By Diana Najjar
Orthodox Christianity began with Christ and His apostles. As the eleven disciples gathered after Christ’s resurrection, our Lord spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always.” (Matt. 28:18-20).
As the disciples spread Christianity throughout the countries that they traveled, they ordained bishops through the practice of “laying on of hands.” This practice has been unbroken. Every Patriarch, every bishop, every priest, every deacon today can trace their ordination back through a line of bishops to the eleven original apostles.
The liturgical service on Sundays and often through the week has remained almost unchanged for centuries, except that the language has been translated into the language of the country. Some of the hymns have also been enhanced, especially those written by Russian and Ukrainian composers. Tchaikovsky composed Orthodox hymns, but his liturgy is quite difficult and usually reserved for concerts. The readings, the prayers and the hymns are from the Bible and the early Fathers–the bishops and the saints.
The Clergy and the Hierarchs
Since its founding in 1926, St. George Church is proud of its heritage, organizations, and accomplishments. Its steady growth and development are the result of a dedicated membership working devotedly with its priests. The current priest, Very Reverend Father Anthony Yazge and the former priest, Very Reverend Father Nabil Hanna have served faithfully as pastors over the years, guiding the faithful. All the other priests have departed this life. They are remembered with gratitude, respect and prayers: Rev. Fr. John Corey, Rev. Fr. Nasib Wahby, Rev. Fr. Gabriel Salhaney, Rev. Fr. Ignatius Preston, Rev. Fr. Elias Hage, Rt. Rev. Fr. Basilous Sedaoui, Rev. Fr. John Dacy, Rev. Fr. Louise Secabe, Most Rev. Archbishop Michael Shaheen, Rev. Fr. Antony Sakey, Rev. Fr. Victor George, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Hoffiz, Rev. Fr. Basilous Mahfouz, Rev. Fr. Nicholas Vansuch, Rt. Rev. Fr. Basil Karpelina, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Shaheen, Very Rev. Fr. Theodore Ziton, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Rahal, Rev. Fr. Antony Beauchamp, and Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Olas.
In addition to our wonderful priests, we have also been blessed with dedicated deacons throughout the years: “Archie” Rev. Fr. Athanasius Wilson, Archdeacon Workineh Belesse, Deacon James Childs, Rev. Fr. Joseph Olas and Rev. Fr. Joseph Hazar. Great leadership has come from the Archdiocesan level with Metropolitan Archbishop ANTONY Bashir, and Metropolitan Archbishop PHILIP Saliba, both who served faithfully for many decades. And now we have Metropolitan Archbishop SABA Isper who will guide us through our future years. But what we do not know is who was our first Bishop? We have not found any documentation to show who sent us our first priest, Rev. Fr. John Corey. Archbishop Germanos from Zahle, Lebanon came to America in 1916 and met with many of our parishioners and with the Greeks in the hopes of establishing an Antiochian archdiocese. But Archbishop Victor Abo-Assaly actually was consecrated as the Antiochian Archbishop in Worchester, Massachusetts in November 1924. Some of the Arab speaking parishes went with one or the other. But in 1936, Archbishop ANTONY Bashir was clearly our leader.
Have you ever wondered what role the priest plays in the life of the parish? We all know that he brings to life the Liturgy, and that he is the one to whom we give our confessions and through whom we receive the body and blood of Christ. We know that he conducts weddings, baptisms, chrismations and funerals. What else do he and/or the deacon do? There are the inquirers classes for those seeking to learn about Orthodoxy, which teaches the doctrines and dogmas. We have also the “Life in Christ” classes that teach about fasting, prayer, the spiritual life and stewardship. Most of these classes are attended by Catechumens, but all are encouraged and welcomed to attend. The priest also conducts pre-marital sessions, four of them, which might occur over many months before a couple can marry. Pastoral counseling and visitation of the sick and shut-ins are additional ministries carried out by the parish priest or deacon and essential for all the parishioners. Personal growth and preparation for sermons adds to the time on task.
But there is so much more that our priests and deacons do. There is the administration of the church: bulletins, publications, communications, hall rentals, and church rentals. All the finances are overseen by the priest. The priest and deacon try to attend and give guidance to all the ministry teams and their work. Cooking and cleanup with the parishioners are jobs that some priests enjoy, particularly Fr. Anthony Yazge. He also attends the meetings for the Presbyters Council of Central Indiana and the Indiana Deanery as they assist other parishes. Working with Ball State Orthodox Christian Fellowship, the alumni board of St. Vladimir, and the Board of Hagia Sophia Academy have sometimes been a part of the job for St. George priests and deacons.
Our church is blessed to have and to have had priests, deacons, and bishops so devoted to God and to Christ. They have also been devoted to the faith and this parish.
