Authored by:     Chorbishop Msgr. Gregory Mansour Protosyncellus Chancellor

History of The Maronite Church in the USA Immigration of Maronite faithful from the Middle East to the Unites States began during the later part of the nineteenth century.   When the faithful were able to obtain a priest, communities were established as parishes under the jurisdiction of the local Latin Bishops.   Pope Paul, VI, 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 was appointed the first bishop in a decree of the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches dated January 27, 1966.   The See city was Detroit, Michigan with a Cathedral under the patronage of Saint Maron.   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, with the name of Eparchy of Saint Maron of Detroit.

With a decree from the Sacred Congregation of the Eastern Churches dated June 27, 1977, the See of the Eparchy of Saint Maron was transferred to Brooklyn, New York, with the Cathedral under the patronage of Our Lady of Lebanon.   The name of the Eparchy was modified to Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn.

With the Apostolic Constitution Omnium Catholicorum of March 1, 1994, a second Eparchy for Maronites in the United States was established:     The Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.   The Most Reverend John George Chedid, former Auxiliary Bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Maron, was appointed the first Eparchial Bishop with the Cathedral under the patronage of Our Lady of Mount Lebanon.   Bishop Chedid was enthroned on June 24, 1994 by Patriarch His Beatitude Nasrallah Peter Sfeir.  

The territory of the newly established Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles is comprised of:
34 Midwest, Southern, and Western (U.S.) States -- including
• 31 parishes and missions
• a convent of nuns
• a monastery of monks, and
• a Shrine to Our Lady of Lebanon.

On November 23, 1996, His Holiness, Pope John Paul, II, accepted the resignation of Archbishop Francis M. Zayek, who had reached the canonical age for retirement, and appointed Chorbishop Hector Doueihi second Bishop for the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn.

On January 11, 1997, Bishop Stephen Hector Doueihi was consecrated Bishop at Harissa, Lebanon and on February 5, 1997 was enthroned as the Bishop of St. Maron of Brooklyn, which includes:

• 38 parishes and missions
• a Maronite Seminary in Washington, DC
• a monastery
• a convent of religious nuns.

His Excellency, Most Reverend + Robert J. Shaheen

On December 5, 2000, the Holy Father accepted the resignation due to canonical age of Bishop Chedid, and appointed Chorbishop Robert Shaheen as second Bishop of The Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.     +Robert Joseph Shaheen was ordained by the Maronite Patriarch, Nasrallah Peter Sfeir, in the Cathedral Basilica of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.     [ ENTHRONEMENT ] First American-born Maronite Bishop ] In attendance were fifteen(15) Bishops from Lebanon, Canada, and Mexico.     [, Feb. 15, 2001 ]

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.

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For Additional Information -- E-mail:   eparchy@aol.com
Chorbishop Gregory Mansour, Eparchial Chancellor.