Antoun Khouri
Encyclopedia
His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop Antoun (Khouri) of Miami and the Southeast is a diocesan
bishop
of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
.
, Syria
, the fourth of six children born to the late Wedad Elias Abraxia and Yssa Khouri. After completing his elementary education at the Orthodox School in Meedan, Syria, he entered the Minor Seminary
at Balamand Monastery
, near Tripoli, Lebanon, at the age of fourteen, where he met his lifelong friend, the future Metropolitan Philip (Saliba)
. At the Balamand Seminary he completed his junior and senior high school studies and then went on to receive his diploma in theology from the Balamand Theological Academy of Saint John of Damascus.
On October 28, 1951, he was ordained
to the diaconate
by His Beatitude, Alexander III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Damascus. While a deacon at the cathedral
, he was instructor, then Dean of the Saint John of Damascus School. While in Damascus, he undertook undergraduate studies at the Assiyat Orthodox College from which he was graduated in 1957. In the same year he was assigned to the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Brazil, where he served at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul and as secretary to His Eminence, Metropolitan Ignatius (Forzley) of Sao Paolo.
hood on May 29, 1960, by His Eminence, Metropolitan Antony (Bashir), the Archbishop of New York and all North America. On August 3, 1969, he was elevated to the dignity of Archimandrite
by His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip (Saliba), the current Primate of Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. As a priest he served the following pastorates: St. George Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; St. George Church in Toronto, Ontario; St. George Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania and St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. From 1969 to 1977, he worked from the Archdiocesan chancery in Englewood, New Jersey, as personal aide to Metropolitan Philip.
, consisting of clergy
and lay
delegates from parish
es throughout the United States and Canada, nominated Archimandrite Antoun for the office of auxiliary bishop
to the Metropolitan on August 1, 1981, and the Holy Synod
of the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East
elected him to that office at a session in Damascus, Syria, on November 4, 1982, as titular bishop
of Selefkia. He was consecrated to the episcopacy on January 9, 1983, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York, by Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) of North America; Archbishop Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo, the Auxiliary of the Archdiocese of North America; Archbishop Elias (Saliba), the superior of the Patriarchal Monastery of St. George (Tel-Kalakh, Syria); Bishop Paul (Bandaly), the Patriarchal Vicar (now Metropolitan of Akkar, Lebanon); and Bishop Antonio (Chedraoui), the Patriarchal Legate for the Diocese of Mexico and Central America.
By a decision of the Holy Synod
of the Patriarchate dated October 9, 2003, His Grace became a diocesan bishop bearing the title of Bishop of Miami and the Southeast. Bishop Antoun maintains his office and residence at the Archdiocesan Chancery in Englewood, New Jersey, although he has a secondary residence in Florida
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is the sole jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada with exclusive jurisdiction over the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in those countries, though these faithful were originally cared for by the...
.
Early years
His Grace was born Antoun issa Khouri on January 17, 1931, in DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, the fourth of six children born to the late Wedad Elias Abraxia and Yssa Khouri. After completing his elementary education at the Orthodox School in Meedan, Syria, he entered the Minor Seminary
University of Balamand
The University of Balamand is a private, secular university located at El-Koura, Lebanon. It was founded by the Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch in 1988...
at Balamand Monastery
Balamand Monastery
The Balamand Monastery , is an Antiochian Orthodox monastery founded in 1157 in Balamand near Tripoli, Lebanon.- References :...
, near Tripoli, Lebanon, at the age of fourteen, where he met his lifelong friend, the future Metropolitan Philip (Saliba)
Philip (Saliba)
Metropolitan Philip is the Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America, which is the leadership position for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Metropolitan Philip has held this position since 1966.- Education :Philip was education at Balamand...
. At the Balamand Seminary he completed his junior and senior high school studies and then went on to receive his diploma in theology from the Balamand Theological Academy of Saint John of Damascus.
On October 28, 1951, he was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
to the diaconate
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
by His Beatitude, Alexander III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Damascus. While a deacon at the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, he was instructor, then Dean of the Saint John of Damascus School. While in Damascus, he undertook undergraduate studies at the Assiyat Orthodox College from which he was graduated in 1957. In the same year he was assigned to the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Brazil, where he served at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul and as secretary to His Eminence, Metropolitan Ignatius (Forzley) of Sao Paolo.
Graduate education and priesthood
In 1959, Deacon Antoun arrived in United States for graduate theological studies at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary near New York City, from which he was graduated in 1962, having been ordained to the priestPriest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
hood on May 29, 1960, by His Eminence, Metropolitan Antony (Bashir), the Archbishop of New York and all North America. On August 3, 1969, he was elevated to the dignity of Archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
by His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip (Saliba), the current Primate of Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. As a priest he served the following pastorates: St. George Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; St. George Church in Toronto, Ontario; St. George Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania and St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. From 1969 to 1977, he worked from the Archdiocesan chancery in Englewood, New Jersey, as personal aide to Metropolitan Philip.
Episcopacy
The General Assembly of the Archdiocese of North AmericaAntiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is the sole jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada with exclusive jurisdiction over the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in those countries, though these faithful were originally cared for by the...
, consisting of clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
and lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
delegates from parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es throughout the United States and Canada, nominated Archimandrite Antoun for the office of auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
to the Metropolitan on August 1, 1981, and the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
of the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East
Church of Antioch
The Church of Antioch is one of the five major churches that composed the Christian Church before the East-West Schism.-History:...
elected him to that office at a session in Damascus, Syria, on November 4, 1982, as titular bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Selefkia. He was consecrated to the episcopacy on January 9, 1983, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York, by Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) of North America; Archbishop Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo, the Auxiliary of the Archdiocese of North America; Archbishop Elias (Saliba), the superior of the Patriarchal Monastery of St. George (Tel-Kalakh, Syria); Bishop Paul (Bandaly), the Patriarchal Vicar (now Metropolitan of Akkar, Lebanon); and Bishop Antonio (Chedraoui), the Patriarchal Legate for the Diocese of Mexico and Central America.
By a decision of the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
of the Patriarchate dated October 9, 2003, His Grace became a diocesan bishop bearing the title of Bishop of Miami and the Southeast. Bishop Antoun maintains his office and residence at the Archdiocesan Chancery in Englewood, New Jersey, although he has a secondary residence in Florida
External links
- Bishop Antoun (Khouri) (official biography)
- Diocese of the Southeast (Archdiocese site)