Just over fifty years ago, (1970 AD) a local group of Palestinian, Jordanian, Lebanese, and Syrian Americans gathered to discuss the possibility of establishing an Orthodox church in San Diego. To serve their spiritual needs, they used to invite priests from Los Angeles.
They wrote to Metropolitan Philip+, then the Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in North America. He sent them Fr. George Harb who together with the committee, organized and brought together the community. They rented a hall at St. Paul Episcopal Cathedral on 2728 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103, and started having their liturgical services on Sundays and Feast days.
Mr. Richard Faris donated two lots of land on 4175 Poplar Street, San Diego, CA 92105 to build a church on one and a hall on the other.
In 1971, the Hall on 4175 Poplar St. was built. It was used as a church on Sundays and Feasts, to serve the Liturgical needs and for social activities of every Orthodox Christian of Arabic origin in San Diego. The First Divine Liturgy that was served in the new premises was on Easter Sunday of 1971. Services were and still are served in both English and Arabic languages. It is important to mention that this building was never consecrated as a church, because the parish continues to look for a new larger building to accommodate the growing needs of our parishioners.
The founders of St. George parish were dedicated and worked hard to establish this structure in the hope of building the church according to the design of the late Ibrahim Salameh Khoury, an architect in the parish.
Over time, several other priests served this parish. Archimandrite George Ghannam, Fr. Alexander Vocovich, Fr. Remon Merlos, Fr. John Bartke, Fr. Paul O’Callahan, Fr. James Barket, Fr. Melatios Hosni, and Fr. Philip Aoufan. On May 1, 1998, Archpriest Father Hanna Sakkab+, of blessed memory, was transferred to serve this parish.
Very Reverend Late Fr. George Morelli+
He served at St. George Church for sixteen years until his successor the Very Reverend Archpriest Antony Bahou was assigned on August 4, 2014. Fr. Hanna, reposed on November 8, 2020.
Fr. George Morelli+ served at St. George as an attached priest from 2000 till he reposed in March of 2021.
Very Reverend Father Antony Bahou Retired on October 31, 2014 after serving our community for more than ten years.
Very Reverend Fr. Antony Bahou
Reverend Father Mansour Azar was assigned as Pastor for our Church as from November 1, 2024.