With faith in Christ and hope in the resurrection, we share news of the repose of Great Economos Antony Gabriel, an alumnus of St Vladimir’s Seminary (M.Div. ’62). Fr Antony Gabriel’s priestly ministry spanned six decades, four parishes and a host of Antiochian Archdiocesan organizations. He reposed in the Lord on Wednesday, November 2, in Tucscon, AZ, at the age of 82.
Fr Antony was born in Syracuse, New York. He attended St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) immediately before its relocation from its former housing at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan to the present campus in Yonkers, NY. He studied under foundational SVOTS professors such as Fr Alexander Schmemann, Fr John Meyendorff, Dr Veselin Kesich, and Dr Nicholas Arseniev, and shared a room with Fr Thomas Hopko for a time. Upon the occasion of his retirement in 2015, Fr Antony reflected on his time at St Vladimir’s Seminary in an article for the Antiochian Archdiocesan website, describing daily life in the early days of the Seminary in many poignant and humorous vignettes.
After graduating 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 later served St Elias Church of Sylvania, Ohio and founded St George Church of Cicero, Illinois before serving at St George Church of Montreal, Quebec, which he pastored for more than 30 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 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 the memory of Fr Antony Gabriel be eternal!
This article was adapted and reprinted from Antiochian.org.
