related to Fr. Dmytro's medical condition and possible tuberculosis (1931-1932).

  • box 2 folder 1
S, 1928-1938.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Mykhailo and Iulian Stechyshyn (1928-1935), Fr. W. Sluzar (Volodymyr Sliuzar, Montreal, 1928-1935), and undated personal letters.

  • box 2 folder 2
T, U-V, 1927-1938.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with the Ukrainian Relief Association (Ukrains'ke Zapomohove Tovarystvo "Vzaimna pomich") (1929-1932), the newspaper Ukrains'kyi Holos (Winnipeg) (1933-1935), General Oleksander Udovychenko (1934, 1 letter), and the Ukrains'ke Voienno-Istorychne Tovarystvo (Warsaw, 1933-1938).

  • box 2 folder 3
W, 1933-1938.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Fr. Lev Wesolowsky (Vesolovs'kyi) (1937-1938) and copy of Woonsocket, R.I. parish board meeting minutes (2 January, 1938),

  • box 2 folder 4
X-Y-Z, 1928-1939.

Language of materials

Ukrainian, English, and Russian

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with John Yatchew (Ivan Iatsiv, 1938-1939),Tetiana Iakovenko (sister of Iurii Hassan in Dnipropetrovs'k, 1934-1935), Mykola Iuriichuk (1933-1935), Matvii Khandoha (editor of Narodne Slovo, Pittsburgh, 1933-1934), Vasyl' Iemets' (1937), Fr. Mykhailo Zaparaniuk (1937-1938). Also includes the third party correspondence of Stepan Magalas (Montreal), primarily with Andrei Didenko (New York City) (1930-1935), as well as Fr. Dmytro's appointment cards for the Mayo Clinic.

  • box 2 folder 5
Subseries 2.  1938-1951 (bulk 1939-1944). 
A, 1939-1951 (bulk 1939-1944).

Scope and Contents

Primarily contains correspondence with Abp. Ioan Teodorovych (1939-1944), but also contains church administrative correspondence and documents.

  • box 2 folder 6
B, 1939-1941.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Fr. Antony Beryk (1941).

  • box 2 folder 7
C, 1941-1942.

Scope and Contents

Consists almost exclusively of correspondence with Fr. Semen Sawchuk, with the exception of one outgoing letter to Abp. Ioan Teodorovych.

  • box 2 folder 8
F, 1938, 1943.
  • box 2 folder 9
H, 1939-1942.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Fr. Ieornim Hrytsyna (1940-1942).

  • box 2 folder 10
K, 1940-1944.
  • box 2 folder 11
L, 1941-1942.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with O. Luhovyi and family correspondence.

  • box 2 folder 12
M, 1940-1944.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Fr. Omelian Mytsyk.

  • box 2 folder 13
O, P, S, 1939-1944.
  • box 2 folder 14
T, U, 1940-1944.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Fr. George Tsukornyk (Nova Scotia).

  • box 2 folder 15
V, 1940-1944.

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Fr. Lev Vesolovs'kyi.

  • box 2 folder 16
X-Y-Z, 1939-1941.
  • box 2 folder 17
Series 2.  Church administration, 1925-1939 (bulk 1932-1939). 
Fr. Semen Sawchuk correspondence , 1925-1939 (bulk 1932-1938).
  • box 3 folder 1-4
Archbishop Ioan Teodorovych correspondence, 1928-1939.
  • box 3 folder 5