© Copyright St. Elias Maronite Church • 836 8th Street South,
Birmingham, Alabama 35205 • 205-252-3867
205.251.5057
The Maronite Faith
The Maronite Church is one of the twenty-
two churches which form the one universal
Catholic Church. A Church is a community
of faith having a distinct tradition of
theology, spirituality, liturgy, hierarchy,
and canon law. At the same time, each
church enjoys autonomy and
independence from its sister churches. All
of the churches are united in the same
profession of Faith, in the same seven
Sacraments, and in union with the Holy
Father. The different traditions evolved
from five centers of Christianity where the
apostles preached – Jerusalem, Antioch,
Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome.
The Maronite Church evolved from the
Antioch tradition in the 5th century. The
first Maronites were direct descendants of
the people who had received the Faith
from the Apostle, Peter. The father of the
Maronite Church was a holy monk and
hermit, Maron, who lived from 350-410
AD. Maron’s life was one of piety and
dedication to the simple life of prayer and
meditation. These traits of His holiness
attracted many to join him and to convert
others to Christianity through the
spreading of the Gospel. The Maronite
Patriarchate was initiated by the election
of John Maron in 686 AD and has
continued to the present Patriarch –
Beshara Peter Al-Rahi.
Late in the seventh century, due to
religious persecution and heresy, the
Maronite monks became obliged to seek
refuge in Lebanon, where St. Maron’s
relics were transferred to the Patriarchal
residence in Kafarhai. In 1130, they were
moved to the Cathedral in Foligno, Italy,
and the relics were returned to Lebanon in
January 2000.
The Maronite tradition was brought to the
United States in the early 1900’s with the
immigration of many Maronites from
Lebanon. Archbishop Francis M. Zayek was
the first Maronite hierarch in the United
States, sent in 1966 to establish the
Maronite Exarchate. The Eparchy (diocese)
of St. Maron was established in 1972, and
the The Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
was established in 1994. There are over
80 Maronite parishes and several missions
in the United States.
The Maronite liturgy is known as the
Syriac liturgy of Antioch, ascribed to St.
James the Less, “brother of the Lord,”
Apostle and the first Bishop of Jerusalem.
The ritual formulation expresses the spirit
of Eastern monasticism. The liturgical
languages used in the Maronite Liturgy are
Syriac – close to Aramaic, the language
spoken by Christ, and the vernacular,
which is English in the United States. The
words of consecration are always chanted
in Syriac. Incense is used during the
Liturgy to signify that our prayers go
heavenward to God as the sweet-smelling
smoke of incense rises up. Communion is
received by intinction, after the priest dips
the Host into the Chalice. Maronites
cultivate profound adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament, seeing in the Holy Eucharist
the Risen Christ, who sent to us the
Sanctifying Spirit. They are also deeply
devoted to Mary, the Mother of the Light,
hailing her strength and fidelity in the title
of “Cedar of Lebanon."