Nicholas Samra
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Samra is the eparch of the Melkite Catholic
Eparchy of Newton
in the United States, elected in 2011. He has written extensively on the subject of ecumenism
and the Eastern Catholic Churches.
to George H. Samra and Elizabeth Balady Samra. His grandparents and his father were immigrants to the United States from Aleppo
, Syria
. He was ordained a priest for the Eparchy of Newton
on May 10, 1970 and served as a pastor in Melkite parishes in Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey. Bishop Samra earned the B.A. at Saint Anselm College
, Manchester, NH, and a B.D.
from St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts.
appointed Samra Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Newton and Titular Bishop
of Gerasa. Archbishop Joseph Tawil
consecrated and installed him on July 6 of that year. Samra served as Auxiliary Bishop and Protosyncellus until he retired on January 11, 2005 to devote himself to scholarly work.
In June 2011, the Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church nominated him as Eparch of Newton to succeed Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros
, and Pope Benedict XVI
appointed him to the position on June 15, 2011.
An active speaker and author, Samra has written extensively on the subject of ecumenism
, Christian leadership and stewardship. He has also published a multi-volume history of the Melkite Church and a book on the legacy of Archbishop Joseph Tawil
. He is the past president of the Eastern Catholic Association of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Melkite Greek Catholic Church
The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See as part of the worldwide Catholic Church. The Melkites, Byzantine Rite Catholics of mixed Eastern Mediterranean and Greek origin, trace their history to the early Christians of Antioch, Syria, of...
Eparchy of Newton
Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton
The Eparchy of Newton is an eparchy of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church...
in the United States, elected in 2011. He has written extensively on the subject of ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
and the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Early life and priesthood
Samra was born in Paterson, New JerseyPaterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
to George H. Samra and Elizabeth Balady Samra. His grandparents and his father were immigrants to the United States from Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. He was ordained a priest for the Eparchy of Newton
Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton
The Eparchy of Newton is an eparchy of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church...
on May 10, 1970 and served as a pastor in Melkite parishes in Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey. Bishop Samra earned the B.A. at Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College is a nationally ranked, private, Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle, O.S.B. of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis M. Bradley of Manchester, New Hampshire, the...
, Manchester, NH, and a B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
from St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts.
Episcopate
On April 21, 1989, Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
appointed Samra Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Newton and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Gerasa. Archbishop Joseph Tawil
Joseph Tawil
Archbishop Joseph Tawil was the Melkite Greek Catholic eparch for the United States, teacher and theologian...
consecrated and installed him on July 6 of that year. Samra served as Auxiliary Bishop and Protosyncellus until he retired on January 11, 2005 to devote himself to scholarly work.
In June 2011, the Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church nominated him as Eparch of Newton to succeed Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros
Cyril Salim Bustros
Cyril Salim Bustros is the archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut and Byblos. A native of Lebanon, he formerly served as archbishop of Baalbeck and later as eparch for the Melkite Church in the United States....
, and Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
appointed him to the position on June 15, 2011.
An active speaker and author, Samra has written extensively on the subject of ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
, Christian leadership and stewardship. He has also published a multi-volume history of the Melkite Church and a book on the legacy of Archbishop Joseph Tawil
Joseph Tawil
Archbishop Joseph Tawil was the Melkite Greek Catholic eparch for the United States, teacher and theologian...
. He is the past president of the Eastern Catholic Association of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.