Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton
| Eparchy of Newton (Melkite Greek) Eparchia Neotoniensis Graecorum Melkitarum | |
|---|---|
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Coat of arms of the Eparchy of Newton | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Ecclesiastical province | Eastern Catholic Eparchies Immediately Subject to the Holy See |
| Statistics | |
| Population - Catholics |
(as of 2013) 24,000 |
| Parishes | 43 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Melkite Greek Catholic Church |
| Rite | Byzantine Rite |
| Established | January 10, 1966 (49 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Annunciation Cathedral |
| Secular priests | 68 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Patriarch | Gregory III Laham |
| Eparch | Nicholas James Samra |
| Emeritus Bishops | John Elya |
| Website | |
| www.melkite.org | |
The Eparchy of Newton is an eparchy of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic church in communion with the Catholic Church. The eparchy encompasses the entire United States; its current Eparch, Nicholas James Samra, was appointed on June 15, 2011.
History
Early immigration
The first large wave of Melkite immigration from the Middle East to the United States took place in the late 19th century, and the first American Melkite church was established in the 1890s. Because there was no diocesan structure for Melkites in the United States at the time, Melkite parishes were each under the jurisdiction of the local Latin-rite diocesan bishop.[1]
Apostolic exarchate
As the Melkite presence in the United States reached 70 years, the Holy See erected an apostolic exarchate on January 10, 1966 to serve the needs of Melkite Catholics in the country, with the title Apostolic Exarchate of United States of America, Faithful of the Oriental Rite (Melkite).[2] Bishop Justin Najmy (1898–1968), pastor of St. Basil the Great Church in Central Falls, Rhode Island, was designated as the first Exarch.[3] After Bishop Najmy's death, Archbishop Joseph Tawil was appointed his successor in October 1969.
Eparchy
On June 28, 1976, the Exarchate was elevated to the status of an eparchy.[3][4] with the title Eparchy of Newton, and Abp. Tawil became the first Eparch.
The Eparchy
The eparchy is named for the Boston suburb of Newton, where eparchial offices and the bishop's residence were located until approximately 2000. These are now based in the Roslindale section of Boston, Massachusetts, beside the seat of the eparchy, the Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral.
As of 2013, the eparchy consists of approximately 43 parishes and missions throughout the United States. According to a research study published in Sociology of Religion, there were approximately 120,000 Melkites residing in the country in 1986,[5] although only about 24,000 were formally enrolled in Melkite parishes.[6]
Exarch & Eparchs
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Liturgy and worship |
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- Bishop Justin Abraham Najmy Exarch (January 27, 1966–June 11, 1968)
- Archbishop Joseph Tawil (1969–December 2, 1989)
- Bishop Ignatius Ghattas (February 23, 1990–October 11, 1992)
- Bishop John Elya (November 25, 1993–June 22, 2004)
- Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros (June 22, 2004–June 15, 2011)
- Bishop Nicholas James Samra (appointed June 15, 2011)
Parishes
- St. George, Birmingham, Alabama
- St. John of the Desert, Phoenix, Arizona
- Holy Cross, Placentia, California
- St. Anne, North Hollywood, California
- St. Elias, San Jose, California
- St. George, Sacramento, California
- St. Jacob Mission, El Cajon, California
- St. John the Theologian, Oakland, California
- St. Paul, El Segundo, California
- St. Phillip the Apostle, San Bernardino, California
- Virgin Mary, Temecula, California
- St. Ann, Danbury, Connecticut
- St. Ann, Waterford, Connecticut
- St. Jude, Miami, Florida
- St. Nicholas, Delray Beach, Florida
- St. Ignatios of Antioch, Augusta, Georgia
- St. John Chrysostom, Atlanta, Georgia
- St. John the Baptist, Northlake, Illinois
- St. John of Damascus, South Bend, Indiana
- St. Michael the Archangel, Hammond, Indiana
- Cathedral of the Annunciation, Roslindale, Massachusetts
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Worcester, Massachusetts
- St. Joseph, Lawrence, Massachusetts
- Our Lady of Redemption, Warren, Michigan
- St. Joseph the Betrothed, Lansing, Michigan
- St. Michael, Plymouth, Michigan
- Our Lady of the Cedars, Manchester, New Hampshire
- St. Ann, Woodland Park, New Jersey
- St. Demetrius, Cliffside Park, New Jersey
- Christ the Savior, Yonkers, New York
- Church of the Virgin Mary, Brooklyn, New York
- St. Basil, Utica, New York
- St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Rochester, New York
- Holy Resurrection, Columbus, Ohio
- Holy Trinity, Zanesville, Ohio
- St. Elias, Brooklyn, Ohio
- St. Joseph, Akron, Ohio
- St. Joseph, Scranton, Pennsylvania
- St. Basil the Great, Lincoln, Rhode Island
- St. Elias, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
- Holy Family in Exile and the Holy Innocents, Front Royal, Virginia
- Holy Transfiguration, McLean, Virginia
- St. George, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
See also
- List of the Catholic bishops of the United States#Other Eastern Catholic bishops
Notes
- ↑ Macke, Beth (Winter 1993). "Melkite Catholics in the United States". Sociology of Religion (The Association for the Sociology of Religion) 54 (4): 414. doi:10.2307/3711783. ISSN 1069-4404.
- ↑ Paul VI: Const. Apost. Byzantini Melkitarum, AAS 58 (1966), n. 8, S. 563f.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cheney, David. "Eparchy of Newton (Our Lady of the Annunciation in Boston) (Melkite)". Catholic Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
- ↑ Paul VI: Const. Apost. Cum apostolicum, AAS 69 (1977), n. 2, S. 75f.
- ↑ Macke, Beth (Winter 1993). "Melkite Catholics in the United States". Sociology of Religion (The Association for the Sociology of Religion) 54 (4): 413–420. doi:10.2307/3711783. ISSN 1069-4404. JSTOR 3711783.
- ↑ Niebuhr, Gustav (February 16, 1997). "Bishop's Quiet Action Allows Priest Both Flock and Family". The New York Times. p. 1.