About Us

St. Ignatius of Antioch Orthodox church

A home for Orthodox Christians
  • We worship God in English, while respecting our diverse ethnic and linguistic heritages.
A home for other Christians
  • Who seek to read the Scriptures in the light of the Holy Spirit speaking to the Church since the first Pentecost (Acts 2);
  • Who seek the Church that does not change with the spirit of the age.
A home for seekers
  • Who are coming to realize that ideas have consequences, that truth matters, and that the way of self-giving love is in truth a life worth living.

Meet our Clergy

His eminence metropolitian saba

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Saba Isper is the Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Born in Latakia, Syria, he was raised in a devout Orthodox family and ordained as a priest in 1988. With a passion for pastoral care and education, he served in Syria and Qatar, contributing to various ministries and social programs. In 2022, he was elected Metropolitan and has since led the Archdiocese with a dedication to faith, service, and community outreach across North America.

Link to BIO

His Grace Bishop Alexander

Bishop Alexander, born in Lebanon in 1956, pursued education in the U.S., earning a B.A. and MBA. After working in medical supply and retail, he attended St. Vladimir’s Seminary and was ordained in 2000. Consecrated as bishop in 2004 by Patriarch Ignatius IV, he was enthroned as Bishop of Ottawa, Eastern Canada, and Upstate New York in 2005. His namesday is August 30.

Link to BIO

Father Jason Kouri

Father Jason Kouri, CD, B.B.A., M.Div., D.Min. was assigned as the pastor of St. Ignatius of Antioch Orthodox Church in September 2024. Fr. Jason has been married to Julie since 1993. They have been blessed with three daughters. He brings over two decades of pastoral experience as parish pastor, military and hospital chaplain. He speaks fluent English and French. His patron saint is Apostle Jason of the Seventy (feast day: April 29).  

Father David Scott

Father David, the founding pastor of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church, entered the Orthodox faith in 2001 with his late wife, Cynthia, following years of dedicated ministry within the United Church in communities such as Noranda, Sudbury, St. Catharines, Burlington, and Wainfleet. A respected educator, he has also taught at Laurentian and Brock Universities. Now retired, Father David holds the title of Pastor Emeritus and resides in St. Catharines, continuing to be a cherished member of our community.

FAQs

Yes, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.  Our Archbishop is His Eminence, the Most Rev. Metropolitan SABA. The web address is www.antiochian.org.  

The archdiocese is part of the Patriarchate of Antioch.  Acts 11:26 says, The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.  The Cathedral of our Patriarch, His Beatitude, John X, is in Damascus, Syria.

St. Ignatius of Antioch was the third bishop of Antioch, following St Peter and St Euodios. His letters written on the way to martyrdom are preserved. St Ignatius was martyred in Rome in 107 AD.

Yes!  Come and see!  Sunday Orthros (Matins) at 9:15 AM, followed immediately by the Divine Liturgy at 10:30 AM.  

We invite non-Orthodox to experience the Liturgy for several months and to study holy Orthodoxy.  After six to twelve months non-Orthodox can ask our Priest for baptism or chrismation into the Church. (Baptism with water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is not normally repeated.)

The Orthodox Church is best experienced in the Divine Liturgy, where Christ is in our midst.  But any one of the following introductions is helpful.

 Fr Anthony Canaris, Introducing the Orthodox Church; Its faith and life (Light & life);

Timothy Ware (Bishop Kallistos), The Orthodox Church (New Edition) (Penguin);

Fr Thomas Hopko, The Orthodox Faith in 4 volumes (The Orthodox Church in America)

Daniel Daly, The Choice of Orthodoxy: The Church-One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic

Clark Carlton, The Faith: Understanding Orthodox Christianity. An orthodox Catechism 

We usually have refreshments, in the living room of the house (75 Rolls Ave) attached to the Church (332 Carlton St.)  Open to all! 

Since we fast for at least six hours before receiving Holy Communion, we hold a pot-luck supper after certain feast day Vesperal Divine Liturgies that begin at 6:30 PM.

Ask a Question

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us:


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