About Saint Demetrius [Melkite] · Cliffside Park, New Jersey
Saint Demetrius is a Byzantine (Greek-Melkite) Catholic mission in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, one of two Melkite communities in New Jersey under the Eparchy of Newton (the other being St. Ann in Woodland Park). Celebrated under the Byzantine liturgical rite and historically served by bi-ritual clergy, the mission gathers the faithful on Sundays for the Divine Liturgy, followed by a social hour, and is closely tied to the wider Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton for the United States. Because it is a small mission community, pastoral care is shared with neighboring Melkite clergy, including those at St. Ann in Woodland Park.
- Established
- Before 1981
- Patron
- Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki (the Great Martyr)
- Rector
- Fr. Sayed Kozhaya (per the 2025 Diocesan Calendar of Newton)
- Diocese
- Greek-Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Newton (Eparchy of Newton for the Melkite Catholic Church in the United States of America); located geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
Why belong here
Saint Demetrius offers Byzantine Catholic Christians — and anyone curious about the Eastern liturgical tradition — a small, close-knit community in northern New Jersey where the Byzantine (Greek-Melkite) Divine Liturgy is celebrated regularly on Sundays, followed by a welcoming social hour. The mission is closely tied to the larger Melkite Eparchy of Newton and to neighboring St. Ann in Woodland Park, giving parishioners access to a wider network of Melkite clergy, formation, and events while keeping the intimacy of a mission community. It is also a convenient place of worship for Melkite faithful living in the Bergen County / Fort Lee / Palisades area, just across the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan.
Mass times at Saint Demetrius [Melkite]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays before the Divine Liturgy (commonly listed as 10:30 AM – 10:55 AM per Discover Mass)
About St. Demetrius Melkite Catholic Mission
Saint Demetrius is a Byzantine (Greek-Melkite) Catholic mission located at 184 Cliff Street in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Although its physical location lies within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, the mission canonically belongs to the Greek-Melkite Catholic Eparchy of Newton — the Eastern Catholic diocese that covers the Melkite faithful throughout the United States. It is one of only two Melkite communities in New Jersey, the other being St. Ann in Woodland Park.
History of the Mission
The mission was already established by 1981, when Father Nicholas Samra was appointed pastor of St. Ann in West Paterson (today Woodland Park) and concurrently of St. Demetrius in Cliffside Park. Fr. Samra is credited with introducing the 'sacrificial giving' stewardship model at St. Demetrius. He left the active pastorate when named auxiliary bishop of Newton in 1989, eventually serving as eparchial bishop from 2015 until his retirement. Through the 2000s and early 2010s the mission was without a resident pastor and was kept alive by visiting bi-ritual priests, including Fr. Joseph Nahas of the New York Archdiocese. By the mid-2010s pastoral care was shared with clergy from St. Ann, and by 2025 the Eparchy's directory lists Fr. Sayed Kozhaya as the priest responsible for the mission.
- Established as a mission by 1981
- Fr. Nicholas Samra, pastor from 1981 (later Auxiliary Bishop, then Eparchial Bishop of Newton)
- Bi-ritual priest Fr. Joseph Nahas celebrated the Sunday Divine Liturgy from c. 2012
- Fr. Choukri Sabbagh (ordained 9/14/2014) administered the mission while assisting at St. Ann, Woodland Park
- Fr. Sayed Kozhaya listed in the 2025 Diocesan Calendar
Worship & Liturgy
The community gathers for the Byzantine (Greek-Melkite) Divine Liturgy on Sundays, with the service typically celebrated at noon and followed by a social hour. Confessions are heard before the Divine Liturgy. Weekday prayer services on Great Feast Days are held in the evening at 7:00 PM, and the full round of Holy Week services (Last Supper Vespers-Liturgy, Good Friday services, Pascha Vespers-Liturgy) is celebrated annually.
- Sunday Divine Liturgy at noon (with the parish social hour afterward)
- Mystery of Holy Confession before the Divine Liturgy
- Great Feast Day prayer services (Mon–Sat at 7:00 PM)
- Great and Holy Week services celebrated annually
- Music: a parish choir with regular practices
Clergy & Pastoral Care
Pastoral care at St. Demetrius has historically been shared with St. Ann Melkite Church in Woodland Park, given the mission's small size and limited resident clergy. Over the years the mission has been served by Fr. Nicholas Samra (now retired bishop), Fr. Joseph Nahas, Fr. Choukri Sabbagh, and — as of the 2025 Diocesan Calendar — Fr. Sayed Kozhaya. The eparchial bishop of Newton is Bishop François Beyrouti, Ph.D./D.Th.
