A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 19 - Tuesday, May 11th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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Eternal Be Their Memory
ROUND LAKES, Ill. - Greek America is only vaguely becoming aware of the manner in which historical landmarks directly shape their collective history. Cemeteries, as part of the general impact of Greeks on the American landscape, have seen increasing attention in the Greek American press. Given the growing surge in the writing of local community histories, autobiographies, and parish histories, Greek America is fortunate indeed to see a new volume that can serve as guide to any aspiring researcher. "Gone But Not Forgotten: A Definitive History of the Greek Section at Woodlawn Cemetery," by Nicholas M. Prevas, deals with the origins and subsequent events surrounding the acquisition of cemetery lots for the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Baltimore, Maryland (Baltimore: Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, 2001). It’s should not surprise anyone that Mr. Prevas, long the parish historian for the Baltimore Cathedral, has compiled and written an instant classic. Mr. Prevas’ "History of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation," first published when he was only 23 years old, was his first history book and remains one of the finest narrative histories ever written on a single parish (Baltimore: John D. Lucas Printing, 1982). Since university-trained historians have abandoned Greek America to her own devices, volumes such as "Gone But Not Forgotten" are critical for the development of our own self-understanding of Greek American history. This 201-page volume is divided into six sections, four appendixes, an alphabetical guide to burials and a bibliography. Heavily, and I must say beautifully, illustrated with period photographs, maps, letters, and other documents I can think of no historical volume ever published on Greeks in the United States with as extensive a set of reproduced documents. Stunning does not even begin to convey the array of documents published in this one volume. The use of heavy and so expensive paper stock ensures that the reproductions of photographs, documents and so forth are seen in the best manner possible. In his forward Father Constantine M. Monios, long-time Dean of Annunciation succinctly presents the core theme of this volume: "The book explains how Woodlawn, the home of Annunciation’s first cemetery, served an important role for this community from 1912-1943 and became the final resting place for over 600 Orthodox Christians. Along with his fascinating history of the Greek Section, Mr. Prevas has brought forth a comprehensive Guide to Burials in both alphabetical and row order. The overwhelming details contained within the Guide to Burials, along with a diagram of the Greek Section at Woodlawn, shows the author’s dedication and focus (xiii)." The significance of this study extends well past Baltimore given that ninety years have passed since the parishioners of Annunciation decided to establish a cemetery. As Mr. Prevas notes a the very beginning of this volume, "…to secure a cemetery for the Orthodox faithful of Baltimore, only three short years after incorporating with a charter, is noteworthy for various reasons. A church cemetery was not typical for the Greek immigrant colonies in America. It illustrates the progressive thinking of the early parish leaders. And most importantly, it helped solidify the decision that Baltimore, for the majority of parishioners, was to be their new permanent home (1)." With the first section of this history entitled, "Gone But Not Forgotten," Nicholas Prevas successfully integrates the need and use of a cemetery within the larger framework of Greek history of Baltimore. His command of specific details having to do with individuals and families going back to 1911 (and at times earlier) is extremely impressive. Dovetailing into this first section and allowing us further insights is the "Photographic History of the Greek Circle" in the next section. In one sense the title if this section is misleading. We do not simply see photographs of the departed. Mr. Prevas is far too assiduous a researcher. Therefore, in this section we see not only photographs of Greeks but also reproductions of their Death Certificates, burial permits, tombstones, letters, newspaper accounts, internment cards, and even portrait photographs of the priests who performed the burial rites.
Mr.
Prevas has without a doubt set the Scattered throughout this volume are incredibly detailed if very compact historical details on specific individuals and events. This is all complimented by the inclusion of what can only be called clusters of documents on these individuals. On any given page one can see a photograph of an individual, his or her death certificate, his or her tombstone, and then yet another document or two. The care with which rich historical documentation is presented can be seen on virtually every page.
Such attention to
documents is not only the real strength of this
volume it also conveys how important this study
will be in future Greek American research. This
historical study’s complexity of presentation is
such that it almost automatically sets in motion
lines of thought outside of this specific realm of
study into other dimensions of Greek-American
history. LAND OF THE DEAD I have always been struck by the fact that no study of Greeks in the United States ever deals with social events in cemeteries. I can think of no other phrase for these activities except the much older one of ‘visiting the dead’ which is not necessarily incorrect but does not, in point of fact, encompass the full range of activities Greeks participate in cemeteries.
I first became
self-conscious of this missing feature in the
descriptions of Greek American social life when I
found myself explaining to a non-Greek why my
family had photographs of people and events in
cemeteries. My American friend could not
understand why we would even take pictures in such
a place, let alone so many. As I began trying to
explain all these various visits and occasions
aside from burials that brought Greeks to
cemeteries this missing element in historical and
social descriptions of Greek America became
apparent. Long before I knew “Ψυχοσάββατο” was called “All Soul’s Day” I was making the sign of the cross in Elmwood cemetery in Riverside Illinois as the priest chanted prayers over the graves of relatives and friends. I have quite literally met and heard about specific individuals (including relatives) only in cemeteries. It is not surprising then that Nicholas Prevas in the dedication of this volume focuses on the visits and extended conversations he made to Woodlawn, over the years, with his late father Michael Nicholas Prevas in the course of research: "We had tried to imagine the funeral processions traveling across the bridge and up the winding path to the Greek Section in North Avon. The earliest funerals, those in the Greek Circle, were probably by horse-drawn carriage. We thought of the many priests who performed the Orthodox burial rites so many hundreds of times. Often, we would pause over a gravesite, and somehow the peaceful atmosphere of the Greek Section would connect us in spirit to those we had diligently researched back at the cemetery office. Each gravesite with its own unique story and memories for the Orthodox Christians who resumed their lives without their cherished loved ones." LASTING GUIDE Where Gone But Not Forgotten will serve future local researcher’s best is in the format seen in the various guides to burials sections. Whether or not future researchers will be able to locate as detailed a record in their home communities as Mr. Prevas has in volume has yet to be seen. Mr. Prevas has without a doubt set the standard for all such future accounts.
With just two
books Nicholas Prevas has accomplished what many
self-proclaimed Greek American Specialists have
not - he has completed a detailed narrative
history of his home community. Now both the living
and the dead owe this man a debt that can never be
repaid. There are so very few who write about the
Greek American experience and fewer still who do
it well and with anything approaching grace. In
the truest sense of the old Greek folk saying
Nicholas Prevas has given back more than he was
ever given. |
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