Maronite Parish of Victoria

Maronites of Australia

An Australian Mission

In 1889 the Maronite Patriach saw that the number of Maronites in Australia was large enough to establish a Maronite Mission. Two Priests were chosen to come to Australia, Fr. Abdallah Yazbeck, and Fr. Joseph Dahdah. They arrived in Sydney on 8th May 1893.

Not long after their arrival in 1894 a Maronite chapel was set up in Waterloo and served until 1897, when the new Church was blessed by Cardinal Moran and dedicated in 10th January 1897.

Fr. Yazback died in Sydney 1933, and Monsignor returned to Lebanon in 1936 where he died later that year. They were replaced by Fr. Abdallah Assaf (later Monsignor) who served up until 1960 when he was replaced by Fr. Chukrallah Harb, 1961 (now Archbishop), who remained here for two years before returning to the Vatican in 1963.

St. Marouns Church in Redfern served the growing Maronite population for 70 years. By this time, many Maronites began to move to other metropolitan centres such as Parramatta. A period of growth began however under the direction of Monsignor Peter Ziade who was appointed by the Patriach to replace Fr. Harb in 1963. He assisted Monsignor Trad.

Under Monsignor Ziade from 1963-1973 the following was achieved:

The building of St. Marouns Church, hall, school, and Presbytery at Redfern opening 2nd May 1965.
The purchase of land at Harris Park with the beginning of a hall and a foundation stone laid for Our Lady of Lebanon Church 1970.
The Maronite sisters of the Holy Family established a mission in 1968.
The help to establish of the Lebanese Monks in Sydney.

An Australian Diocese

In October 1973 Archbishop Abdo Khalife was appointed from Rome direct to be the first Bishop of the new Diocese of St. Marouns Sydney, Australia. He was sent to establish and organise a new Maronite Diocese. He called on many Priests to help him, and the first to respond where Frs. Michal Boumelhem, Youssef Touma, Antoun Shalhoub and Nakhle Akiki.

During the 18 years of his ministry from 1973-1991 under Archbishop Abdo Khalife the Diocese achieved the following:

Completion of Our Lady of Lebanon Church, open in 1978.
Purchase of St. Joseph's, Croydon.
Purchase of St. George's, Thornleigh.
Purchase of the Archbishop's Residence at Strathfield.
Establishment of the Antonine Sisters in Melbourne, 1981.
Commencement of Our Lady of Lebanon Hostel, Harris Park.
Purchase of Our Lady of Lebanon Church, Wollongong, NSW.
Purchase of 2 houses in front of Our Lady of Lebanon Church, Harris Park.

Archbishop Khalife finished his term in 1991 and Bishop Hitti inherited the Diocese to 4^th March 1991. Under Bishop Hitti the Maronite Diocese grew even more and the following was achieved:

In 1993 he welcomed the Congregation of Lebanese Maronite Missionaries. Fr. Sarkis Charbel founded the mission in Sydney.
He officially blessed the Child Care Centre at Belmore.
Gave consent to the Maronite Sisters to purchase a nursing home at Dulwich Hill.
He officially blessed Our Lady of Lebanon College and St. Charbel's High School.
Completed work on Our Lady of Lebanon hostel including recent extensions.
Invited the Antonine Monks to begin a mission in Melbourne. The Monks are due to arrive in December 1997.
Blessed the newly built Chancery Office at Strathfield.