The archdeacon gave me the following explanations: The Russian revolution did not cause any important changes in the form of organization of the parishes; it affected them only financially. Before the revolution the churches depended on the Russian Orthodox Mission which had its seal originally in Sitka, Alaska. The head of this mission was known by the title of "Yepiskop Aleutsko-Alaskinskiy" (Bishop of the Aleutian Islands and of Alaska). Later the seat of the mission was transferred to San Francisco and still later--after the Russian revolution--to New York.

Soon after the revolution there was called in Russia a local all-Russian council at which the late Tikhan was elected patriarch, and a provisional statute for the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church was worked out. This included a Normal Church Statute (Normaluy Tserkovny ustav). The 2statute wrought only very insignificant changes in the previous form of church organization, affecting chiefly the economic management of the parish. These changes had become necessary because the church was not subsidised by the government any more.

The Russian Orthodox parish includes clergy and laity. The clergy consists usually of a priest, a deacon (though in some cases there is no deacon) and a psalm-reader who at the same time is the choir-master.

The Metropolitan is elected at a general convention of representatives from the clergy and the laity which nominates three candidates. Out of these the bishops elect the most deserving. In some cases, though, the question as to which of the candidates is to be the Metropolitan is decided by casting lots.

The priests are ordained as a rule from among persons who have received a theological education, or, if such persons are not available, from among such as appear to be fit to acquire easily the necessary knowledge, and who have a good character. There were two Russian theological seminaries--one in Minneapolis and another in Tennefly, New Jersey. At present the seminaries do not exist any more. Therefore, if a candidate for a priestly office has not had any previous theological training, acquired in Russia, he has to study privately a course of theological instruction and to pass an examination. All members of the clergy of a church are appointed and ordained by the Bishop.

The parish elects a Board of Directors and its chairman every year at the General Assembly. The resolutions of this General Assembly are recorded in a journal and have the force of by-laws. These resolutions have to do with: (1) the membership fees which usually are from $5.00 to $12.00 a year (only in exceptional cases they are more considerable); (2) the charges for performing 4certain ceremonies of the church, such as batisms, marriages and funeral services, and (3) the determination of the sum to be allotted for the remuneration of the clergy which has to be settled when a new parish is being organized. (The distribution of the total sum among the members of the clergy is settled by mutual agreement of the perons interested.)

The money paid to the clergy for the performance of such religious ceremonies as baptism, marriage, etc., is usually distributed in the following way: 70% goes to the church fund and 30% to the clergy.

The churches arrange periodically, bazaars, picnics, theatrical performances, concerts and similar entertainments, the profits of which form an additional source of income, increasing the church fund.

Once or twice a year the collector visits the parishioners, and the money collected goes also into the church fund.

Evening classes where the Russian language, the history and geography of Russia and the history of the church are being taught, are organized in connection with the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

During Lent there are usually given 5 or 6 talks on religious and moral subjects.