Brooklyn Boro

St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church celebrates its 100th anniversary

A Church Grows in Brooklyn: From Boerum Hill to Bay Ridge

May 10, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The Very Rev. Michael Ellias welcomed His Eminence the Most Reverend Joseph to join him in presiding over the 100th anniversary celebration of St. Mary’s founding. Eagle photos by John Alexander
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“God Grant Us Many Years,” was sung in unison as more than 120 parishioners gathered at St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church on 81st Street and Ridge Boulevard in Bay Ridge. On Saturday night, a catered gala anniversary celebration was held in the church’s newly renovated church hall.

St. Mary’s pastor, the Very Rev. Michael Ellias, welcomed His Eminence the Most Reverend Joseph, to join him in presiding over the 100th anniversary celebration of the church’s founding. Ellias has been the church’s pastor for 15 years. He followed St. Mary’s beloved Archpriest Paul Schneirla, whose tenure extended from the establishment of the church’s current location in 1951 to 2002.

The church’s story begins on Feb. 3, 1917 when the Assumption of the Theotokos Cathedral, now known as St. Mary’s Church, came into existence. The cathedral took up residence in a former synagogue on Boerum Place in Downtown Brooklyn, and it remained at that location until the city bought the property in the 1940’s to use as the jail that stands on the site today. During its early years, St. Mary’s was a mainstay of the Antiochian presence in America.

The church moved to its current location in 1951, with Schneirla, a pioneer convert clergyman, becoming pastor of the church that stands today. With Schneirla’s retirement in 2002, Ellias, who had been a seminarian at St. Mary’s between 1982 and 1984, became the fifth pastor of St. Mary’s.

Ellias brought a new energy to the parish and helped promote some much-needed major renovations to the church and church hall. Prior to his appointment to St. Mary’s, Ellias had served St. Elias Church in Sylvania, Ohio, and St. George Church of Boston, Massachusetts.

Ellias’ wife Laila welcomed everyone to the event. She referred to herself as the “daughter of this parish, the mother of this parish and now a grandmother,” as she proudly held up a photo of her new grandchild, who was born only days before.

Distinguished guests attending the gala included Charlie and Audrey Sahadi of Sahadi Importing Co. on Atlantic Avenue, community leader Jay Sessa and his wife Paula and real estate broker Aida Nicolaou. The food at the event was from Hayat Caterers.

Ellias spoke about the four priests who guided St. Mary’s before him: the Rev. Seraphim Nassar (1926-1928), Archimandrite Agapios Golam (1928-1936) and the Rev. Abdallah Khouri (1936-1955).  Khouri continued to serve with Schneirla after Schneirla took over as parish pastor in 1951.

“We are very grateful for the first 100 years of history in this community along with its tradition and its heritage,” Ellias said. “Those things can either be for us an anchor around our ankles or a foundation upon which we can continue to build.  They become a springboard toward the future manifested in the name of God here in southern Brooklyn.”

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