V. Rev. Archpriest Michael G. Shaheen Dean
Father Michael was born right here in Toledo, Ohio on September 9, 1964 and he is the son of the Late Archpriest George Shaheen of Blessed Memory and Kh. Marguerite Shaheen. He is also the nephew of the Late Archbishop Michael SHAHEEN of thrice Blessed Memory. Being the third child of four, he has two older sisters, Christina and Lorraine and a younger brother Fred. His older sister Christina is a Khourieh and is married to Father John Riemann, pastor of St. Anthony's Orthodox Church in San Diego, California and Father Fred is the pastor of St. George Church of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His sister Lorraine is also very active in her church St. Nicholas of Tampa, Florida.
In 1970 his father was asked leave Toledo to serve St. George of Charleston West, VA. And it was a tumultuous time within the Archdiocese in those days when the then Toledo and the New York Archdiocese were not at all united. This caused Father Michael and his family to move on several occasions until peace between the two dioceses was finally reached. His father and mother were very much catalysts, however working in the “background” in bringing the Toledo and New York Archdiocese together.
After about 16 years and several parishes later, Father Michael and his family returned back to Toledo when his father was asked to pastor St. George Cathedral for a second time. The next nine years spent in Toledo, Father Michael was busy working and going to school, and in 1994 he was presented with an opportunity to work for St. George Church in Montreal as a youth director. Father attended The University of Toledo and while in Montreal McGill University as he completed the St. Stephens Course of Theology and received his Bachelor of Theology.
On March 22, 1998 Michael was ordained a deacon and served as fulltime pastoral assistant at St. George Montreal. As a deacon, he gained much experience serving in the church, visiting parishioners in hospitals, visiting their homes and he attended all meetings held within the church. Then on December 10, 2006 Dn. Michael was ordained to The Holy Priesthood and was officially given the title as assistant pastor.
In addition to his role as assistant pastor, Father Michael was the founder of several church organizations which brought the young adults of the parish together on a social as well as spiritual level keeping them closely tied to their church. Father Michael also was the founder of Camp Transfiguration. This is a church camp formed in Canada and modeled after the Antiochian Village Camp. A summer sleep over camp where our children spend a two week period learning their Orthodox faith along with their peers. Please take the time to check out this promo video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUTwtAh01H8
Father Michael met his wife Adma Daou in Montreal. Adma was born in Beirut, Lebanon on May 15, 1967. At the young age of 23 she and three of her siblings left Lebanon during its uncivil war to find a safe haven and begin a new life in Canada. Father Michael and Adma met in 1994 and were married on November 12, 1995. They have two children, Nathaniel and Tatiana, both of whom join in the excitement of being part of this wonderful community and share with you the rich history of St. George Cathedral.