Biography: Father Nicholas M Hanna

Father Nicholas M. Hanna was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1970 to devout parents Mansour and Samira Hanna. As a child, he attended the public school system in Beirut until grade 6. With his parents, he moved to Jeita near Jounieh in Kessrawan, completed his high school and graduated from Notre Dame of Louize in Kessrowan in 1987. He than traveled to Michigan, USA and got his MBA in 1995. Like his Late father who was killed during the Lebanese civil war in 1983, he was extremely interested in theology from a young age and the life of the saints. He and his wife Presbytera Sofia immigrated to the United States in July of 2004 where he joined the Diocese of Los Angeles and the West at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Los Angeles.

In 2011, during the Chicago Archdiocesan Covention, he received from the Hands of Late Metropolitan Philip Saliba, of Thrice Blessed Memory and Eternal Rest, his MA, Master's Degree in Pastoral Theology

He served at  Nicholas Catherdral from 2004 to 2014  in concelebrating the Divine Liturgies and the 7  Sacraments of the Church especially (baptisms, marriages).

The Holy Spirit Ordained him a priest by the laying on of hands of Archbishop Joseph on September 15, 2013 and was assigned the Pastor of St. George Church in Upland, CA until his move to Canada on July 7, 2019. He Serves St. Philip Church since then.

Father's interests and hobbies include, music, reading, biking and hiking. On the spiritual level, he enjoys saying the daily Prayers, the daily Liturgical Readings and reading the lives of the Saints, the prophets and the great personalities of the Old Testament. His patron Saint is St. Nicholas of Myra. The closest saints to his heart for daily intercession and prayers are the Theotokos, St. John the Forerunner, St. Anthony the Great, St. Necktarios and St. Paisios.

He is happy and eager to serve the Church of St. Philip in Edmonton and to get the parishioners to work together with the newcomers for the growth of the church completing the work of St. Paul to the Ephesians (4:17-13):

"Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, it is said, "When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (in saying, "He ascended, " what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to become mature, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

A History of the Church

Over 35 years ago, approximately 17 Antiochian Orthodox Christian families residing in Edmonton, Alberta had a dream to establish a church that would allow them to observe their faith, and to establish a spiritual foundation for their children, and for generations to follow. While other Orthodox churches were in existence in the city, none conducted prayers, in whole or in part, in Arabic - the native tongue of these few families. Most members of the group were bilingual, however, many of the elder members were not fluent in English, thereby making it difficult to totally comprehend pastor sermons and prayers offered in English by other Orthodox churches. Hence, the road began to the set and implement goals that would make their dream a reality.

After only a few years of small-scale fundraising, in September of 1978, the group established a Mission under the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. St.Philip Mission was the first step towards the establishment of a church. It clearly demonstrated the practical and the legal intentions to work towards the founding of a church, including the assignment of a full-time pastor. From this point forward, much faith, dedication and hard work went into the realization of their dream.

Through tireless fundraising by means of bake sales, raffles, charity dinners, and member donations, after only a couple of years, that status of the oraganization was elevated to that of Church. While an actual building did not yet exist, members took the opportunity to practice their faith by renting halls and church basements to conduct the Divine Liturgy every Sunday, and observe other Orthodox feasts and celebrations. In additon, organizations, including: the Antiochian Women; Church Choir; Teen SOYO; and, Church School were established to enhance and build upon the spiritual foundation of the Church. These years were also marked by members donating their time and services, and by leveraging their contacts for the donation of building materials and services, all of which led to the commencement of the constuction of the Church building in 1980. The building was completed in June 1981, and on the 14th day of that month and year, St. Philip Antiochian Orthodox Church was officially consecrated by the Most Reverent Metropolitan Philip. It was the first Church in the Antiochian Christian Archdiocese of North America to be established in Western Canada.

Today, the church building, itself, with a few renovations and improvements, survives in the City of Edmonton at 15804 - 98 Avenue. Since its inception, St.Philip has grown to include many families. Today the community consists of approximately 100 families, and over 200 individuals. Also, the organizations within the Church have grown and remain strong in the vital role that they play. Clearly, the Church serves as the spiritual foundation of the community; it caters to its bilingual population in both English and Arabic and to the new generation of youth in predominantly English; and, it also helps to preseve many cherished ethnic traditions. It is through cooperation, hard work, sacrifice, and a commitment to God that St. Philip Church is a dream come true, a reality celebrating 35 years. And, it is these qualities, and the will of God, that will carry the Church forward for many more years to come.