Saint Antonios

In the 1970s, numerous Orthodox Christians fled the sectarian and geopolitical tensions in the Levant and settled in Nova Scotia.  Sadly, a generation later the present fundamentalism emerging in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Egypt has again forced minority groups (e.g., Coptics) to leave the region.

The first wave of Orthodox immigrants from the Levant attended the Greek Orthodox Church in Halifax, however, the language barrier was problematic since they spoke primarily Arabic, French, and English. It was hoped that a separate Church could be built, with the objective of having a Priest recite prayers in Arabic during regular services, weddings, funerals, and baptisms, etc.

Throughout the first half of 1980, the community was visited by members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church (e.g., Archbishop Elia Saliba, Ernest Saykaly).  In May 1980, positive news was received from the Archdiocese’s head office indicating that Metropolitan Philip Saliba had designated the organization a mission under the patronage of Saint Anthony (listen to Khouriyee Rita Saikali chant about Saint Anthony (audio)).   The Mission Council consisted of the following individuals:

The community decided to proceed and purchase a new Church, and they subsequently invited Archbishop E. Saliba to revisit Halifax and bless the establishment.  It is perhaps surprising that a Church was bought without a Priest, however, that act conveyed the community’s determination. That determination stemmed in part from immigrants who sought solace in the Orthodox Church as a link to their past, their traditions, and culture. A glimpse into the emotions those individuals experienced when settling in Canada is displayed in the video below. The telling documentary was produced by Amanda Mina and Nicole Khoury, and features numerous Parishioners.  The second clip below conveys the immigrant experience via a poem by Chantal Khoury entitled “Common Ground”.  She recited her poem at the 2016 Lebanese Festival. …[Click here for more]