From the Patronal Facilitator---Yesterday, February 27 the church commemorated the Repose of St. Raphael of Brooklyn, one of the new saints of North America

He came from humble beginnings, was born in Beirut in 1860 from a very religious family and he eventually was was tonsured a monk and in 1885, he sent to be educated at the prestigious theological school on Hallki island near Constantiople and ordained to the diaconate.

He went to study at the Kiev Theological academy where he was ordained into the priesthood. Soon after, he was appointed to serve as head of the representation of the Antiochian Patriarch in Moscow.

In 1895, he arrived in America an quickly established the St. Nicholas Church in Brooklyn. In his missionary work, he founded many parishes and was involved in other educational publications. St. Raphael established and edited a church periodical for Orthodox Arabs. St. Tikhon the Enlightener consecrated his church, St. Nicholas in Brooklyn in October 1902.

In February In 1904, Raphael was consecrated as bishop of Brooklyln by St. Tikohn and Bishop Innocent. This was the first consecration of an Orthodox bishop in North America. In July of 1905 Bishop Raphael consecrated the grounds for St. Tikhon's Monastery and blessed the orphanage in South Canaan, PA On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, 1911, Bishop Raphael was honored for his 15 years of pastoral ministry in America.

Soon after that, his health began to decline, and he was diagnosed with a heart ailment. Even though ill, he continued to make pastoral visitations and made great efforts to administer to the needs of his church family.

On February 27, 1915, St. Raphael reposed in the Lord and after his funeral at the church that he founded, St. Nicholas Church, he was buried in New York.

In 1989 the incorrupt remains of St. Raphael were uncovered and transferred to Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pa. In March 2000, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America formally proclaimed St. Raphael a saint. A solemn glorification service took place on May 28-29, 2000 at St. Tikhons Monastery, presided by OCA Primate, Metropolitan Theodosius with the participation of the Antiochian Archdiocese auxiliary Bishops, Basil and Demetri.

St. Raphael served his own Arab community but he also reached out to Greeks and Russians, speaking to them in their native tongue. A piously kind and scholarly man,he saw the need and had the vision to encourage the use of English in our church services and educational programs and he worked untiringly to that end.