Obituary of Antony Francis Gabriel

Great Economos Antony Gabriel, whose priestly ministry spanned six decades, five parishes and a host of Archdiocesan organizations, reposed in the Lord Jesus Christ on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.

 

Fr. Antony, 82, was born in Syracuse, New York. Soon after he graduated St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in 1962, Metropolitan Antony Bashir ordained him to the Holy priesthood and Fr. Antony began his first parish assignment at St. George Church of Phoenix, Arizona. Fr. Antony then founded St. George Church of Cicero, Illinois before serving at St. George Church of Washington, D.C., St. Elias Church of Sylvania, Ohio and St. George Church of Montreal, Quebec, which he pastored for more than 40 years.

 

In Montreal, he facilitated the welcomes and relocations of Lebanese refugees from their homeland's "uncivil war," as Fr. Antony called it, in the 1980s. He did the same for Syrian refugees fleeing the war in their homeland in the 2010s. St. George Church doubled in size to 1,000 families during his tenure, and he helped establish St. Mary Church in Montreal.

 

In 1976, Fr. Antony was a founding member and the first chaplain of The Order of Ignatius of Antioch. He also organized the Department of Conventions and Conference Planning, created the Antiochian Heritage Foundation, and lectured on Antiochian Church history at the Antiochian House of Studies.

 

Fr. Antony often accompanied Metropolitan Philip Saliba to the Middle East. Sayidna Philip led the celebrations of Fr. Antony's 50th anniversary in the holy priesthood in 2012. Fr. Antony retired from active ministry in 2015 and moved to Tucson, Arizona.

 

Funeral services which will be held at St Elias Church in Syracuse, NY. are pending. Please keep Fr. Antony in your prayers for the departed and his wife, Kh. Lynn, and their family in your prayers for the living. May Fr. Antony's memory be eternal!

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