A Parish with Middle Eastern Roots in Greater Boston
St. John of Damascus Church is an Antiochian Orthodox Christian parish located at 300 West Street in Dedham, Massachusetts, just minutes from Route 95. It belongs to the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, sitting within the Diocese of Worcester and New England, and draws Orthodox Christians from across the greater Boston area. The parish traces its founding to 1907, when Syrian and Lebanese immigrants gathered in the South End of Boston to establish a worshiping community in their adopted country. More than a century later, the parish remains rooted in the same heritage, now welcoming into its pews families of every background who seek the Orthodox Christian faith.
The parish has been shepherded since the summer of 2026 by Rev. Fr. Gregory J. Abdalah, DMin, the first new pastor in over three decades. The arrival of Fr. Gregory and his family was marked with joy by the entire parish, with Executive Board Chairman Mark Haddad writing that the moment was "34 years in the making." Under his guidance, St. John's continues its long tradition of liturgical worship, Orthodox education, and outreach to the surrounding community.
Sunday Worship: Matins and the Divine Liturgy
The heart of parish life is the Sunday cycle of services. Matins is sung at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. Both are served in English, reflecting a transition that began in the 1940s when the English language was gradually introduced into the services. The choir and chanters, directed by Andrew Hazerjian, are an integral part of every service, and the Archdiocese's Sacred Music Library supplies much of the choral repertoire.
Orthodox Christians prepare for Holy Communion through prayer, fasting, and periodic confession. Confessions are heard during Matins as time permits, after the Liturgy, or by appointment. Parishioners awaiting their turn typically sit in the fourth pew on the left side of the church, reciting the pre-communion prayers found on pages 204-208 of the red service book. While confession is not required every Sunday, Orthodox Christians are asked to reflect constantly on their spiritual lives and to make confession periodically, typically every three or four months.
Visitors are warmly welcomed. The Greeters Ministry provides a welcome card and a visitor's card at the entrance, and members of the Greeters, Ushers, and various church organizations are present to help newcomers feel at home. Visitors are invited to sign the guest register, introduce themselves to Fr. Gregory after the service, and stay for the coffee hour in the church hall. Because Communion is understood as a sign of unity in faith, only prepared Orthodox Christians may receive the Eucharist; however, all present are welcome to partake of the antidoron, the blessed bread distributed at the end of the Divine Liturgy.
Centennial and Beyond: A Hundred Years of Parish History
The history of St. John of Damascus in the United States begins in the early 1900s, with a wave of immigrants arriving from Damascus, Syria, in the aftermath of Turkish persecutions of Christians in Lebanon and Syria. Many settled in the South End of Boston, in what is now Chinatown. A small group of women, each contributing five cents a week, began holding prayer services in their homes and called themselves the Association of Spiritual Union. Their work, animated by a desire to keep the Orthodox faith alive in a new country, planted the first seeds of what would become the parish.
In early 1907, thirteen men organized the Executive Committee of the Society of St. John of Damascus. They chose their patron not only because St. John was a Damascene honored across Christendom, but because of his steadfast faith and patience. In a symbolic echo, the thirteen members recalled both the original thirteen American colonies and the tradition of the Patriarch of Antioch as the thirteenth apostle.
The first priest to celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the community was Very Rev. Alexandros Atalla. He was followed in turn by Rev. George Mahfouz, Rev. John Kirshy, and finally by Rev. Solomon Fairneny, who arrived from Damascus in late 1910 and became the first permanent pastor. The fledgling community rented a storefront at the corner of Kneeland and Tyler Streets, then later, in 1914, purchased a house at 68 Hudson Street for $5,500, converting the basement into a worship space and reserving the first floor for the priest and his family. That church on Hudson Street was consecrated on June 13, 1914, by St. Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn, who celebrated the first Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. John of Damascus.
The women of the parish organized themselves formally on August 16, 1914, registering the Virgin Mary Society with the Archdiocese in Brooklyn. Bishop Raphael Hawaweeny personally congratulated the women on founding the new auxiliary. By the end of 1914 the Society of St. John of Damascus was officially incorporated with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and in January 1915 the first Constitution and By-Laws were adopted.
From Boston's South End to Museum Road to West Street
For decades, the Hudson Street church was the center of the ethnic community, socially as well as spiritually. But the parish soon outgrew the building. The City of Boston condemned the structure as unsafe at the end of 1915, but parishioners rallied to renovate and expand it, adding a meeting hall underneath.
By 1950 the parish had grown beyond what Hudson Street could accommodate, and a parcel of land on Museum Road, opposite the Museum of Fine Arts, was purchased for $11,000 from the Albanian Church of Boston. The new church, with pews that could seat three hundred people, was consecrated on December 30, 1956, by His Eminence Archbishop Antony Bashir. The Museum Road years saw dramatic growth. By the early 1960s the parish had 1,265 baptized souls on its roster, including 299 children in Sunday School. In 1965, St. John's hosted the Twentieth Annual Archdiocese Convention at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.
