Eparchy
An overview of the founding of the Eparchy in Canada, the growth of its structures, and the pastoral realities that shaped its early decades.
Open full sizeFounding context
The founding of the Eparchy in 1982 marked a decisive moment for Maronite life in Canada, followed by the gradual establishment of structures for pastoral care, governance, vocation ministry, tribunal service, communications, and parish life across a vast national territory.
In 1982, the Holy See judged that it was the right moment to intervene with the Maronites of Canada and founded Saint-Maron's Eparchy in Montreal for all of Canada.
The first bishop was Bishop Elias Shahin. Bishop Georges Abi Saber succeeded him in 1990, and after his resignation in 1996, Archbishop Joseph Khoury was appointed Apostolic Administrator before becoming Ordinary Bishop on November 24, 1996.
Bishop Khoury worked to create the necessary structures of central government, revise parish structures, relaunch trust among the faithful, and strengthen relations with the Archdiocese of Montreal as well as with Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim leaders.
On the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1997, the first priestly ordination was conferred in Canada for a Maronite priest who completed his formation at the Seminary of Montreal.
This moment marked a turning point for vocation ministry and for encouraging new local priestly vocations.
During the 1999 annual retreat, the priests of the eparchy renewed their desire for their own church to provide justice to its faithful, especially in family and reconciliation matters.
The Eparchy eventually assembled qualified personnel for its own tribunal, making this institution part of the wider reorganization of the eparchial curia and a pastoral service for the faithful.
The Saint Maron Diocese developed its own information center to promote knowledge of its spiritual and cultural heritage and to strengthen links across the community.
The creation of the eparchy's website and the increasing use of parish computer systems helped communities remain connected across Canada's vast geography.
Direct pastoral action, sacramental life, preaching, and catechesis were presented as central to the eparchy's mission, especially through pastoral visits.
It also identified the major North American challenges facing Maronite faithful, including family pressures, social isolation, mixed marriages, and the broader cultural and religious changes that require renewed pastoral strategy.
The page explains that the Maronite clergy serving Canada came from Lebanon, alongside the presence of the Lebanese Maronite Order in Montreal and the Maronite Order in Ontario.
It emphasizes the effort of the clergy to hold the community together across immense distances and very different pastoral contexts.
Maronite parishes in Canada were described as communities with an immense geographical reach, often dealing with faithful mobility, language questions, and the challenge of maintaining close pastoral relationships over large territories.
Pastoral, social, and cultural activities included catechesis, choirs, youth movements, parish associations, preparation for the sacraments, and Arabic-language teaching at the parish level.