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His Grace was born '''Antoun Yssa Khouri''' on [[January 17]], 1931, in Damascus, Syria, the fourth of six children born to the late Wedad Elias Abraxia and Yssa Khouri. After completing his elementary education at the Orthodox School in Meedan, Syria, he entered the [[Balamand Orthodox Theological Seminary (Tripoli, Lebanon)|Minor Seminary]] at [[Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand|Balamand Monastery]], near Tripoli, Lebanon, at the age of fourteen, where he met his lifelong friend, the future Metropolitan [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip (Saliba)]]. At the Balamand Seminary he completed his junior and senior high school studies and then went on to receive his diploma in theology from the [[St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology (Tripoli, Lebanon)|Balamand Theological Academy of Saint John of Damascus]].
On [[October 28]], 1951, he was [[ordination|ordained ]] to the [[deacon|diaconate]] by His Beatitude, [[Alexander III (Tahan) of Antioch|Alexander III]], the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Damascus. While a deacon at the [[cathedral]], he was instructor, then Dean of the Saint John of Damascus School. While in Damascus, he undertook undergraduate studies at the [[Assiyat Orthodox College (Damascus, Syria)|Assiyat Orthodox College]] from which he was graduated in 1957. In the same year he was assigned to the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Brazil]], where he served at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul and as secretary to His Eminence, Metropolitan [[Ignatius (Forzley) of Sao Paolo]].
===Graduate education and priesthood===
===Episcopacy===
[[Image:Antoun Khouri 2.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Bp. Antoun vested]]
The General Assembly of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|Archdiocese of North America,]] consisting of [[clergy]] and [[laity|lay]] delegates from [[parish]]es throughout the United States and Canada, nominated Archimandrite Antoun for the office of [[auxiliary bishop]] to the Metropolitan on [[August 1]], 1981, and the [[Holy Synod]] of the [[Church of Antioch|Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East]] elected him to that office at a session in Damascus, Syria, on [[November 4]], 1982, as [[bishop|titular ]] of Selefkia. He was consecrated to the episcopacy on [[January 9]], 1983, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York, by Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) of North America; Archbishop [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]], the Auxiliary of the Archdiocese of North America; Archbishop [[Elias (Saliba) of Hama|Elias (Saliba)]], the superior of the [[Patriarchal Monastery of St. George (Tel-Kalakh, Syria)]]; Bishop [[Paul (Bandaly) of Akkar|Paul (Bandaly)]], the Patriarchal Vicar (now Metropolitan of Akkar, Lebanon); and Bishop [[Antonio (Chedraoui) of Mexico|Antonio (Chedraoui)]], the Patriarchal Legate for the Diocese of Mexico and Central America.
By a decision of the [[Holy Synod]] of the Patriarchate dated [[October 9]], 2003, His Grace became a diocesan bishop bearing the title of '''Bishop of Miami and the Southeast'''. Bishop Antoun maintains his office and residence at the Archdiocesan Chancery in Englewood, New Jersey.
