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JOHNSTOWN, PA — [Diocesan Chancery] — The Diocesan Chancery has learned that His Grace, Bishop Antoun of The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America fell asleep in the Lord on Monday, October 2, 2017. On the passing of His Grace, His Eminence, Metropolitan Joseph, primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America issued the following statement:
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” Is 40:8
Dear Brother Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, Esteemed members of the Archdiocese Board of Trustees, and Christ-loving Faithful,
Blessing and greetings to you in the Name of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus!
With profound sadness, yet hope in the Resurrection, I announce the passing into eternal life of my beloved brother, Bishop ANTOUN. Words cannot begin to describe our debt of gratitude to His Grace nor our sense of loss at his falling asleep.
As our senior, and for many years our only, auxiliary bishop, he traveled the width and breadth of our God-protected Archdiocese. He was sincerely loved by all – young and old – and he will be greatly missed. All of us who were blessed to witness his retirement banquet this past July in Miami were greatly moved by the effort he made to be with his people one last time. Now we are comforted and assured that he will eternally pray for his people at the throne of God.
