CrucisSt. Raphael of Brooklyn
St. Raphael of Brooklyn was born Rafla Hawaweeny on 20 November 1860 to a Syrian Orthodox family who had fled the massacres in Damascus. Educated in Lebanon, Constantinople, and Russia, he was ordained and, recognizing the plight of the many Arabic-speaking Orthodox immigrants scattered across North America without a pastor, came to the United States in 1895 to gather and shepherd them.
Travelling ceaselessly across the continent, he sought out his flock in cities and remote settlements, celebrated the liturgy in Arabic, organized parishes, and translated service books for their use, becoming a true father to his dispersed people. In 1904 he was consecrated Bishop of Brooklyn, the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated on American soil. His tireless labor built up the Orthodox Church in America among the Syro-Arab faithful until his death on 27 February 1915. He was glorified as a saint in 2000 and is honored as the "Good Shepherd of the Lost Sheep in America."
Selected quotes
“Unity in Christ is stronger than every barrier of land or tongue.”
“Be a shepherd to the scattered, gathering the lonely into the warmth of the Church.”
“Let your charity reach the far corners where no one else will go.”