- Fr. Sayed Kozhaya (current, per 2025 Eparchy directory)
- Fr. Choukri Sabbagh (ordained 9/14/2014)
- Fr. Joseph A. Nahas (bi-ritual, Archdiocese of New York)
- Bishop François Beyrouti, Eparchial Bishop of Newton
Parish Life & Ministries
Despite its size, the mission runs an active calendar of ministries, formation, and community events drawn from its published calendar of activities. Pastoral leadership is exercised through a Parish Council that meets on the first Thursday of each month. The parish choir supports the Sunday Divine Liturgy and rehearses regularly, including extra practices during Great Lent.
- Parish Council (1st Thursday of each month, 7:00 PM)
- Choir (rehearsals Wednesdays/Fridays at 6:00 PM during Lent)
- Bible Study (Fridays at 7:00 PM, e.g., weekly during May)
- Youth Group (camp trips, family activities)
- S.O.V. – Christmas Diaper Drive and other charitable outreach
Annual Events & Fundraisers
St. Demetrius maintains a robust calendar of annual traditions that combine worship, fellowship, and parish fundraising. These include seasonal liturgical celebrations, family barbecues, a Mother's Day fashion show, an annual boat cruise, and other events listed in the parish calendar.
- Feast of St. Demetrius (October 26) — Liturgy and Parish Formal Dinner
- Annual Easter Egg Hunt for children
- Mother's Day Annual Fashion Show
- 3rd Annual Parish Boat Cruise (October)
- St. Demetrius Inaugural Flea-Market Fundraiser
- Casino Night Formal
- 'Big Blast Love Jesus / Mary / Joseph' parish barbecues
- Children's Christmas Party
Lenten & Holy Week Devotions
During Great Lent the mission gathers for the Akathist Prayer and accompanying Lentil Soup Dinners, alongside additional choir rehearsals in preparation for Holy Week. The full cycle of Holy Week services — from the Vespers-Liturgy of St. Basil on Great and Holy Thursday, through Good Friday services and the Paschal Vespers-Liturgy on Holy Saturday — is celebrated annually.
- Akathist Prayer (Wednesdays at 7:00 PM during Lent)
- Akathist Lentil Soup Dinner (Fridays at 7:00 PM during Lent)
- Choir Practice in Lent (Wednesdays/Fridays at 6:00 PM)
- Great and Holy Thursday Vespers-Liturgy of St. Basil (7:00 PM)
- Great and Holy Friday services (7:00 PM)
- Great and Holy Saturday Pascha Vespers-Liturgy (7:00 PM)
Visiting St. Demetrius
The mission is located at 184 Cliff Street in Cliffside Park, Bergen County, New Jersey — a short distance from the George Washington Bridge, which makes the parish readily accessible from Manhattan and from surrounding communities in Bergen County, Fort Lee, Edgewater, and Fairview.
- Address: 184 Cliff Street, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010
- Phone: (201) 840-8554
- Email: [email protected]
- From NYC: GW Bridge upper level → NJ-67 (Fort Lee / Lemoine Ave) → turn onto Cliff Street
- Communicates primarily through its Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/960088487518299/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Nicholas Samra1981 – c. 1989
Appointed pastor of St. Demetrius Mission concurrently with St. Ann in West Paterson/Woodland Park. Later became auxiliary bishop of Newton (1989), eparchial bishop (2015), now retired/honorary.
- (Priestless period)After 1989 – circa 2012
According to Bishop Samra's 2012 State of the Eparchy Address, the mission was 'without a pastor for a number of years,' served periodically by visiting clergy.
- Fr. Joseph A. NahasFrom c. 2012 onward
Bi-ritual priest of the Archdiocese of New York; traveled in from his Latin parish assignment to assure the Sunday Divine Liturgy and other services.
- Fr. Choukri SabbaghThrough at least 2022
Ordained 9/14/2014; administered St. Demetrius while also appointed assistant pastor at St. Ann, Woodland Park.
- Fr. Sayed KozhayaBy 2025
Listed as the priest for St. Demetrius Mission in the 2025 Diocesan Calendar of the Eparchy of Newton.