General description: This is the Baptismal Record for St. Alexis Toth [18 March 1854 — May 7, 1909+), canonized on May 29-30, 1994 by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America, and lauded as the “apostolic Father of American Orthodox Rus’”. St. Alexis was a Greek Catholic priest whose conversion to Orthodoxy and subsequent missionary work led to the return to Orthodoxy of thousands and potentially even millions of Greek Catholics, whose ancestors were Orthodox prior to the Unions of Brest and Uzhhorod. The website of the OCA writes:
Like Josiah, “he behaved himself uprightly in the conversion of his people” (Sir 49:2). He was instrumental in the formation or return of seventeen parishes, planting a vineyard of Christ in America, and increasing its fruitful yield many times over. By 1909, the time of his blessed repose, many thousands of Carpatho-Russian and Galician Uniates had returned to Orthodoxy. This was a major event in the history of the North American Mission, which would continue to shape the future of Orthodoxy in this country for many generations to come. Any future growth or success may truly be regarded as the result of Father Toth’s apostolic labors.
Below is his baptismal certificate from the archives of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Prešov. Of very important note here, is that in some sources, his place of birth is listed as Kobylnice, however, this is evidently incorrect, as the records would indicate he was almost certainly born in Olsavicza (modern-day Oľšavica, Slovakia). According to records[1] of the diocese of Prešov, St. Alexis’s Father Juraj (Georgius) Tóth was the priest in Kobylnice from 1855-1857, however, St. Alexis was born prior to this in 1854. From 1852-1867, the priest in Oľšavica was one Anton Valkovský, a relative of Toth, likely his uncle. If we obtain more information we will update this listing. Below is a copy of the information from the original Latin as best as could be transcribed.
Baptismal Record Data:
Entry number: 5
Date of birth: 18a Martii [Trans: 18 March, [1854]
Date of baptism and confirmation: 1a Aprilii [Trans: 1st of April]
Name: Alexius
Sex: Masculini [Trans: Male]
Legitimate or illegitimate: legitimo [Trans: Legitimate]
Parents: Ard. [?] Tóth Georgius Administrator Parochiae Abodensis, Caecilia Valkószky
Residence: Olsavicza
Godparents: Ard. [?] Paulus Still Parochus Felső-Repassensis et … Maria Dudinszky [?]
Baptizer: Georgius Lázár Parochus Alsó-Repassensis
Comments: primogenitus [Trans: First-born]
[1] http://www.grkatpo.sk/?schematizmus&show=knaz&id=1173&idx=339
