St. George’s Antiochian Orthodox Church has a long and steadfast history in Vicksburg. As immigrants from Lebanon and Syria began settling in the area, they desired to build an Orthodox church in which they could worship. St. George’s was founded in 1909 and is the oldest Antiochian Orthodox Church in Mississippi.
The congregation is led by the Rev. Father Gabriel Karam, who has held the position of priest at St. George’s since 2018. Known affectionately as “Father Gabriel,” he is originally from Lebanon. He attended seminary in New York in 1987 and went on to complete a master’s degree in Christian education and a doctorate in theology. He moved to the United States with his family permanently in 2008.
Karam explained the Orthodox church is a world-wide church with traditions based on the teachings of the New Testament. He said, “The ‘mother,’ Apostolic Evangelical Church, was established by the apostles. From day one, and still until now, with the same teaching, same tradition, same worship and liturgical tradition all over the world. What we do here on a Sunday as liturgy is the same liturgy that is done in every single (Orthodox) church in the world.”
Karam noted the language and music may vary, but the liturgy is the same.
Karam said he views Sunday church as more than a casual get-together. He believes the traditional liturgy and structure are necessary for the foundation needed to establish a deep faith in God.
Many of the congregants have attended St. George’s since they were born.
Janice Strickland, a lifelong member, said she finds comfort in the continuity of the teachings.
“I moved away and was gone 20 years, but I maintained my membership here,” she said. “Then we moved back. My grandparents were immigrants to this country from Lebanon. The religion has not changed. That’s one thing about the Orthodox faith. It’s the same as it was many years ago.”
Jim Angelo, also a lifelong member, has maintained his membership and continues to attend services regularly, even though he now lives in Brandon. He participates in the mens’ ministry Antiochian Men, known as “AMEN.”
Like many of the members at St. George’s, Angelo is of Lebanese descent and has vivid memories of church as a child.
“My grandfather was one of the ‘chanters,'” Angelo said. “One of the old traditions was that no one should cross their legs, in deference to what the cross means. My mother used to wear a doily on her head. Most of the women did that. That kind of went away.”
Originally, services were conducted in Arabic, as it was not only traditional, but the native language of the congregants.
“Father Gabriel still uses some Arabic,” Angelo said. “The book is English, so you can follow along. We’re almost all English now.”
George Jabour Jr., another lifelong member who is active in the church, has distinct memories of services as well.
“When I was a child, the priest would do one service in Greek and one in Arabic,” he said. “None of us understood it, but we’d pick up on a lot of the symbols.”
He compared it to attending a Catholic service conducted in Latin.
Rhonda Wright has also attended St. George’s since birth. She points out the church is not Greek Orthodox, but Antiochian Orthodox. Four generations of her family currently attend the church.
“It’s so meaningful, if you sit and listen to what is said every Sunday,” she said. “The liturgy, it goes through the life of Christ and telling you how His life is entwined in yours.”
In addition to the rich history of the church, the current congregation is an active and dynamic group, Karam said. He explained the church has many activities beyond Sunday services. They prepare and host a Lebanese dinner annually. Men, women and children have organizations in which they can participate. They recently began serving first responders a special meal twice a year.
St. George’s is also a close-knit community for congregants.
“People care for each other, and of course, the religion itself is the ultimate thing for me,” Angelo said. “But that community feel and communion we have with each other is very, very important to me, and I feel very close to St. George’s.”
Wright encourages people to visit. She said, “I would love for someone to come and see a Sunday service. I think if you ever came, and listened, you would know why we are so committed to our church.”
Karam emphasizes that everyone is welcome.
“Some people think ‘oh, that church is only for Lebanese,’ but our church is for anyone.”
As St. George’s celebrates its history, it also looks forward to the future, Angelo said.
“I wouldn’t think about changing my membership, even if I moved to the other side of the world.”
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