The Chanters
Music’s power lies in its ability to influence our senses and evoke emotions. Music inspires the heart by connecting to our deepest feelings and memories, whether that brings joy or sorrow. The Orthodox hymns, sung in Byzantine style, offer a unique lens through which we experience the sounds that make our sensory and emotional lives richer and more profound, and what we will experience in our heavenly kingdom.
In the early years of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, the chanter would chant the responses to the priest. It is not known for sure who was the original chanter for St. George. There are thoughts that it might have been Habib Kurker or possibly Wydah Farha, both who were among the founding fathers of St. George. What is definitely accurate is that Albert Corey, also one of the original founders of the church and one of the original Board of Trustees members, was an early chanter for St. George and possibly was the first. He chanted all the years in the first church on 28th and Sherman Drive and then in later years at 4020 N. Sherman Drive. Louis Soubeih, who came to America in the 1940’s, filled in for Albert from time to time and sometimes chanted with him.
Salim Najjar moved to Indiana in 1962. Salim descended from a long line of chanters in Lebanon. Salim’s grandfather was the official chanter for Metropolitan Archbishop Alexander of the Archdiocese of Tripoli, Lebanon who later became Patriarch Alexander III of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Patriarchate. Salim’s father, Kaiser Najjar, became the head chanter of St. George in Bishmizzine, Lebanon for over 50 years. He taught his children the art of Byzantine chanting. So, when Salim came to St. George Church in Indianapolis, he asked if he could chant alongside Albert Corey. It was not long before Salim became the sole chanter. At the age of seven, Salim’s son, David, stood with his father and started to learn Byzantine chanting. Son Mark soon followed the family tradition. David has now become the head chanter and has taught his daughter Katherine these skills. All of David and Mark’s children can chant, but only Katherine, so far, has taken on the responsibility to serve every week in this role. Salim has chanted at St. George for over 60 years. In addition to all the Sunday services, and many daily services, the chanters also chant at most every wedding and usually all the funerals.
Several other parishioners have stood with the Najjars to learn and chant this ancient style of music. Among them are Ethan Detienne, Dan Svrchek , Doug Fadel, George Freije, Eli Roberts, Annie Turano, Julia Beck, and James Childs. Doug and George have chanted for many years, starting at the second church at 4020 N. Sherman Drive. Often they would chant at funerals and other services too. One of the most beautiful services is Great and Holy Friday, when more than twenty Arabic speaking parishioners join with the chanters to hymn the Lamentations. The balance of the Arabic chanting and the choir singing in English is breathtaking.
The Choir
The choir at St. George has always been more than a group of singers—it has been a family, a living tradition, and the musical heart of our parish. Over the decades, many talented and dedicated people have shaped this choir into what it is today. Each generation has added something special, blending devotion, skill, and love for the liturgy into every note sung within our church walls. The choir is an essential part of the liturgy. It is sung a cappella, as responses to the priest, and brings beauty, inspiration, emotion and depth to the service. The first known St. George choir was born with Mary Ann Leas conducting an all-Arabic choir in unison. Jeanette Salhany was also an early choir director.
First Arabic Choir pictured in this article: Back row: Joe Osman, Fayez Matouk, Lucille Osman Barnes, Alice Corey, Edith Mesalam, Jeanette Salhany, Eva Corey Ozman, Minerva Risk, John C Kafoure, Richard Mesalam. Middle Row: Osman, Zemured Mesalam, Ruth Corey George, Mary Joseph Snider, Georgette Salhaney Abraham, Ann Kafoure Freije, Isabelle Kafoure, Michel Saliba. Front row: Mary Ann Leas, Fr. Salhany, Habib Kurker.
Fr. James Meena conducted our St. George choir for a brief time while he was assigned to Camp Atterbury in the 1940s before he became a priest. For the Divine Liturgy, he arranged and composed many Byzantine chants into four-part harmony. This music was later established by the Archdiocese. Father James encouraged Selma Mesalam to become the choir director and gave her the music he had arranged.
Selma Mesalam took the reins and conducted the choir in the 1940s and started this four-part harmony. Selma was a talented musician and brought inspiration and passion to the music. Visiting choir directors, clergy, and friends became Selma’s teachers and collaborators, helping her expand the church’s musical repertoire and maintain the beauty of Orthodox worship. She conducted for more than 35 years. In addition to conducting the choir for church services, Selma often had the choir sing for Sunday School Christmas and Easter performances. Selma also prepared the choir for competitions at church conventions. Selma and the choir won competitions three times. Those trophies are currently in the trophy case with all the trophies from the basketball competitions, and Catechism Bowl and Oratorical wins. The choir trophies were 1950: 2nd place, 1951: 3rd place and 1955: 1st place.
