History
of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America
The Faith of Orthodox Christianity reached the New World through the missionary activities of the
Russian Orthodox Church. Early merchants and explorers were sent from Russia to
expand and explore unknown regions to the east of Russia. A small group of
missionaries arrived at Kodiak Island in 1794. The Alaskan mainland and the
islands of the coast were inhabited by a number of native tribes, especially
Tlingits, Aleuts, and Eskimos. The mission in Alaska was perhaps the most
important missionary endeavor of the Orthodox Church in the late eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries. At a time when much of the Orthodox Church throughout the
world was confronted with political systems and rival religions that prevented
much missionary work, the mission in Alaska heralded the entrance of Orthodox
Christianity into a new land.
For more information on the Russian mission in Alaska, please visit HERE:
For more information on the Russian mission in Alaska, please visit HERE:
The foundation of Orthodox
Christianity in the continental United States was established during the last
quarter of the 19th century. During this time, the focus of
Orthodoxy dramatically shifted from Alaska to the major cities of the
continental United States. The principal cause of this was the massive influx
of immigrants from Greece, Russia and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. These
parishes were established chiefly by immigrants who were determined to preserve
their Orthodox Christian faith in the New World.
Following in the footsteps
of many Europeans who left their homelands in search of a better life, many
Christians from the Middle East landed on the American shores in the late 19th
century. The formation of the Syro-Arabian Mission under the auspices of the
Russian Orthodox Church helped to keep these new immigrants attached to their
Orthodox roots. In 1895, the Syrian Orthodox Benevolent Society in New York
City contacted a young Syrian priest (Fr Raphael Hawaweeny) serving as
professor of Arabic Language at the Orthodox Theological Academy in Kazan,
Russia, inviting him to come to New York to organize and pastor the first Arabic-speaking
parish in America. At the request of Archbishop Tikhon, Fr Raphael was elected
to serve as his vicar bishop, to head the Syro-Arabian Mission. His
consecration as “Bishop of Brooklyn” took place in 1904, thus becoming the
first Orthodox bishop of any nationality to be consecrated in North America.
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| St Tikhon, then Archbishop of North America, with Bishops Innocent of Alaska and Raphael of Brooklyn |
He traveled all across the
United States and Canada, and Mexico, visiting his scattered flock and
gathering them into parish communities. Although brief, Bishop Raphael’s
ministry was extremely fruitful, having established over 30 parish communities
in various places, such as New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas, and Nebraska.
Bishop Raphael fell asleep in the Lord on February 27, 1915, at the age of
fifty-four. In 2000 Bishop Raphael was glorified as a saint by the Orthodox
Church in America with participation from hierarchs of the Antiochian
Archdiocese. His feast day is celebrated on the first Saturday in November
(AOCA) and February 27 (OCA).
Following the tragedies of
the First World War and Bolshevik Revolution, financial and administrative
hardships were brought upon the Orthodox communities in America. Movements
arose in every ethnic group to divide it into ecclesiastical factions. It would
take sixty years from the death of Bishop Raphael for total jurisdictional and
administrative unity to be restored for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
Some communities desired to remain under the jurisdiction of the Russian Diocese,
while others sought stronger ties with their Arab Christian roots seeking to be
received into the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Antioch. In 1975,
Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) of the Antiochian Archdiocese of New York and
Metropolitan Michael (Shaheen) of the Antiochian Archdiocese of Toledo, Ohio,
and Dependencies signed the Articles of Reunification which restored
administrative unity. The Antiochian Archdiocese was led for over forty years by
His Eminence Metropolitan Philip Saliba, prior to his falling asleep in Christ on March 19, 2014. Today, the faithful of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian
Archdiocese of North America are served by nine hierarchs and over four hundred
clergy in 266 churches and missions throughout North America.
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| Metropolitan Philip (+2014) |
St
George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Houston, TX
In 1928 a small group of
immigrants, mostly from Syria and Lebanon organized into an Orthodox community in
Houston, Texas. These families had settled in Houston, opening “mom and pop”
stores selling merchandise of all kinds, as well as finding work in the oil
boom which hit Houston in the early 20th century. While living and
working in Houston, these families desired to keep the language, culture, and
religion of their forefathers. Fund raising efforts began, mainly from the
efforts of Arab women by cooking and selling Middle-Eastern foods and specialties.
In 1936 the faithful of this Orthodox community purchased a building on the
corner of Chestnut and Harrison Streets on the north side of Houston.
Growth within the St George community continued as more families immigrated to Houston seeking work and a
better life. The needs of the community demanded a larger property to include a
sanctuary and church hall for social events. Prior to 1954 the following clergy
served the needs of the Orthodox faithful at St George Church: Frs Thomas
Abodeely, Gabriel Barrow, Gabriel Debes, Essa Kanavati, Nicholas Nahas, George
Taweel, and James Rottle. In September of 1954,
property was purchased in the City of West University, southeast of downtown
Houston (the parish’s current location). The current sanctuary of St George
Church was built in 1968.
