Thanks be to God, our visit with Bishop ANTOUN was a resounding success!  His Grace encouraged us with his presence and words of inspiration to continue building up the Body of Christ in Lafayette.  There are pictures available on the website to see more of what we experienced throughout the weekend!  Glory to Jesus Christ!  Glory Forever!

Along with welcoming His Grace Bishop ANTOUN, Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church welcomed the presence of the holy relics of St. Raphael of Brooklyn that will be placed with our newly consecrated holy table. 

St. Raphael was the bishop of Brooklyn, NY in the early part of the 20th century.  He was the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated on American soil.  As a native of Syria who studied throughout the Orthodox world in both Russia and Greece, St. Raphael came to the United States to help found numerous Orthodox Churches throughout the country.  One of his many stops was Beaumont, Texas.  With our parishes long connection to Beaumont we are pleased to have our spiritual father in Christ with our community.

Along with this special connection, St. Raphael also is a great example of the vision of our community.  While Middle Eastern in background, St. Raphael was highly influenced by the many Orthodox traditions across the Orthodox world.  He used this training to best reach all of the "lost sheep" in America.  This diversity of his upbringing reflects the diversity of our community and the vision of our future here in Lafayette.

O Holy Father Raphael, pray unto God for us!