Archimandrite Elias Simon Hamaty of St. Orthodox Church of Boston 1921-1927, 1930-1931, 1938-1942.

Elias Simon Hamaty, the oldest child of Simon and Harshma [Figar] Hamaty, was born on 20 July 1880 at the village of Aafsdiq, Al-Koura, Syria [present day Lebanon]. His Khalil Simon, also known as Hababe, was born in 1882. In 1884, their mother died leaving their father Simon to care for the two youngsters. The following year, Simon Hamaty married Mariana [family name unknown] from the nearby village of Fiah. Of the second marriage, a son, Mousa Simon, was born in 1891, Michael Simon was born in 1894 and George Simon was born in 1896. The birth date of another son, Samaan is unknown.

The Hamaty brothers all studied at the Orthodox School of the nearby Balamand at the village of Al Qalhat. Their father, Simon worked as a groundskeeper and laborer at the monastery. Mariana, known as ‘Im-Mousa’, served as the ’s cook for many years. Several years ago an Arabic manuscript entitled “Im-Mousa” was discovered at the Balamand. The manuscript dates from about 1910 and relates a delightful story about Mariana and a conversation she had with the Abbot about her sons and their future. A translation of the story will be published in a future issue of “The Messenger”.

After graduating from the Monastery school, Elias Simon Hamaty stayed on for a couple years to study as a seminarian. In 1900 he immigrated to North America and settled in Boston where he found work in the local cafes and restaurants. In 1902 Elias married Mary Nicholas [also known as Mary Gusson] the daughter of Jacob Nicholas and Alexandra [Al Hawey] of Kfar Hilda in the district of Al-Koura, Syria [present day Lebanon]. She also had immigrated to Boston in 1900. Elias and Mary were married by Fr. George Dow Maloof, the founding pastor of St. George Syrian Orthodox Church of Boston. They lived at 12 Oxford Street, a few doors from St. George Church. Elias worked as a waiter at the Syrian Café around the corner on Beach Street. Elias and Mary had six known children; George Elias, Anna Libbie, Dalal, Sofia, Fred and Julia. From the time of his arrival in Boston, Elias was very involved in the life of St. George parish and under the direction of Fr. George; he served as an , chanter and sexton.

In 1909 his brother Khalil immigrated to the United States and joined him in Boston. Khalil also found work at the Syrian Café. On 29 November 1909, Fr. George Maloof officiated at the wedding of Khalil Hababe Hamaty and Adna Mattar. Elias and Khalil soon decided to move west and start their own business. In 1910 the two brothers moved to Poplar Bluffs, Missouri. They are recorded there in the 1910 Federal Census under the names Elias Simon and Charles Simon. Elias owned and managed a restaurant and Charles was managing a fruit store. Elias and Mary had another daughter, Julia who was born in Poplar Bluffs in 1912.

A handful of ‘Syrian’ Orthodox lived in Poplar Bluffs at the time and they were served periodically by Fr. Nicholas Yanney, a pioneering missionary priest from Kearny, Nebraska. Elias assisted Fr. Nicholas as a chanter and during his occasional visits. After nearly ten years of running the restaurant in Poplar Bluffs and with obvious encouragement from Fr. Nicholas, Elias decided to embrace the priesthood. Unfortunately, Fr. Nicholas Yanney died in October 1918.

Following his death, Elias began a correspondence with Germanos Shehadi who was living in New York at the time. Bishop Germanos was the bishop of Zahle and he had been in the United States raising funds for an agricultural school he hoped to build in his diocese. He was well known and liked by many of the ‘Syrian’ Orthodox in North America including the community at St. George in Boston. Following the death of Bishop Raphael Hawaweeny in 1915, Bishop Germanos sought to bring the ‘Syrian’ parishes to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Antioch. He consecrated the newly built St. George Church of Boston on Tyler Street in 1922. In 1924, Bishop Victor Abo- Assaley was consecrated as the first Antiochian bishop in North America.

On Saturday, 6 April 1919, at St. George ‘Syrian’ Orthodox Church in Kearney, Nebraska Bishop Germanos ordained Elias Simon Hamaty as a of the Orthodox Church. The next day, Sunday, 7 April 1919 Deacon Elias was ordained a priest. He was assigned as pastor for St. George and he served at Kearney from 1919 to 1922. In 1922, Fr. Elias was asked to return to Boston and serve as pastor of St. George parish. Following the death of the founding pastor, Fr. George D. Maloof in 1920, Fr. Abraham Zaine served briefly as the pastor at St. George in Boston before going to Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Fr. Elias and his family arrived in Boston and settled at 137 Hudson Street in the heart of the ‘Syrian’ colony. Tragically, Mary Hamaty died of a stroke in November 1922. Bishop Germanos presided at her funeral and she was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan.

Like his father before him, Fr. Elias was left to care for his children. There were three still at home, the youngest, Julia, was only eleven. With support from his family, three of his brothers had moved to Boston over the years, and his parishioners, Fr. Elias was able to raise his children as a single parent. His stepbrother, Mousa and his wife Nora [Melhalm], had arrived in Boston at the time of Mary’s death. Mousa and Nora Hamaty were the parents of Arch Deacon Elias Hamaty who served St. George parish for over twenty years.

In 1926, Fr. Elias was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite by Bishop Germanos. He continued to serve as pastor of St. George until moving to New York to assist the bishop in 1927. In 1930 he returned to St. George and served for another year before moving to Geneva, New York to serve as pastor of St. Michael Syrian Orthodox Church.

Bishop Germanos returned to his diocese in Zahle in 1933 and died the following year. In 1936, the Holy Synod of Antioch elected a new Bishop for the ‘Syrian’ Orthodox in America, Metropolitan Bashir. Fr. Elias was asked to return to St. George again in 1938 and remained for nearly five years. In 1943, Metropolitan Anthony asked him to move to Akron, Ohio to serve as pastor of St. George Syrian Orthodox Church there. He lived at 301 Berg Street. Tragically, Fr Elias died of a massive heart attack at the wheel of his car on 7 January 1945. He was 64 years old. His body was returned to Boston for burial.

Metropolitan Anthony, assisted by nine priests, presided at his funeral. Archimandrite Elias Simon Hamaty was buried next to his wife, Mary at Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan. Years later both their bodies were removed and reburied at Gethsemane Cemetery in West Roxbury.

Compiled and submitted by Fr. Timothy J. Ferguson