V. Rev. Dr. Joseph J. Allen

The Very Reverend Dr. Joseph James Allen passed away on August 7, 2020. He was the pastor of St. Anthony Orthodox Church in Bergenfield, New Jersey for 53 years, retiring in December 2019 as Pastor Emeritus. Fr. Joseph held many roles in the Antiochian Archdiocese as the Vicar General, National Chaplain of the Order of St. Ignatious and Co-Editor of "The Word" magazine. He was a renowned theologian and Orthodox scholar and served as the Director of the Antiochian House of Studies, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Ministry and also taught at St. Vladimir's Seminary and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He wrote and edited 13 books and many articles that have been translated and published globally. His dedication to Orthodox education will be felt for generations. Father Joe was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and grew up in Allentown. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood at the age of 24 and assigned to St. Anthony, a pan-Orthodox and diverse church. Father Joe brought his love of God to the community and family daily, and we will treasure the wisdom, intellect, wit, humor and Christ-like humility he shared with all. He is survived by his wife Kh. Valerie; sons Phillip and Joseph and their wives Raghda and Kristin; grandchildren Elizabeth, Julia, Caroline and Joseph; and brother Phillip, sister Delores, and a large extended family. May his memory be eternal! In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Anthony in memory of Fr. Joseph. The wake will be held on Wednesday, August 12 at St. Anthony Orthodox Church, 385 Ivy Lane, Bergenfield, NJ, from 3 PM to 8 PM. The funeral will be held at St. Anthony on August 13th at 10 AM, to be followed by interment at Brookside Cemetery in Englewood, NJ. Preregistration will be required: a link will be posted on the St. Anthony Orthodox Church Facebook page and website, http://stanthonybergenfield.org/. Both events will comply with state and CDC guidlines, including mandatory face masks, physical distancing of 6 feet or more, temperature checks, and hand sanitizer. Please use the front door only so that your name can be taken for safety purposes. On Thursday the event will also be livestreamed in the Church Hall for overflow attendees and on YouTube for those unable to attend. Funeral attendees are welcome to join the procession to Brookside for interment.