The spring of 1909, under the spiritual guidance of Fr. Hanna Koorie, the Assyrian Ladies Aid Society was formed in order to raise financial means for the first church building. Through the hard work of the Assyrian Ladies Aid Society, a church was purchased in West Hoboken (now Union City), New Jersey. As years went by the number of the faithful increased, and by 1915 the population of the community reached a point where a new, larger church building was needed. After an appropriate location was found and all the legal and other necessary steps were taken, the first Syrian Orthodox church in America was built by the Syriac faithful from the area of West New York, New Jersey. The church was consecrated in April of 1927 by Archbishop Mor Severius Ephrem Barsoum (later Patriarch Ephrem I Barsoum).The parish eventually relocated to Paramus, New Jersey, as the community built a magnificent new church whose cornerstone was laid on Sunday, September 17, 1967, with a colorful ceremony celebrated by Archbishop Yeshue Samuel, assisted by the new priest, Rev. Fr. John Khoury (now chorepiscopus), the current pastor of the Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary.

Message from the Priest  The Call to Priesthood The theme of our Saint Mark’s Cathedral Archdiocesan Convention was “Vocation”.Based on this theme, Our Unified Sunday School Convention Committee asked the clergy, priests and nuns, to write their personal testimonials as to the “how and why” they chose priesthood. The submissions were placed in a special “church booklet” and given to all the children attending their special program. The following is my personal testimonial spiritual journey to the pathway to priesthood. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15-16. Life is full of encounters and challenges; and one has to face them bravely and without fear of failure. Life is a journey one undertakes and charts but his destiny is decided, I believe, by a Divine Designer, God, Himself, who counts every step we take and every hair we have. Our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, said. “But the very hair of your head is all numbered”. Matt. 10:13.        Read More

Full name:	Request a Prayer
Email address:
Prayer Request