Clergy and Leadership at St. Mary Church

St. Mary Orthodox Church is a parish of the Diocese of Worcester and New England of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, which is an eparchy of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch.

Local Clergy | Hierarchs | Parish Council | Past Clergy

Local Clergy

 

Fr Antony HughesV. Rev Antony Hughes, Pastor

Fr. Antony Hughes has been pastor of St. Mary’s since 1993 when he came to Cambridge with Carol and his sons, Alexander and Gregory, from a parish in California. He received his MDiv from Oral Roberts University where he converted to Orthodoxy in 1980 and continued his education at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.

 

Rev. Deacon Jeffrey Smith, Attached

 

Rev. Deacon James Wilcox, Attached

Deacon James has been a member of the St Mary's Community since 2007, and was recently ordained to the diaconate having completed his seminary training at the Antiochian House of Studies. He has continued his personal theological learning through courses at St Vladimir's, while working toward the completion of his M.Th. at the House of Studies. He and his wife, Brooke, currently live on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

 

Hierarchs

His Beatitude JOHN X (Yazigi), Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

His Beatitude John X was born in the city of Latakia, Syria in 1955. He has studied church music and excelled in it, forming choirs and training them in traditional church chants. He is a notable leader of young people and has worked with them in various social and spiritual programs. His Beatitude was ordained deacon in 1979, a priest in 1983, bishop in 1995, and then Patriarch in 2012. Learn more »

 

Metropolitan Saba (Esper) of New York and All North America

His Eminence was elected on Feb. 23, 2023 and enthroned on May 13, 2023 as Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America. Metropolitan Saba was born in Latakia, Syria in 1959. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Tishreen in Latakia, and a bachelor's degree in theology from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand. His Eminence is fluent in Arabic and English. Learn more »

 

Bishop John (Abdalah) of Worcester

Bishop John is the local hierarch for the Diocese of Worcester and New England. He holds a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from St. Vladimir's Seminary, a Master's equivalency certificate in Pastoral Counseling from Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Suffolk University in Boston. For 33 years, he served as a priest of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America. Learn more »

 

Parish Council

The Parish Council at St. Mary Church is composed of faithful men and women who are dedicated Orthodox Christians and who sacrifice their time, talents, and resources for the Church. We represent the parish, as clergy and laity together, and seek to fulfill the mission ascribed to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Council members are elected for 3 year terms and can serve only 2 consecutive 3 year terms after which they are NOT eligible for another year.

The 2025 Parish Council Members at St. Mary Church are:

Christian Alcala
Nicholas Bezreh
John Coundouris
Amanda Donahue
Jane Gabriel
Michael Guigli
Michelle Mabardy
Dr. Cynthia Mazzoni
Patricia Orlovsky
Marc Patacchiola
Luke Quinn
Sarah Riccardi-Swartz
Theodore Smith
Deno Takles
Mary Winstanley O’Connor

 

Past Clergy

Current and past clergy have included:

  • V. Rev. Fr Antony Hughes (1993 - present)
  • Rev. Dn. Jeffrey Smith (2002 - present)
  • Rev. Dn. James Wilcox (2021 - present)
  • Fr. Alexis Kouri (1989 - 1993)
  • Fr. Gregory Phelan (1981 - 1989)
  • Fr. George Shaheen (?)
  • Fr. Paul O'Callahan (?)
  • Fr. Demetri Khoury (1977)
  • Fr. Anthony Sakey (1976-1977)
  • Fr. David Buss (1976)
  • Fr. Athanasius Emmert (1974 - 1976)
  • Fr. Nicholas Steele (1971 - 1974)
  • Father John vonHolzhausen (1945 - 1971)
  • Very Reverend Alexander Deebeh (?)
  • Right Reverend Basilios Abousaffie (?)
  • Right Reverend Hannanias Kassab (?)
  • Fr. Gabriel Barrow (?)
  • Fr. Mahfouz (1928 - ?)
  • His Eminence, Archbishop Victor, founder (1928)