
The Right Rev. Dr John Abdalah
Assistant Professor for Pastoral Theology
Bishop JOHN Abdalah, an auxiliary bishop of the Antiochian Archdiocese, resides in Massachusetts and cares for the Antiochian churches of New England and the Western Rite Churches of the Antiochian Archdiocese in the United States and Canada. He also serves as the Editor-in-chief of The WORD magazine and serves on the Assembly of Bishops’ Canonical Regional Planning Committee, Theological Committee, and Clergy Matters Committee and chaired the committee on Clergy Matters. Bishop John chaired the Assembly of Bishop’s Task Force on Mental Health. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion.
Bishop John was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He was married to Khouria Joanne Josephs for 30 years and has three children: Dn. Gregory, Joseph, and Maria. He is a cradle Orthodox tracing his Orthodox rootsto the fourth century. He served Antiochian parishes in Little Falls, New Jersey; New Kensington, Pennsylvania; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Some years after the repose of his Khouria Joanne, he was elected to serve as a bishop of the Archdiocese and moved to New England.
His home parish was St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church. From an early age, he had a desire to serve Christ through the holy priesthood and so, after college, he attended St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary near New York City. While in seminary, he became engaged to Joanne Josephs to whom he was married in August 1978. He was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood shortly afterwards.
Pastoral Theology interests
While in Western Pennsylvania Fr. John studied pastoral care at the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute, earning Clinical Membership in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary earning a D.Min. in Pastoral Care. He facilitated a support group for widows and widowers called THEOS (They Help Each Other Spiritually) for 25 years. He taught Priestly Formation at the Antiochian House of Studies and worked as a mentor to the seminarians for the House of Studies program. He taught for the Graduate School for the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Lebanon. He also has done some continuing education for clergy with the St. Athanasius Academy and lectured internationally on the interface of Psychology and Theology. He conducted clergy and seminary retreats for almost every jurisdiction in America. Bishop John was recognized by the Orthodox Church in America for his contributions in spiritual formation of clergy with the Order of Saint Innocent Silver Medal.
Bishop JOHN co-authored Building an Orthodox Marriage: A Practical Commentary on the Eastern Orthodox Marriage Rite as well as several introductions to theological books and theological papers. He has published many articles and papers in The WORD magazine on pastoral issues.
Bishop JOHN has done pastoral care work since the early 1980s.