Before moving on to our first parish, I need to take a little detour. When the Antiochian students first arrived in New York, Metropolitan ANTONY instructed us to go to St. Nicholas Cathedral and meet the venerable Fr. Wakim Dalack. He was married to Archpriest Basil Kherbawy's daughter Alice, and this was a kind of priestly royalty inasmuch as Fr. Basil played a major role in the fledgling diocese, with St. Raphael and later Aftimios Ofiesh his immediate successor. Also, Fr. Basil authored many books in Arabic and English on the history of the United States and on the Orthodox Faith, among so many of his other contributions. Father Dalack and Khouria Alice literally took us in and they loved Lynn. He was a successful businessman before being ordained, and once told us to "get a business first so you do not depend on others for a living." They gifted Lynn with many fine things during this early period.
I must relate an event that made a deep impression. On one Holy Thursday we sauntered over to the Cathedral because the Metropolitan was serving. At the conclusion of the service I went to the altar to receive a blessing from His Eminence, and there was this six foot five archbishop, having confession on his knees before Archimandrite Hannieh Kassab, who was no taller than five feet. (Father Kassab was an eminent canon lawyer and a one-time opponent of the Metropolitan during and after his election. He had translated the ancient texts of the canons and lost them on the train, a precious work gone forever.) On Holy Thursday, there was Sayidna kneeling before him as if he was an altar boy in penance. I left the Holy Place with tears running down my face, seeing this giant of a man humbling himself in such a manner.
In years to come, I was assigned to work with Economos Michael Simon, who in later years took courses at the Seminary. Saint George of Paterson N.J. was a renovated old building. This good priest had a voice that would break a chandelier. He and his wife Sarah were saintly to the core, welcoming, generous, and deeply prayerful. Abouna and Khouria had to raise a family on meagre means without one word of complaint. Until his retirement, at every Archdiocesan Convention—if we were being transported by bus—he would stand up and sing, making us all join in with his jovial gesture to make light of a tiresome trip.
It was in Paterson that I met Van Mitchell who worked at CBS with Pam Ilot. I used to stay at his home during the weekends that I went to Paterson. After some discussion it was decided to have CBS film portions of the Orthodox Holy Week on the Sunday program called "Lamp unto my Feet." This was a first. Sayidna presided, and Fr. Michael and his wonderful choir chanted portions of Holy Week with commentary by Van Mitchell. Later at our urging they filmed the Seminary's choir for the same program. Van used to say that if you want a successful parish, make sure you have a good choir. He likened Fr. Simon to St. Peter for his great compassion for others in need.
On the Sundays that we didn't go to New Jersey, we would alternate between attending the Cathedral and St. Mary's, both in Brooklyn; the contrast was quite interesting. The James family took to Lynn, and mother Lodi would prepare a feast for us and the whole family, who lived in cramped quarters in Brooklyn. Those days it was quite different than today—everyone felt as though they belonged to an extended family. Father Paul and Shirley Schneirla, as mentioned earlier, extended their warm hospitality to us on the Sundays we worshipped there.
The same was true in Paterson, where the Esahak family made us a part of their family. In the summer I spent time in New Kensington at the home of Fr. Nicholas Ofeish ( Aftimios's brother) and God only knows how much we learned from him and Khouria Emily; did they ever have stories! Father Nicholas once told me that "it is no good if everyone in the church loves you! If they do, it means you are good with the good and bad with the bad!" He also said, "You need only one face, and if you get a white spot on your black suit, everyone will notice, so keep yourself clean." I also spent one summer helping Fr. John Nicholas in Washington, D.C. and stayed with Ray and Miriam Yazge and family (Fr. Anthony's parents).
We were vagabonds during these days, whether going to Danbury, Connecticut after a conference, or to Pearl and Bob Nahas' home after being made a subdeacon at the Asbury Park Convention (where the Liturgy was recorded for the first time under the direction of Christine Lynch). Christine and Pearl are sisters and nieces of Van Mitchell; their father was a priest in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania years ago. They came by their love for the Church quite naturally.
I joined the Seminary Choir and we went on various trips. During one trip we took to Montreal in the winter, we almost lost our lives as the car slipped off the highway because of black ice. Ironically, while in Montreal I went to preach at St. George and Lynn went to St. Nicholas, never knowing that one day we would end up there. The purpose of the trips was to raise money for the Seminary as well as to raise awareness of theological education.
Metropolitan ANTONY often asked me to accompany him on pastoral visitations. Once we went to St. Nicholas in Bridgeport, where I was award a $100.00 scholarship. Of course as soon as I received the check, the Archbishop zipped it out of my hands. We received $100 from him each month so he thought it belonged to him! Well, when I returned to the Seminary I ordered a set of books about the Holy Fathers and sent him the bill. When he received this he called immediately and said "Kenneth, why do I have this bill?" To which I replied that I sent him the bill because "that was my scholarship money you took!" He retorted, "You are the first one to beat me out of money!"
Another time we traveled to Altoona, Pennsylvania. During the Q & A in the hall, a man stood up and asked the Metropolitan how much money he had. The Archbishop requested he stand, as he took out a black book and thumbed through it for a good fifteen minutes. Sayidna said, "I don't see your name as having contributed money to the Archdiocese!" The red-faced gentleman retorted,"I give ideas." To which the Metropolitan basically told him in Arabic (loosely translated), "I gave the world ideas, sit down and be quiet!"
His Eminence would call the Seminary and ask for me and Fr. Joe Shaheen to come over immediately. I would dress in a black suit. Once there, he would tell Fr. Joe, "Show Kenneth how to change the storm windows!" He would ask for a sample window, though each window was different at his headquarters. He was saving money! By the time Fr. Joe and I completed this task, we were a mess. We were fed lentils and given rain coats he received from the local fire station. They were so long, we just gave them away. But in my mind, Sayidna was like our jiddos who emigrated during a difficult period in the U.S. By calling so many companies to give him samples, and saving every penny he could in those days, he was preparing for the the next generation.
Once His Eminence was the guest of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt for an overnight. At breakfast the President asked him (during an election year), "How many people do you oversee in the Archdiocese?" Sayidna replied with the global number of all Orthodox Christians in North America at that time. When Fr. Paul came to pick him, up the Metropolitan told him about the story.
Father Paul replied: "Sayidna, we do not have that many in our Archdiocese!" His Eminence replied," If he does not believe me, let him go and count them!" That was typical Bashir humor. Once on one of our trips, I queried him as to why he became a priest. He quickly replied, "At the Balamand I thought the clergy were bad; then I studied law and found lawyers to be worse, so I made up my mind to be a servant of the Church and give my life to the Lord. The best choice I ever made!"
It was during one of our trips that Sayidna informed me that I was being assigned upon graduation to Phoenix, AZ, and that he depended upon me to bring this former Toledo parish under his Archdiocese. Also, as I was diagnosed with Boeck Sarcoid, a disease that would do better in a warmer climate, he was sending me there. I never did know how he learned that I had this rare blood disease, but he knew, just as any good father would know. All these various experiences formed a mosaic of memories; our early experiences carried our generation through all challenges we faced in those years and the years to come.
Economos Antony Gabriel is the author of several books, including The Ancient Faith of New Shores, an authoritative history of the Antiochian Archdiocese from its founding to present day. You can order a copy from the Antiochian Village Bookstore.