St. Antonios Orthodox Church Consecrated in Halifax, Nova Scotia

CREDIT: Cooked Photography

HALIFAX, NS—The weekend of May 24–25, 2025 marked a historic milestone for the Antiochian Orthodox community of Halifax, as St. Antonios Church was solemnly consecrated in a ceremony led by His Eminence Metropolitan Saba and His Eminence Metropolitan Ephrem of Tripoli, Lebanon.

The consecration, which included the anointing of the church and altar and the enshrinement of saints’ relics, crowned decades of faithful labor and sacrifice. The once-Anglican structure has been transformed into a radiant Byzantine church adorned with iconography from Panachrantos Monastery in Greece, hand-carved wood from Hamatoura Monastery in Lebanon, and textiles from Agia Kyriaki Monastery in Macedonia.

The liturgical celebrations concluded with the awarding of the Medal of Merit of St. Antonios to past Parish Council Presidents and committee members who led the church’s construction and capital campaign. Special honors were also given to Archpriest Elia Shalhoub, the parish’s first priest; Archpriest George Esber, founding chanter; Mr. Wadih Fares, who received the Archdiocesan Medal of St. Raphael; and the Hon. Lena Metlege Diab, Canadian Minister of Immigration.

The parish recognized the long-serving Archpriest Maximos Saikali and Khourieh Rita Saikali for their decades of pastoral and liturgical leadership. Over 25 clergy and monastics, along with hundreds of faithful, gathered for the celebration.

Each attendee received a commemorative consecration book and an icon of St. Anthony the Great, honoring the 45-year journey of the parish. The event marked not just the blessing of a building, but the sanctification of a legacy of love, faith, and perseverance.

Read the full story on Antiochian.org

Photo Album by Cooked Photography

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