Eparchy Leadership

Bishop's Predecessors

Three predecessors shepherded the Maronite faithful in Canada before Bishop Paul-Marwan Tabet, each leaving lasting pastoral and institutional foundations.

Bishop Elias Chahine

1982 - 1990

Born in Ibrine (North Lebanon) on July 20, 1914.

He was ordained priest on March 25, 1939. He was appointed as Maronite Bishop of Canada on August 27, 1982 and ordained on November 7, 1982. He remained in office until November 23, 1990.

He passed away on December 5, 1991.

Bishop Chahine took care of the Maronites in Canada and established the following churches and parishes:

Saint-Charbel Parish in Fredericton.
Saint-Anthony the Great Church in Leamington.
Our Lady of Lebanon Parish in Quebec.
Cathedral of Saint-Maron with a school on Rue de la Misericorde in Montreal.
Our Lady of Lebanon Church in Halifax.
Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Leamington.

Bishop Georges Abi Saber

1990 - 1996

Born in Wadi el Sitt (Chouf, Mount-Lebanon) on May 12, 1923, he joined the Lebanese Maronite Order on January 17, 1940.

He was ordained priest on July 16, 1952 in Strasbourg, France. In 1957, he obtained a doctorate in dogmatic theology in Rome.

In 1962, he was appointed professor of theology at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (Lebanon).

He was ordained Bishop on November 12, 1977 at the Patriarchal See in Bkerke (Lebanon) and appointed Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Latakia (Syria), then Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Canada on December 15, 1990.

He resigned on February 7, 1996 for health reasons. The Holy Father accepted his resignation and appointed Bishop Joseph Khoury as Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy.

He passed away on August 26, 2015.

Bishop Abi-Saber established the following parish:

Saint-Charbel Parish in Oldcastle (Ontario).

Bishop Joseph Khoury

1996 - 2013

Born in Behwaita (North-Lebanon) on November 1, 1936.

He was ordained priest on December 19, 1964. He obtained a doctorate in Canon and Civil Law in Rome.

From 1963 to 1993, he was a member of the Council of the Eastern Churches, and Lawyer at the Rota court from 1969 to 1972.

Ordained Bishop on September 4, 1993, he was appointed as Apostolic Visitor to the Maronites in Europe.

The Holy See entrusted him the mission of Apostolic Administrator of the Saint-Maron Eparchy in Canada on February 5, 1996 and its Ordinary on November 11, 1996.

He resigned on January 10, 2013.

Bishop Khoury established the following institutions:

Saint-Elias Parish in London (ON).
Saint-Charbel Parish in Mississauga (ON).
Saint-Rafqa Parish in Longueuil (QC).
Saint-Joseph Parish in Laval (QC).
The new church at Saint-Peter Parish in Windsor (ON).
Our Lady of Good Help Church in Edmonton (AB).
Our Lady of Peace Church in Calgary (AB).
He acquired the school attached to Saint-Charbel Parish in Ottawa (ON).
He acquired the Cathedral of Saint-Maron in Montreal.