Map Source
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| Location of St George Church |
Since the early 1970s the
parish has seen a steady increase in membership, especially due another wave of
immigration of Arab Christians from Palestine, primarily in the villages of
Ramallah and Taybeh. With the influx of these Arab Christians, as well as other
immigrants from predominantly Orthodox countries, such as Bulgaria, Ethiopia, and
Russia, the parish community has grown over the decades of the late 20th century. In addition to the increase of immigrant Orthodox Christians, St
George Church has always fostered outreach to the Greater Houston community,
which has seen many American converts “come home” to Orthodoxy.
The parish has truly been a
model of a mission-oriented community for Orthodoxy. As Houston’s population
has greatly increased, and new suburbs created, the parish (clergy and laity)
have created many “daughter” mission churches in the area: St Anthony Orthodox Church of Spring, TX (north of Houston), St Joseph Orthodox Church in the west
side of Houston, and Forty Holy Martyrs (of Sebaste) Orthodox Church of Sugar
Land, TX (southwest of Houston) are vibrant Orthodox communities who call St
George Church their “mother.” Many prominent Antiochian clergymen of the
Archdiocese once served at St George Church, including Frs Thomas Skaff
(1959-1968), John Namie (1969-1979), Anthony Sabbagh (1979-1983), Joseph Shahda
(1983-2000), John Salem (2000-2011), and James Shadid (2011-present).
St George Church, while
starting missions in Greater Houston, has also been a leading community in
ministry for the youth of its parish. This parish has had a full-time paid
Youth Director since the early 1990s, including Dn Thomas Joseph (now Auxiliary
Bishop of Charleston, WV), Khouria Gigi (Baba) Shadid, daughter of the parish
and now married to the head pastor (Fr James Shadid), Fr Michael Sakran (son of
the parish and now assistant priest of St Elias Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa,
Ontario), and myself (Paul Fuller) who served from 2008 till 2013 prior to attendance
at St Vladimir Orthodox Seminary. The parish community of St George is a beacon
for pan-Orthodoxy in America, as a multi-ethnic community, as well as begun
numerous missions to serve the needs of Orthodox Christians living in Greater
Houston, and leading the cause for youth ministry in a parish setting.
For more information on the history of St George Church, please visit HERE:
For more information on the history of St George Church, please visit HERE:
St
George Orthodox Church (Current State of Affairs)
St George Orthodox Church
continues to be a vibrant Orthodox community of the Antiochian Orthodox
Archdiocese of North America. The parish is under the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America (Bishop Basil, Auxiliary Bishop). The parish currently has
approximately 600 families who call St George their home parish, as well as 300
members in regular attendance at Divine Liturgy on Sundays. On staff at the parish include Rev Fr James
Shadid (pastor), Rev Fr Symeon Kees (associate pastor), Rev Fr Christopher Eid
(attached), Ms Grace Tannous (Youth Director), Ms Octavia Battles (Church
Secretary), and Mr Alvaro Palencia (Grounds Supervisor). Clergy who also serve
at the Altar of St George Church include V Rev Fr Joseph Shahda (pastor emeritus),
Rev Fr George Dahdouh (attached), and Dn Joseph Carter (attached).
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| Interior of St George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Houston, TX |
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| St George Houston teens win "Chapter of the Year 2009" with Bishop Basil |
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| Orthodox Young Adult Book Club 2012 with Bishop Thomas |
The parish has an active
liturgical life including Great Vespers on Saturday evening, Matins and Divine
Liturgy on Sunday morning, and Daily Vespers on Wednesday evening, along with Divine
Liturgies for feastdays during the week. The parish also offers catechism
courses for those converting to Orthodoxy, and Bible Studies. In the fall, the
parish hosts a weekly Family Night program on Wednesday evenings which include
Daily Vespers, educational classes for all ages, and fellowship/dinner.
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| Clergy of St George Houston |
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| Ladies Altar Society of St George Houston |
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Vacation Bible School 2013
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The children and youth of
the parish also participate in summer camping programs at Camp St Raphael near
Tulsa, OK and Antiochian Village near Pittsburgh, PA. The teens of the parish
are extremely active both on a parish and diocesan level, participating in
various Teen SOYO retreats, service projects, and fellowship throughout the
year, including the annual Diocesan Basketball Tournament and Retreat, Advent
Retreat, and Winter Camp. The OCF and YAM groups have hosted retreats and
conferences for college students and young adults in the region, as well as OCF
Coffee House and Game Nights, Orthodox Young Adult Book Club, and monthly
service projects in downtown Houston.
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| St George Houston teens at Winter Camp 2012 |
The parish is extremely
active interacting with local Orthodox churches in Greater Houston, which has
21 Orthodox communities from various jurisdictions. The clergy meet on a
monthly basis, as well as host annual events throughout the year to support the
witness of Orthodoxy in Houston and surrounding cities, such as Sunday of
Orthodoxy Vespers and Fellowship, Vacation Bible School for children and youth.
In 2003, as part of our 75th Anniversary Celebration, His Grace, Bishop Basil
presided over the groundbreaking for the new Administrative and Educational
Building. In November of 2005, His Grace returned to bless and dedicate our new
wing. In 2006 the Parish Hall was completely updated and renovated. Continuing
the need for expansion the parish community voted in the fall of 2013 to expand
the sanctuary which is scheduled for completion by January 2015. St George
Church continues to grow, thanks to the leadership of clergy and laity, who
strongly desire to worship God and serve His creation. Glory be to God!
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