St. George Clergy Biographies

His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

His Beatitude John X was born in 1955 in the city of Lattakia, Syria. His father Mounah Yazigi was from Lattakia, a teacher of Arabic language. His mother Rosa Moussi is from Tripoli, Lebanon. They gave birth to four children, two boys and two girls. His Beatitude’s brother is His Grace Metropolitan Boulos of Aleppo. One sister is a nun. His Beatitude lived and studied in the city schools. He graduated from the University of Teshreen with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering. During his university studies, he played an active and leading role with the youth, which led to the establishment of a Byzantine Music School and many spiritual youth programs. His work led to a great spiritual revival among his generation.

In 1978, His Beatitude graduated from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology, University of Balamand, with a Bachelor in Theology. In 1983 he graduated from the University of Thessaloniki, Greece with a doctoral degree in Liturgia. He was awarded the Doctorate with distinction. The title of his doctoral thesis published in Greek is: "The Service of Holy Baptism: An Historical, Theological, and Liturgical Study."

His Eminence Metropolitan Saba of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Photo of His Eminence Metropolitan Saba

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Saba Esper, was elected the Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and the Holy Synod of Antioch elected His Eminence to lead the Archdiocese during its extraordinary session on Feb. 23, 2023, in Balamand, Lebanon.

His Eminence will lead and oversee the Archdiocese's parishes, missions, departments, institutions and organizations in the United States and Canada from the headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey. The auxiliary bishops aid him in his administration across the continent."

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.

Metropolitan Saba Weekly Message

Newly appointed His Grace Bishop Anthony, Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

His Grace Bishop Anthony, Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

Bishop Anthony was born Richard Anthony Michaels on the feast day of St. Anthony the Great (January 17, 1956) to parents Anthony and Gertrude Michaels and was baptized at St. Symeon the Stylite (also St. Simon the Zealot is commemorated) Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Ironwood, Michigan. Rick was raised with his sister, Joanne, and brother, Craig. The Orthodox church in Ironwood is Pan-Orthodox and, therefore, included all ethnic Orthodox communities in the city. Bishop Anthony's father is Lebanese and his mother is Serbian. As a teen-ager, he was active in all varsity athletics at Ironwood High School, including his role as the starting quarterback of his football team.

Bishop Anthony attended the University of Michigan, where he received his B.A. in Literature, Science and the Arts, having a double major in History and English Literature. Following his university degree, he attended St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree and graduated as a valedictorian of his class. Besides English, he has a reading knowledge of biblical Greek and continues to learn Arabic, at the request of His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of blessed memory.

Read further on His Grace Bishop Anthony appointment to LA and the West Dioceses by His Eminence Metropolitan Saba

Father George Saada

Photo of Father George and his family

Fr. George Saada was born in an Orthodox Christian household in Syria. He was baptized at age 2. His father had a nice voice, so he always encouraged him and his siblings to chant in the choir. After high school, he went to college to study accounting and economics.

While in college, he started chanting in the choir and teaching children and teens in Sunday school. From his chanting experience, he became a choir leader. Many parishioners encouraged him to study theology, which he enthusiastically embraced.

He married Hanan Alsayfi, and they have two sons (Saba, Steven) and one daughter (Christina). He became a Deacon in March 2000 and became a priest in October 2000.

As a priest, he served with Patriarch Ignatius of thrice-blessed memory at St. Mary's Cathedral in Damascus, Syria till 2009. Then he served at St. Demetrius church in Damascus. In 2012, he moved to St. Elias church in Qatana, Syria (his home town) after the previous priest became a martyr during the conflict in his home region. In 2015, he went back to St. Mary's Cathedral to serve with Patriarch John of Syria. At the end of July 2016, he moved to Ohio and helped serve in multiple different churches, as well as in California. In 2017 Metropolitan Joseph assigned him to serve here at St. George, Portland, OR. Since his appointment, he enjoys leading the multi-cultural congregation in their spiritual daily lives.

Fr. George is available for confession after Vespers on Saturday evenings or by appointment.