Threats from the proposed Inner Belt Highway forced two more moves. A property on Dudley Road in Newton was purchased but never developed. The Museum Road property was eventually bought by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and in 1980 the parish agreed to sell. For several years, services were held in rented halls, including St. Mary's Church Hall in Dedham for Divine Liturgy, while parish functions were shared with sister parish St. George Orthodox Church in West Roxbury.
The search for a permanent home ended on March 6, 1983, when the parish authorized up to two million dollars for the design and construction of a new church complex at 300 West Street in Dedham. Groundbreaking took place on April 17, 1983, and on September 8, 1985, the parish celebrated its Opening Day. The new Church of St. John of Damascus was consecrated by His Eminence Archbishop Philip Saliba on October 6, 1985, after the parish raised more than $600,000 in pledges and $120,000 in special gifts.
In the years that followed, the parish worked steadily to pay off its mortgage. By December 1, 2001, a ceremonial burning of the mortgage was held at the Feast Day banquet with His Eminence Metropolitan Philip. On October 5-7, 2007, the parish celebrated its centennial with a Gala weekend, capping a hundred-year journey that began on Hudson Street and reached its third and current home on West Street. The parish marked a century of faith, remembering the founders, the sacrifices of their generation, and the duty, as the centennial narrative put it, to "nurture, encourage, and perpetuate for our children and generations to come."
The Antiochian Orthodox Faith
St. John of Damascus belongs to the Orthodox Church, which the parish describes as the first Christian Church, founded by Jesus Christ and described in the New Testament, with an unbroken tradition stretching back nineteen and a half centuries. The parish holds to the Nicene Creed as its confession of faith, proclaiming belief in one God, the Father Almighty; in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God; and in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life. It acknowledges one baptism for the remission of sins and looks for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come.
St. John of Damascus is a member parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America and of the Patriarchate of Antioch. Its roots are traced to Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians. The Orthodox Church is the second largest body in Christendom with over 225 million members worldwide, fewer than two million of whom live in North America. The parish teaches that the Orthodox Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, and that its apostolic doctrine, worship, and structure remain intact.
Church School for Children and Teens
Church School is at the center of the parish's ministry to young families. Under the direction of Nancy Close, classes run from Preschool (age 2) through Grade 10, beginning each Sunday immediately after Holy Communion. Children are dismissed from their pews into the Communion line and then proceed directly to their classrooms, while adults are invited to receive Communion after the children and staff. Classes conclude at noon.
The teaching team is organized by grade level. Rachel Hazerjian and Tori Sabbag teach Preschool; Bertina Kurker teaches PK and Kindergarten; Ashley Andrews teaches Grades 1-3; Carol Hazerjian teaches Grades 4-5; and Brian Hazerjian and Bob Kurker teach Grades 6-7 and 8-10. Each year centers on a theme drawn from the Orthodox Christian tradition, with lessons developed to be age-appropriate and engaging. The parish emphasizes that regular attendance at the Divine Liturgy is essential to the program's success.
Parents are invited to continue the conversation at home by praying with their children and making the Orthodox faith part of everyday life. The annual calendar includes a Nativity Pageant in December and a Church School Graduation in June, and the year opens with a Back-to-School Barbecue. Children in Grades 2 and up may also serve as altar servers, joining teams typically made up of boys in Grades 3 through 10.
For older youth, Teen SOYO serves boys and girls aged 13 to 19. Under the leadership of President Brianna Adams and Advisor Brian Hazerjian, Teen SOYO provides fellowship opportunities for teens while serving the church and the community. The program is part of a regional and national Antiochian Orthodox youth network.
Music, Choir, and the Role of the Voice in Worship
The Orthodox tradition places special emphasis on the role of voice and music in the liturgy, and the St. John of Damascus Church Choir plays a vital part in every service. Choir Director Andrew Hazerjian leads a dedicated group of parishioners who enrich the worship experience through their ministry of song. All parishioners are encouraged to share their talent as members of the choir; the Archdiocese's Sacred Music Library supplies a wide range of choral sheet music and hymn arrangements.
Outreach, Visitation, and Charitable Works
The Outreach Ministry exists to respond to the needs of all by living the message of the Gospel through outreach to each other and to the community at large. Its work includes revitalizing the faith of active Orthodox Christians, reaching out to inactive Orthodox Christians, and supporting those inquiring about the Orthodox faith. Parishioners volunteer at the Dedham Food Pantry, and the parish supports charitable programs including Al-Kafaat, a foundation serving handicapped children and adults in Lebanon; Angel Tree, which provides Christmas gifts for needy children in the Dedham area; coat collections for needy families in the local communities; the Archdiocese's Food for Hungry Program; International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC); the St. Innocent Orphanage in Mexico; and special collections for disaster relief.
