Metr. Saba Ordains Two Students at Antiochian Village

BOLIVAR, PA — Metr. Saba Esper of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America ordained two students of the Antiochian House of Studies (AHOS) during the Church New Year celebrations on September 1 at Sts. Peter and Paul Chapel at the Antiochian Village Conference and Retreat Center. Dn. Timothy Rask was ordained to the priesthood, while Sbdn. Alexander Tabbal was ordained to the diaconate.

The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy followed Orthros and was attended by AHOS faculty, staff, and resident students. Bp. Thomas, Great Economos Michel Najim, president and dean of AHOS, and Archimandrite Fadi Rabbat welcomed Metr. Saba for the services.

Fr. Timothy will continue serving at St. Joseph the Betrothed Church in Houston, TX, while Dn. Alexander will continue his ministry at All Saints Church in Raleigh, NC. Both are expected, God willing, to receive their Master of Divinity degrees at the end of the week.

Before the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy, Metr. Saba offered the newly ordained clergy guidance as they begin their ministries. He emphasized the Orthodox understanding of the Church as a place of spiritual healing, saying, “The Church, according to the Orthodox tradition, as you know, is a hospital to heal people.”

He explained that this healing involves leading people toward purity, illumination, and ultimately deification. Metr. Saba then celebrated the Supplication Service for the first day of the Church New Year, praying that God would grant His people blessings, health, peace, tranquility, and salvation.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Saba led the annual retreat for Antiochian seminarians.