Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton

Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton (in Latin: Eparchia Neotoniensis Graecorum Melkitarum) 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.

Territory and statistics

Melkite Eparchy of Newton has jurisdiction over all Melkite faithful in United States of America. Its eparchial seat is the city of Newton, near Boston, where is located the Our Lady of Annunciation Cathedral; in Los Angeles is located the Saint Anne co-cathedral.

In 2013 there were 24,000 Melkite Catholics subdivided in 43 parishes.

History

Stained glass window at the Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral in Roslindale, Massachusetts depicting Christ Enthroned in the regalia of a Byzantine emperor

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

Annunciation Cathedral

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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1. Bishop Justin Abraham Najmy Exarch (January 27, 1966–June 11, 1968)
2. Archbishop Joseph Tawil (1969–December 2, 1989)
3. Bishop Ignatius Ghattas (February 23, 1990–October 11, 1992)
4. Bishop John Elya (November 25, 1993–June 22, 2004)
5. Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros (June 22, 2004–June 15, 2011)
6. Bishop Nicholas James Samra (appointed June 15, 2011)

Parishes

• St. George, Birmingham, Alabama
• St. John of the Desert, Phoenix, Arizona
• Annunciation Mission, Covina, California
• 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

External links

• Eparchy of Newton official website
• Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral
• Catholic-Hierarchy entry on the Eparchy of Newton
• Official site of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch
• gcatholic.org