The Visitation Ministry, chaired by Donna Sabbag, brings companionship and assistance to individuals and families for any reason, including bereavement, chronic or terminal illness, convalescence, relocation, caregiving, special needs, or divorce. Visits can take place in a home, hospital, or facility, or at another mutually agreed location, and are tailored to the circumstances of the person being visited. Visits are conducted by church members who are clinically trained and experienced human-service professionals, with confidentiality maintained.
Inside the parish, the Assistance Fund provides confidential help to parishioners in need through private request to the pastor. The parish also keeps Family Outreach Cards in the vestibule so that members can request follow-up from the Outreach Ministry, and outreach packets with informational brochures about the Orthodox faith are distributed to nearby colleges as a resource to students.
The Annual Bazaar: Middle Eastern Cuisine and Community
The Annual Bazaar is one of the most anticipated gatherings on the parish calendar, drawing hundreds of visitors each year to West Street for a celebration of food, fellowship, and tradition. The bazaar features authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, including rolled grape leaves, kibbee, shish kebab, sfeeha, hummous, tabooleh, and baklava. American food and pastries are also available, alongside an Almost New Boutique, Christmas Corner and Gifts, a White Elephant Table, a Country Store, gift baskets, raffles, take-out service, a snack bar, and both silent and live auctions.
The bazaar runs from noon to 9:00 p.m. on Friday and from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday. Silent auction bidding opens Friday at noon and closes Saturday at 2:00 p.m., with the live auction beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Most major credit cards are accepted, along with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and take-out is available. The parish also prints a Bazaar Placemat, decorated with the business cards of sponsoring businesses and the signatures of patron sponsors, which is proudly displayed on every table at the bazaar.
Stewardship, Giving, and the Breeze System
St. John's stewardship program is built on the conviction that every good and perfect gift comes from God. Members are invited to make an annual pledge, submitted either as an individual or as a family covering all members at the same address. Pledge payments can be made online by credit card or bank transfer, and gifts can be directed to the stewardship fund, a memorial, the assistance fund, the lighting of a candle, or another designated purpose.
Parish records, communications, and online giving are managed through the Breeze Church Management System. Adult parishioners with email addresses on file can create Breeze accounts to view and update their own information and giving history, and a Breeze mobile app is available for smartphones and tablets. Those who wish to update their contact information can complete a parishioner update form on the parish site.
Members and friends can also support the parish by donating to light a candle. Through an online candle-lighting page, those who cannot be at the church in person are invited to take a quiet moment, focus on God, and submit a prayer request along with an optional donation.
Hall Rentals and Parish Facilities
St. John's has a large hall and a small hall available for rental to both parishioners and non-parishioners. The halls are used for weddings, banquets, concerts, and other functions, and the parish has a Hall Rental Committee that oversees bookings and policies. The rate for non-parishioners is $2,500, while parishioners are encouraged to contact the church office for details.
Becoming a Member
Anyone interested in joining St. John of Damascus can take three simple steps: print and complete the New Member Form, complete a stewardship pledge for each new member eighteen and older, and mail the completed forms to the church office. Attendance at the Divine Liturgy each Sunday is encouraged, and the many ministries and organizations of the parish welcome new members who wish to participate more personally.
Live-Streamed Services and Communications
Sunday services are live-streamed on the parish's YouTube channel and Facebook page whenever possible, with no account or login required. Past live streams are available on both channels, and subscriptions on YouTube provide notifications of upcoming live-streaming events. A virtual tour of the church, hosted on a Matterport platform, was created in partnership with Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, offering an interactive walk through the building.
Two regular publications keep parishioners informed. The Sunday Bulletin is published weekly and is available online in an archive stretching back several years. The Torchbearer, the parish newsletter, is published three to four times a year, with both Lenten and Advent/Christmas editions, and an archive of past issues is available online.
Sacraments and Pastoral Care
The parish observes the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church. Baptisms are performed on Sundays after the Divine Liturgy for the children of members in good standing, with godparents expected to arrive at least twenty minutes early to review the service with the pastor. Churching, the prayer of presentation, typically takes place forty days after birth. Weddings are reserved for members in good spiritual and financial standing; at least one sponsoring witness must be Orthodox, and the non-Orthodox sponsor must be a baptized Christian. Funerals can be held on any day of the week except Sundays, and the usual time for the service in this parish is 10:00 a.m. Members in need of marriage or baptism certificates are directed to write to the Antiochian Archdiocese in Englewood, New Jersey.
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and the bulletin deadline is Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. Visitors and members are warmly invited to introduce themselves to Fr. Gregory after the Sunday Divine Liturgy, attend the coffee hour in the church hall, and consider joining one of the many ministries that sustain the life of this Antiochian Orthodox parish in Dedham.