Father Edward Hillhouse (retired)

Fr. Edward Hillhouse was chrismated and ordained to the priesthood in 1987 in Ben Lomond, California, by Metropolitan PHILIP. He did not attend seminary but was able to experience an informal seminary training of sorts bythose around him, through books and conferences. He was raised a Southern Baptist but longed for a faith that has the depth of Orthodoxy. He met his wife Judy Chambers at California Baptist University after which he taught third grade in the public schools in Riverside, California. Desiring to find the true Church, he moved to Santa Cruz County where he owned a cleaning business before teaching in the parish school for 16 years. He has taught at Agia Sophia Academy in Beaverton, Oregon, since 2006. Fr. Ed has 3 sons, one of which is a priest in Anchorage, Alaska, who has 5 sons.

Fr. Deacon Steven Bambakidis

Fr. Dn. Steven Bambakidis, a lifelong Orthodox Christian, is the son of Greek immigrants Constantine and Elli Bambakidis. He was born near Cleveland, Ohio. He studied psychology at Wright State University, but pursued his career in the Information Technology field. In 2004, Deacon Steven completed his St. Stephen's Certificate in Orthodox Theology and was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by Bishop Joseph. He and wife started their family in Alaska before moving to Portland in 2011. In addition to assisting with sacraments and church services, Dn. Steven enjoys teaching catechism to inquirers. He is active with the Pan-Orthodox Clergy brotherhood in the Portland area, which promotes unity & fellowship among the Orthodox community.

Fr. Deacon Nicholas Nettleton

Fr. Dn.Dn. Nicholas was baptized into the Orthodox Christian Faith at the age of 4 in 1986 at Holy Cross in Yakima, Washington; then a parish of the Evangelical Orthodox Church (EOC). He was chrismated into the Antiochian Church by Metropolitan Philip (of blessed memory) in 1987 in Seattle, along with the rest of the local EOC churches in Washington. He attended St. George from 2007 along with his (at that time small) family, but moved to California in 2010. He was ordained July 9, 2018 to the Holy Diaconate by Metropolitan Joseph and Archbishop Michael Dahulich (OCA) by God's providence at St. George in Portland during the PLC, and was assigned to St. Timothy Church in Lompoc California. In March 2023, he was transferred back to St. George in Portland.

Dn. Nicholas holds a Bachelor's of Science in Physics, with Highest Honors, from Portland State University, and a Master of Arts in Applied Orthodox Theology from the University of Balamand, Lebanon. He and his wife, Sh. Molly Nettleton live in Vancouver, WA with their 7 children – Hannah, Elijah, Ezekiel, John Basil, Theodore, Cassian, and Leo Macarius.

He enjoys playing Ice Hockey with his boys, studying Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, 3d printing, keeping koi fish, and many other strange things. He works in semiconductor laser research and development as a senior engineer at nLight in Vancouver.

Fr. Deacon Dennis Seib

Fr. Dn. Dionysius (Dennis) Seib and his wife Deborah were chrismated in 2001 by Bishop JOSEPH on the Feast of the Annunciation at St. James Antiochian Orthodox Church in Modesto, California. His Christian journey began as a child, leading to the study of Luther's Catechism and being confirmed in the Lutheran faith at the age of 13. As a young adult he became a member of the Protestant evangelical movement. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Practical Theology at Multnomah Bible College in Portland, Oregon. It was his time at Multnomah that led him to question the hollowness of his faith, leading him to Orthodoxy. His time with Fr. Jack Sparks, Fr. Richard Ballew, and especially the love and patience of Fr. John Finley, confirmed his home in Orthodoxy-the True Church. In 2004 he completed the St. Stephens courses and was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in 2005 by Bishop JOSEPH. He taught Speech, Debate, World Religions and Bible-based classes, and served as a spiritual counselor to students at Modesto Christian High School prior to moving to Portland, Oregon in 2006 to serve as deacon at St. George. His passion is teaching, especially the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He and his wife have one son and three granddaughters.

Past Saint George's Priest

Listed from earliest to latest.		St. Georgians who became Priests
Father Shalhoub	Father David Buss	Father Nabil Hanna
Father Elias Dacy	Father Anthony Scott	Father Alban West
Father George Habib	Father Paul Doyle	Father Nick Fine
Father George Harb	Father David Anderson
Father Samuel Makad	Father Gregory Cooke
Father John Edward Birch	Father Alban West
Father Athanasios Suheil Salhany

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