Metropolitan Saba Celebrates Pentecost with Ordinations at St. Mary Church in Maryland

Photo: antiochian.org

HUNT VALLEY, MD — On the Feast of Pentecost, June 8, 2025, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. Mary Orthodox Church in Hunt Valley, Md., and was welcomed by Archpriest Damaskinos Issa and the community.

The celebration, which marks the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, featured the ordinations of Fr. Matthew Wiley to the priesthood and Dn. Najeeb (Paul) Haddad to the diaconate.

Wiley, recently named valedictorian of the Class of 2025 at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, was encouraged by Metropolitan Saba to cultivate a strong inner prayer life alongside his liturgical responsibilities. 

“Don’t be satisfied with the liturgical services,” Met. Saba warned. “Liturgical services are very important and very essential, but you need to pray alone in your room to open your heart and mind to God and tell Him about all the obstacles and difficulties that you may face in your parish.”

His Eminence also encouraged Wiley to read about the Orthodox faith, but also to read about what is moving and influencing the people. You need to have some secular education to baptize it, Metropolitan Saba said, and the Orthodox people need to baptize the secular world in which we live.

Haddad, a former university professor and current Director of Translations at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC), was reminded to distinguish between academic and pastoral theology. Metropolitan Saba urged him to serve with Christ-like compassion and to meet people at their level of understanding.

“We need to talk to them like Christ talks with us in the gospel,” he said. “The more you read the four gospels, the more you will know how to love people and to have compassion upon them, especially as a deacon who fulfills the charitable and humanitarian needs of the church.”

The liturgy concluded with the traditional Kneeling Prayers of Pentecost, as the faithful gathered to celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and welcome new clergy into service.

On the evening of June 7, Metropolitan Saba presided at Great Vespers for the Feast of Pentecost at St. George Church in Washington, D.C., and earlier that morning he presided at the Vigil of Pentecost at St. Patrick Orthodox Church (Western Rite) in Bealeton, Va.

Previously, UOJ reported on Metropolitan Saba receiving Archbishop Christophoros at the Archdiocesan headquarters.

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