Our Hierarchs

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Saba Esper, is the Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and the Holy Synod of Antioch elected His Eminence to lead the Archdiocese during its extraordinary session on Feb. 23, 2023 in Balamand, Lebanon.

His Eminence now leads and oversees the Archdiocese’s parishes, missions, departments, institutions and organizations in the United States and Canada from the headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey. The auxiliary bishops aid him in his administration across the continent.

Metropolitan Saba was born in Latakia, Syria in 1959. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Tishreen in Latakia, and a bachelor’s degree in theology from the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand. His Eminence is fluent in Arabic and English.

Prior to his election as Metropolitan of North America, His Eminence cofounded The Hauran Connection with the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America. This charitable project enhances Orthodoxy in this ancient Christian land in the face of strife. More than $1 million has been raised in more than 15 years.

Developmental projects and charitable endowments for the Bosra Archdiocese under Metropolitan Saba include a medical clinic in As-Suwayda, dormitories for 150 university students in As-Suwayda and Daraa; 48 studios for retirees in The House of Love; the Bethany Spiritual Retreat Center in Kharaba; Bread for All that distributes food to the poor regardless of religion; ongoing agricultural projects; and The Good Samaritan, a multifaceted charitable organization for parishioners displaced or affected by the recent Syrian war.

His Eminence was ordained a priest in 1988 and elevated to the dignity of archimandrite in 1994. He pastored St. Michael the Archangel Church in the Archdiocese of Latakia until 1998. During that time, Metropolitan Saba edited and published the Orthodox Christian magazine Farah geared toward children and families.

In 1998, Metropolitan Saba was elected and consecrated as an auxiliary bishop to His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV of thrice-blessed memory. In 1999, His Beatitude and the Holy Synod of Antioch elected him as metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Bosra, Hauran and Jabal Al-Arab in Syria.

Simultaneously with his pastoral and episcopal duties, from 1995-2006, His Eminence served as instructor of Pastoral Care and Introduction to the Old Testament at the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand.

His Eminence established a publishing house in the Bosra Archdiocese, the Al-Arabiya magazine for adults, and continued issuing Farah for children. An English version has been produced since 2010. Metropolitan Saba authors weekly articles on his Facebook page and has written on various topics in Al-Noor, Patriarchal and Al Arabiya magazines. He has authored a number of books in pastoral life and theology.

Metropolitan Saba has also translated a number of titles from English to Arabic, including works by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev and Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko.

His Eminence’s patron saint is St. Saba (Sabbas) the Sanctified, commemorated on Dec. 5.

His Grace, Bishop Anthony, Diocese of Los Angeles & the West

Bishop Anthony was born Richard Anthony Michaels on the feast day of St. Anthony the Great (January 17, 1956) to parents Anthony and Gertrude Michaels and was baptized at St. Symeon the Stylite Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Ironwood, Mich. Rick was raised with his sister, Joanne, and brother, Craig. The Orthodox church in Ironwood is pan-Orthodox and thus included all ethnic Orthodox communities in the city. Bishop Anthony’s father is Lebanese and his mother is Serbian. As a teenager he was active in all varsity athletics at Ironwood High School, including his role as the starting quarterback of his football team.

Bishop Anthony attended the University of Michigan, where he received his B.A. in Literature, Science and the Arts, earning a double major in History and English Literature. Following his university degree, he attended St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., where he earned a Master of Divinity degree and graduated as Valedictorian of his class. Besides English, he has a reading knowledge of biblical Greek and continues to learn Arabic, at the request of His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of blessed memory.

His Grace taught modern philosophy at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, Mich., before becoming a pastoral assistant and youth director at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Montreal, Quebec for two years. He and fellow seminarian Fr. Patrick Kinder of blessed memory held positions of youth coordinators at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Akron, Ohio, while they toured the country giving concerts and retreats as part of the musical group KERYGMA. Fr. Anthony also spent two years based in Nashville, Tenn. at St. Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church in Franklin, recording for KERYGMA with Fr. Patrick and Fr. Michael (Alan) Shanbour. He lectured extensively in North America, speaking to youth groups and church retreats for various jurisdictions besides his own.

His Grace was ordained to the Holy Diaconate on September 18, 2004. The next day he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on September 19, 2004 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in West St. Paul, Minn., under the pastorate of the Very Rev. John Khoury of blessed memory, and by the laying on of hands of Bishop Antoun. He was able to serve his home parish for seven months before being assigned to lead the faithful of St. John Chrysostom Church in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Bishop Anthony inspired and oversaw the design and construction of the new church facilities at St. John Chrysostom Church in Fort Wayne. On the sixth anniversary of his ordination to the Holy Priesthood, he had the great honor of hosting Metropolitan Philip for the consecration of the new church on September 19, 2010, at which time he was elevated to the dignity of Archimandrite by the laying on of hands of the Metropolitan. He was subsequently appointed dean of the Indiana Deanery by Metropolitan Philip. 

On Sunday, December 11, 2011, Bishop Anthony was consecrated as Auxiliary of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The consecration took place at the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, Balamand, Lebanon. After over twelve years of faithful ministry overseeing the Diocese of Toledo, His Eminence Metropolitan Saba announced on June 10, 2024 that Bishop Anthony had accepted a new assignment to serve as the Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles and the West, beginning August 1, 2024.

His Grace has done numerous lectures and retreats across the country. He is frequently asked to speak to clergy, laity and leadership in our Archdiocese as well as many other Orthodox jurisdictions. Favorite topics include: How Christian thought became secular thought, how we went from thinking about God to no God, dealing with today’s culture as it affects our parish families, cultivating an understanding of our faith in today’s world, pastoral skills for future priests, having an antenna rather than an agenda, and social skills for lonely times. Understanding the needs of today’s clergy and their families is of great importance to him. He is currently in the process of writing: Between Utopia and Despair: A Study of the West and the Advance of the Secular World View. 

His name day is January 17 (St. Anthony the Great).