First Eastern Orthodox Bishop Consecrated in America

By Will Maxey

Raphael of Brooklyn was a very prominent religious figure in the Orthodox church from the mid-to-late nineteenth century to early twentieth century. He was the first Eastern Orthodox bishop to be ordained a bishop in America and really changed how this religion was viewed and seen in the States. Raphael was a very humble and devout man and should be remembered as such. Other reasons he should be celebrated are that he is Brooklyn’s only saint and that he was a pioneering communicator: He published his own magazine to propogate his beliefs and religion. Raphael was from the Middle East and came to America to serve immigrants who had moved here for a better life. He persevered through difficult struggles and overcame obstacles that a lot of us would give up on. His actions should motivate us to do our very best and if we want something to go out and get it.

Background of Raphael and his Role in Eastern Orthodoxy

Raphael was born in Beruit, Lebanon, in 1860. Both of his parents were Orthodox Christians. They had fled to Beruit from their home in Damascus because of persecution. Raphael was baptized at a very early age and eventually his family returned to Damascus. He attended elementary school where it is noted that he excelled, but eventually his father could not afford advanced schooling, so Raphael was sent to school to be a priest. As he grew up he became more involved with the church and became a well-known leader. He later was promoted to teacher of Arabic and Turkish and excelled at what he did. In late 1885, he was ordained to the diaconate in the school chapel, and just a couple months later he got his certificate of theology and returned to Damascus to serve in a church. When the patriarch was not present, Raphael was asked to preach. He thrived in the preaching role and was always itching to find new knowledge about God and further his wisdom in Orthodoxy. In 1889 he was ordained priest and sent to Moscow to head the Antiochian church there. He continued to thrive and climb the ladder in Orthodoxy and really stood out to a lot of prominent people. He was doing so well that he was sent to the States to do Orthodox ministry there.

He arrived in New York in 1895 and was met by Arab Christians who were awaiting him. He was immediately plugged in. On his first Sunday he assisted in serving the divine liturgy at the Russian church. He then opened a new chapeldedicated to St. Nicholas. He remained in New York preaching and teaching to his parishioners, and his church started to grow. He was known to be a faithful man and priest and was known to protect his flock from any negative or conflicting ideas to Orthodoxy. Raphael traveled to over thirty cities in America to spread Orthodoxy and made a lasting impact on the people he met. In 1903 the Holy Synod of Russia elected him to be the first bishop of Brooklyn. He was consecrated on the third Sunday in Lent in 1904 and continued to really shine in his role of Orthodoxy. Raphael died in 1915, but his legacy still lives on in the world today.

Why we should remember Raphael and how was he important

Raphael of Brooklyn is important not only because he is known as “Brooklyn’s only saint,” but also because he was the first Orthodox bishop consecreated in the United States. He was from a poor family in the Middle East and had to overcome obstacles all throughout his life and  to persevere through hardships to make a life for himself. Raphael started out as a teacher and slowly worked up as deacon, priest, and bishop. When he came to the States, he brought a very known little form of Christianity and, thanks to the help of others, spread Orthodoxy all throughout America.

His life and motivation should give the world hope and his story is so powerful. Raphael’s life should motivate us in several ways. The first is perseverance. He persevered through struggles and early hardships throughout his life and still created a successful outcome for himself. He challenged himself and put himself in tough situations in order to shape and mold his teaching and faith for the better. Another way Raphael should motivate us is through his faithfulness to the church and his parishioners. His faithfulness to his teachings and ideas should show us hope and also show us that it is possible to do hard things as long as you have faith. We can see evidence of his faithfulness in the fact that he traveled to several countries and cities just to spread Orthodoxy and also in the fact that he protected his flock from false ideas and dangers to Orthodoxy. He never wavered in his faith and kept his hard standing faithfulness his whole life. We have a lot to learn from Raphael and his life and his story is really unique and applies well to never giving up and always staying faithful to whatever you are doing in life.

We can learn a lot about the saint of Brooklyn’s life and we should have hope from his unwavering faithfulness and dedication to Orthodoxy. Raphael’s birth in Lebanon, education in Syria, and career in Russia and the United States speaks to the international character of Orthodoxy. It makes sense that it is honored in St. Symeon Orthodox Church in Birmingham, a parish that describes itself as “composed primarily of American converts to Orthodoxy, along with Romanians, Ukrainians, Russians, Serbs, Greeks, Arabs, and Bulgarians” (St. Symeon 2024). Orthodoxy in America might not be the same without Raphael’s presence and we have him to thank for that.

Raphael of Brooklyn
Medium: Painted icon mural
Artists:  Alin and Smaranda Trifa
Created and Installed: 2023
Location: St. Symeon Orthodox Church, 3101 Clairmont Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35205

References:

Kurian, George Thomas and Sarah Claudine Day. 2017. The Essential Handbook of Denominations and Ministries. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.

Matusiak, John. “A History and Introduction of the Orthodox Church in America.” Orthodox Church in America. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://www.oca.org/history-archives/oca-history-intro.

Pike, William. “Orthodox Church in America.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed February 4, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Orthodox-Church-in-America.

OCA. 2015. St. Raphael Hawaweeney: Confessor and Defender of Orthodoxy in America https://www.oca.org/cdn/PDFs/DCE/nasaints-raphael-brooklyn.pdf.