In 1979, Elaine Eckhart assumed responsibility for conducting the choir. Elaine is a trained vocalist, singing soprano with various choirs including the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, the Indianapolis Opera Chorus and the Indianapolis Arts Chorale. No doubt, the St. George choir benefitted from the choral techniques that Elaine brought to bear from over 20 years of singing with vocal ensembles of varying sizes. Elaine’s focus was on choral interpretation and dynamics, directing the traditional liturgical hymns that were beloved by the parish. These hymns included a mixed repertoire of works composed by both Russian and Ukrainian composers, the Byzantine style arrangements composed by Father Meena, and a handful of music from Greek and Slavonic traditions. Elaine held choir rehearsals as needed to prepare for visits by the bishop or special liturgical seasons, such as Holy Week and Pascha. Choir rehearsals were held in her home with someone often filling in as a rehearsal accompanist.
Sharon Mustaklem, who often helped Elaine lead the choir, took over conducting in the early 1990s. Sharon and Elaine had a special relationship in sharing the responsibility of conducting, as they both had jobs and family responsibilities that made being at church every Sunday difficult. Sharon, being a high school music teacher, was skilled at preparing the choir for performances. She prepared the choir to perform at the Midwest Parish Life Conference and also conducted the choir, as did Selma, for Sunday School performances, and for special performances when the bishop would visit. Sharon was known to bring instrumentalists for various performances, and she helped write scripts for special plays for these performances. Sharon also introduced, at the request of Father Nabil, the Paschal cannons from the St. Vladimir’s choir. In Sharon’s own words, “Every new voice that joins the choir, every feast day we prepare for, every challenge we face—each one has taught me something new about patience, humility, and the living nature of sacred music.” It was during this timeframe that our choir members added their voices to form the Combined Central Indiana Orthodox Choir that sang for the various services hosted by the Central Indiana Council of Orthodox Christian Churches.
Karen Najjar followed Sharon as choir director in 2007. She would conduct choir rehearsals twice a month in her home and would prepare a meal. Karen’s passion for the music led her to write on the sheet music many of the dynamics to ensure that the choir members would follow those notations. As I interviewed many people in the choir, the one thing that kept coming up was that Karen had an incredible ear. She could help people to stay on pitch. At Father Nabil’s request, Karen added to the Paschal service cannons many of the responses that were previously done by the chanters. Both Sharon and Karen remarked how challenging these cannons are, but also how beautiful. Today the choir still sings these renditions.
Cindy Rhinehart followed Karen as the next choir director in 2011. She challenged the choir to learn new music in addition to the hymns of old. She has motivated the choir to perform concerts open to the community, in addition to church services and weddings. Cindy has served as director now for the past 14 years. This is what she said about her memories during her time as director. “One of the best memories for most of our choir members is the first concert we did in 2022. We sang hymns of the fasting and feast seasons and learned about our faith while we learned our music. It was a time of growth, challenge, and reward. To be able to sing for people in a concert and bring Orthodoxy to life in a different way was an absolute joy. For our second concert, in 2024, we sang hymns from around the world. The joy of bringing music to our faithful parishioners and visitors was incomparable. Again, we learned about other traditions, brought songs to life that were new to us, and strengthened our choir community.
Today, the St. George choir continues to stand on the shoulders of those early pioneers. We carry forward their spirit—Selma’s devotion, the generosity of visiting musicians, and the shared love of the Byzantine and Antiochian musical traditions. Together, we sing not just for our congregation, but also as part of a centuries-old dialogue between heaven and earth.
The Altar Servers
We have not found documents to identify the first altar servers. It is believed, however, one of the early altar servers in charge of the altar boys was Charles Kafoure, Sr. Years later, Eddie Kafoure took over for his father and trained and guided the altar boys. Eddie took on this position throughout the 1950s and possibly as early as the late 1940s. Eddie continued to serve behind the altar for nearly the rest of his life. Eddie and his wife Gloria would entertain the altar boys at their home with a pool party every year. The altar boys looked forward to this special time. Eddie served in the altar for decades until the 1990s. Charlie Scott assisted him for a time. Rob Sylvester later became his assistant.
Mina Khoury is and has been the man behind the altar now for many years and decades. Mina ensures that the altar boys are respectful, orderly, stand erect while holding the candles and focused on the liturgy. He wants them to understand why they are there. Samer Nahas stepped up to assist Mina and has been an effective leader as the church has grown. In more recent years, Brad Tingwald, Chuck Thomas, Andre Smith, Abraham Greenwood, Patrick Gamble, Wyatt Lawrence and Elias Atallah have joined in assisting, as we now have twenty-four altar boys. Because there are so many and the space behind the altar is limited, they have been divided into two alternating groups. We have all new altar boy robes in the various liturgical colors for each season of the ecclesiastical year. It is beautiful to see all the boys who love serving.
The choir, chanters and altar servers have never been paid positions at St. George, in contrast to many other churches. St. George has been blessed with an abundance of volunteers who serve every Sunday out of their love for Christ and His church.