St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church

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Who are we?

First and foremost Maronites are Antiochene – where Christ’s followers “were called Christians for the first time” (Acts 11:26). Maronites share an historical, liturgical and spiritual heritage with all the other Catholic and Orthodox Antiochene Churches. Maronites are also heirs of Syriac cultural and religious heritage, whose language, poetry, and hymnody were the means used to express the mystery that God is beyond all descriptions yet has come close to us in Christ.

Second, Maronites are Chalcedonian, meaning they were staunch supporters of the Council of Chalcedon, convened in 451 A.D., which taught that Jesus was true God and true man. In this formula Maronites found a balance, and way of life that placed them forever in the communion of the universal Church.

Third, the Maronite Church is a Patriarchal and Monastic Church. Saint Maron was a hermit-priest. The first Maronites were monks, priests and laity associated with the monasteries of Saint Maron in the 5th - 8th centuries. Maronites have a cherished history known for an ascetical life of sacrifice and devotion.

Fourth, the Maronite Church is known for Her love and devotion to the See of Peter in Rome. This relationship has allowed Maronites to fully express the Catholic faith held from the beginning, and at the same time be part of the balance between East and West.

Fifth, the Maronite Church is tied to Lebanon, Her spiritual homeland and the land of Her Patriarch and people. Maronites take great pride in the joint accomplishment of the Muslim-Christian co-existence, which today we call Lebanon.

(From "The Maronite Catholic Church," Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn)

Therefore our proper title is:

Saint Joseph Antiochene Syriac Maronite Catholic Church

On the mountains of Lebanon, in this mystical land, in these deep valleys, among these white mountains,in the land of honey and milk, in the nation of the Cedar and the Alphabet, in the Phoenician land, there the Maronite Church, the smallest of all the churches, has grown like a mustard seed and became a tree,so that several churches and denominations have come to be sheltered in its branches. The history of the Maronites was sealed by persecution and martyrdom for the sake of Faith, Freedom, and Independence.

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Home Away from Home: Maronites in the United States

A history of the Maronite Church and its North American faithful.

Chorbishop Seely Beggiani

In the last two decades of the 19th century, Maronite Catholics had already established themselves on
both coasts of the United States – indeed, throughout the country. Although some had come from Syria
and other parts of the Middle East, most Maronites had arrived from Lebanon.

Several factors had influenced their decision to emigrate to the New World. Lebanon in the late 19th century was ruled by pashas appointed by the Ottoman sultan. While some pashas were moderate, the repressive policies of others led to political, economic and religious tensions.

Although deeply attached to their native land, the Maronites had little reason to remain there. Between 1900 and 1914, one-fourth of Lebanon’s population, about 100,000 people, most of them Christian, had emigrated, first to Egypt and later to all parts of the globe. Significant numbers left for Argentina, Australia, Canada, Central America and various parts of the African continent, especially South Africa. The largest number of Lebanese Christians settled in the U.S. and Brazil.