Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
Encyclopedia
History of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Immigration of Maronite faithful from the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
began during the latter part of the nineteenth century. When the faithful were able to obtain a priest, communities were established under the jurisdiction of the local Latin
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s.
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
, with the Apostolic Constitution Cum supremi of January 10, 1966, established the Maronite Apostolic Exarchate for the Maronite faithful of the United States. The Most Reverend Francis Mansour Zayek
Francis Mansour Zayek
Francis Mansour Zayek was an American Maronite Catholic prelate. Zayek was the founding bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, a diocese based in Brooklyn, New York covering the Maronite Church in the United States.Zayek was one of the last surviving bishops who had attended all four...
was appointed the first bishop in a decree of the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches dated January 27, 1966. The See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
city was Detroit, Michigan, with a Cathedral under the patronage of St Maron
Maron
Saint Maroun was a 5th century Syriac Christian monk who after his death was followed by a religious movement that became known as the Maronites. The Church that grew from this movement is the Maronite Church. St. Maroun was known for his missionary work, healing and miracles, and teachings of a...
. At that time, the Exarchate was a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
On November 29, 1971, Pope Paul VI, with the Apostolic Constitution Quae spes, the Exarchate was elevated to the status of an Eparchy
Eparchy
Eparchy is an anglicized Greek word , authentically Latinized as eparchia and loosely translating as 'rule over something,' like province, prefecture, or territory, to have the jurisdiction over, it has specific meanings both in politics, history and in the hierarchy of the Eastern Christian...
, with the name of Eparchy of St Maron of Detroit. With a decree from the Sacred Congregation of the Eastern Churches dated June 27, 1977, the see of the Eparchy of St Maron was transferred to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, with the cathedral under the patronage of Our Lady of Lebanon
Our Lady of Lebanon
Our Lady of Lebanon , also known as Notre Dame du Liban, is a marian shrine and a pilgrimage site, honoring the patron saint of the Mediterranean country of Lebanon. The Lebanese Christians as well as the Druze and Muslims have a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
. The name of the Eparchy was modified to Eparchy of St Maron of Brooklyn. On December 10, 1982, Pope John Paul II accorded the title of “Archbishop ad personam” to Bishop Zayek as recognition of his personal contributions to the Catholic Church.
With the Apostolic Constitution Omnium Catholicorum of March 18, 1994, a second Eparchy for Maronites in the United States was established: The Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The Most Reverend John George Chedid, formerly Titular Bishop of Callinicum for the Maronites and Auxiliary of the Eparchy of St Maron, was appointed the first Eparchial Bishop with the Cathedral under the patronage of Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon. Bishop Chedid was enthroned on June 24, 1994 by Archbishop Francis M. Zayek who represented the Maronite Patriarch His Beatitude Nasrallah Peter Sfeir. On December 5, 2000 The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop John Chedid due to canonical age, and appointed Chorbishop
Chorbishop
A chorbishop is a rank of Christian clergy below bishop. The name chorepiscope or chorepiscopus is taken from the Greek and means rural bishop.-History:Chorepiscopi are first mentioned by Eusebius in the second century...
Robert Shaheen as the second bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. Bishop Shaheen was ordained and installed Eparch on February 15, 2001 by His Eminence and Beatitude Patriarch Nasrallah Peter Sfeir in the Cathedral Basilica of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Missouri.
With a decree from the Sacred Congregation of the Eastern Churches dated July 10, 2001, the see of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon was transferred to St. Louis, MO with St. Raymond elevated to the rank of Co-Cathedral. The current eparch is Robert Joseph Shaheen
Robert Joseph Shaheen
Robert Joseph Shaheen is an American clergyman of the Maronite Catholic Church. He is the second and current Eparch of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon....
.
The territory of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon comprises the following states, parishes and missions:
Alabama
Saint Elias Maronite Church (Birmingham)
Arizona
Saint Joseph Maronite Church (Phoenix)
California
Saint John Maron Maronite Church (Anaheim)
Our Lady of Lebanon-St Peter Maronite Cathedral (Los Angeles)
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church (Millbrae)
Saint Joseph Maronite Mission (Riverside)
Saint Ephrem Maronite Church (San Diego)
Saint Jude Maronite Mission (West Covina)
Saints Peter and Paul Maronite Mission (San Fernando Valley)
Colorado
Saint Rafka Maronite Church (Denver)
Illinois
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church (Lombard)
Saint Sharbel Maronite Church (Peoria)
Kentucky
Maronite Community (Louisville)
Louisiana
Maronite Community (Baton Rouge)
Michigan
Saint Maron Maronite Cathedral (Detroit)
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church (Flint)
Saint Rafka Maronite Mission (Livonia)
Saint Sharbel Maronite Church (Warren)
Minnesota
Saint Maron Maronite Church (Minneapolis)
Holy Family Maronite Church (Mendota Heights)
Missouri
Saint Raymond Maronite Cathedral (Saint Louis)
Nevada
Saint Sharbel Maronite Mission (Las Vegas)
Ohio
Saint Anthony of Padua Maronite Church (Cincinnati)
Saint Maron Maronite Church (Cleveland)
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Mission (Columbus)
Saint Ignatius Maronite Church (Dayton)
Our Lady of the Cedars of Mt. Lebanon Maronite Church (Fairlawn)
Our Lady of Lebanon National Shrine (North Jackson)
Saint Maron Maronite Church (Youngstown)
Oklahoma
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Mission (Norman)
Saint Therese Maronite Church (Tulsa)
Oregon
Saint Sharbel Maronite Mission (Portland)
Texas
Our Lady’s Maronite Church (Austin)
Saint Anthony of the Desert Maronite Mission (El Paso)
Our Lady of Cedars Maronite Church (Houston)
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church (Lewisville)
Saint George Maronite Church (San Antonio)
Utah
Saint Jude Maronite Church (Murray)
West Virginia
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church (Wheeling)
Maronites who do not reside within a convenient distance to a local Maronite Church are encouraged to attend other Catholic Churches, but they retain their membership in the Maronite Church.
The Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon is an entity pertaining to the Apostolic Maronite Patriarchal Church of Antioch and Bishop Robert J. Shaheen is a member of the Patriarchal Synod of Bishops. In conformity with the CCEO, the Eparchy is under the direct jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff.
Today, the Maronite Church in the United States is very much alive and well with a missionary zeal and an ecumenical spirit. Along with the other Eastern Catholics, the Maronite Church helps make the Catholic Community in the United States truly “catholic,” that is, universal.