Our Patron: St. Raphael of Brooklyn
How the Name Was Chosen?
When it came time to choose a name for the new Orthodox mission , the decision was not taken lightly. Naming a parish is more than a formality, it is an act of spiritual discernment. It’s a way of asking: Whose intercession do we seek? Whose example will guide our path?
From the earliest conversations with the Archdiocese, one name kept rising to the surface: St. Raphael of Brooklyn. A missionary, a teacher, a shepherd to the lost, St. Raphael embodied everything we hoped this mission would become. He served in a land far from his birthplace, caring for a scattered people, building up the Church with humility and love. Like many of us in this community, he was an immigrant, a bridge between languages, cultures, and generations.
Choosing him was not only a way of honoring his legacy, it was a prayer that he would walk with us, protect us, and guide this mission as a spiritual father from heaven. And so, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Saba, the mission was placed under the patronage of St. Raphael of Brooklyn, a fitting guardian for a growing Orthodox presence in Quebec.
Who Is St. Raphael of Brooklyn?
St. Raphael Hawaweeny (1860–1915) was the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America, a true pioneer of the Orthodox faith on this continent. Born in Damascus, Syria, and educated in both the Ottoman Empire and Russia, he came to America in 1895 to serve the growing number of Orthodox immigrants who had no shepherd to care for their spiritual needs.
With tireless energy and pastoral love, he traveled across the United States and Canada, visiting scattered Orthodox communities, hearing confessions, celebrating the Divine Liturgy, and organizing parishes. He established a brotherhood for new immigrants in Montreal to unite and support them in their new homeland. This benevolent society eventually led, in 1905, to the founding of two historic parishes in Quebec, St. George (formerly St. Nicholas, Charter No. 99) and St. Nicholas (Charter No. 100), both officially registered with the Quebec Government on the same day. He also founded St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, established the first Arabic-language Orthodox magazine in North America, and worked to unify a diverse flock under one faith.
In 1904, he was consecrated bishop by the Russian Orthodox Church, becoming the first Orthodox bishop consecrated on American soil. Despite hardship, long journeys, and limited resources, Bishop Raphael gave himself entirely to his flock, preaching, teaching, and healing with wisdom and gentleness.
He fell asleep in the Lord in 1915 and was glorified (canonized) as a saint by the Orthodox Church in 2000.
Today, St. Raphael continues to be a powerful intercessor for Orthodox Christians in North America. As our patron and protector, we ask for his prayers, that he might help us remain faithful, courageous, and rooted in Christ, just as he was.