Who Are Byzantines?

We are disciples of Christ who follow Eastern traditions in liturgy, spirituality, faith, and sacraments, and are full members of the Universal Catholic Church, united in full communion with the Pope of Rome.  In fact, the Catholic Church is really a communion of 21 Catholic Churches, including the Roman Church – the largest.

We trace our Christian Tradition to the Apostles of Jesus Christ, who were commissioned to preach the “Good News” of the Gospel message to all the corners of the world. In the year 313, the Emperor Constantine freed Christianity and moved the imperial capital from Rome to Byzantium, renaming it ‘Constantinople’ or ‘The City of Constantine’.

It is through the Eastern traditions of Constantinople that certain Slavs received Christianity from Ss. Cyril & Methodius in the 9th century. These peoples then immigrated to America at the turn of the 20th century. Today, we practice Christianity that is Eastern in expression and Catholic in doctrine.