St. Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn, North American Saint

Join us tomorrow night, Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 6:30pm, for our Christianity 101: An Orthodox Perspective class. Our topic is – Today’s Christian Landscape.

Today we commemorate St. Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn.

Our holy Father Raphael was born in Syria in 1860. His family was forced to flee during the violent persecution of Christians after their parish priest was one of those martyred. On the Feast of Theophany in 1861, he was baptized with the name Rafla, and later that spring the family was able to return to Damascus. in 1874 he became a student of the Patriarchate in preparation for the priesthood. He was a passionate student and on March 28, 1879 he was tonsured as a monk, and served as His Beatitude’s personal attendant. He went on to study on scholarship at the School of Theology at Halki and in 1889 became head of the Antiochian representation church. He then attempted to free the Church of Antioch from its domination by foreign hierarchs.

Burning with love for the Church of Antioch, and wishing to restore the administration of the church to its own native clergy and people, Archimandrite Raphael began a campaign of writing letters to some Antiochian bishops and influential laymen. He also wrote articles in the Russian press, drawing attention to the plight of Antioch. His courageous efforts did not meet with success, however, and there was a price to pay for his outspoken criticism. He was suspended from his priestly functions, but continued to write articles and publish books. Eventually the suspension was lifted, and in 1895 he was invited by the Syrian Orthodox Benevolent Society of New York to come to that city to be the pastor of the Arab Orthodox community.

He soon heard of smaller communities of Arab Christians scattered throughout the length and breadth of North America with no pastor to care for them. In the summer of 1896, Saint Raphael undertook the first of several pastoral journeys across the continent. He visited thirty cities between New York and San Francisco, performing marriages, baptisms, hearing confessions, and celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the homes of the faithful where there was no church building. He brought in qualified priests from Syria and sought out educated laymen whom he could recommend for ordination.

Since the number of parishes within the Diocese of North America was growing, Bishop Tikhon found it impossible to visit all of them. The diocese had to be reorganized in order to administer it more efficiently. Therefore, Bishop Tikhon proposed a second see in the East and in 1903, Archimandrite Raphael became the Bishop of Brooklyn, as well as the head of the Syro-Arab Orthodox Mission in North America – the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated on American soil.

During twenty years of faithful ministry he nurtured Orthodox Christians across North America and helped them to grow. In 1915 he fell ill from a heart ailment and passed away. He accomplished many good things during his earthly life, and now he joins the holy angels in offering ceaseless prayer and praise to God.

Through the prayers of the holy Bishop Raphael, may we also be made worthy of the heavenly Kingdom. Amen.

Troparion — Tone 1

Your proclamation has gone forth throughout North America, / calling the scattered sheep into the unity of the church. / hearing your voice, they responded to your teaching, / and through your writings you instructed them in piety. / Now guided by your example, O Father Raphael, / we sing hymns of praise unto Christ our God. / Glory to Him Who gave you strength! / Glory to Him Who granted you a crown! / Glory to Him Who, through you, grants healing to all!

Kontakion — Tone 8

You were a guardian and a defender of the Church’s teaching; / you protected your flock from false doctrines and confirmed them in the true faith. / O holy father Raphael, son of Syria and glory of North America, / always intercede before the Lord that our souls may be saved.

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