Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton

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Eparchy of Newton (Melkite Greek)

Eparchia Neotoniensis Graecorum Melkitarum
Coat of arms of the Eparchy of Newton.svg
Coat of arms of the Eparchy of Newton
Location
CountryUnited States
TerritoryUnited States
Ecclesiastical provinceEastern Catholic Eparchies Immediately Subject to the Holy See
Statistics
Population
- Catholics (including non-members)		(as of 2013)
24,000
Parishes43
Information
DenominationMelkite Greek Catholic Church
RiteByzantine Rite
EstablishedJanuary 10, 1966 (55 years ago)
CathedralAnnunciation Cathedral
Co-cathedralSt Anne Cathedral
Secular priests68
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
PatriarchYoussef Absi
EparchNicholas Samra
Website
melkite.org

Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton (in Latin: Eparchia Neotoniensis Graecorum Melkitarum) is an eparchy of the sui iuris Melkite Greek Catholic Church, a Byzantine rite, Eastern Catholic church in communion with the Holy See and therefore part of the worldwide Catholic Church. The eparchy encompasses the entire United States.

The current eparchial bishop, Bishop Nicholas James Samra, was appointed in 2011.

History[]

Stained glass window at the Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral in West Roxbury, 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 individually under the jurisdiction of the local Latin Church 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] Archmandrite Justin Najmy (1898–1968), pastor of St. Basil the Great Church in Central Falls, Rhode Island, was designated as the first Exarch by Pope Paul VI on January 27, 1966.[3]

The appointment of Najmy as exarch at first drew protest from the Melkite patriarch Maximos IV, because he and the Synod of the Melkite Church had chosen a different candidate, and the appointment, decided by the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches, made the new Exarch subject to the Holy See, and only responsible to the Patriarch and the Synod in liturgical matters.[4]

After Bishop Najmy's death in 1968, controversy about the appointment of Melkite bishops in the United States resumed. Patriarch Maximos V appointed an administrator for the exarchate, against the wishes of the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches, and he and the Synod contended that the Vatican II Decree on the Eastern Churches had cancelled previous church law, under which appointments were made exclusively by the Pope. Archbishop Joseph Tawil, the Patriarchal Vicar of Damascus, was appointed Najmy's successor in October 1969, in a procedure the Patriarch described as a compromise.[4]

Eparchy[]

On June 28, 1976, the Exarchate was elevated to the status of an eparchy.[3][5] with the title Eparchy of Newton, and Archbishop Tawil became the first Eparch.

Later migration[]

While the children and grandchildren of the earlier waves of Melkite immigrants to the U.S. became increasingly assimilated into American culture, the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries saw, for a variety of reasons (e.g., economic, sectarian), new waves of Melkite immigrants hailing from traditional Middle-eastern homelands.[6][7][8] Additionally, within the U.S., many older generations of Melkites began to retire and moving to Sun Belt states. These two phenomena combined help account for the growth of new Melkite missions and "outreaches."

Structure[]

Annunciation Cathedral

The seat of the Eparchy is Our Lady of the Annunciation Cathedral in the West Roxbury section of Boston. The Eparchy is named for the Boston suburb of Newton, where its offices and the bishop's residence had been located until Bishop John Elya sold to private developers two of the three major eparchial properties in the Boston area. In 2015, Pope Francis designated Saint Anne Church in Los Angeles as a co-cathedral.[9] It is often home to Bishop Samra for several months of the year as he visits the Melkite churches in the western portion of the United States.

The eparchy has jurisdiction over all the Melkite faithful in the United States, and there are parishes, missions, "outreaches," and the like, in twenty states, none outside of the continental U.S.[10]

According to a research study published in Sociology of Religion, there were approximately 120,000 Melkites residing in the country in 1986,[11] although only about 24,000 were formally enrolled in Melkite parishes.[12] In 2013 there were 24,000 Melkite Catholics in 43 parishes. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops reports that, as of 2018, there were 21,691 registered Melkites in the U.S., ranking it among the smallest 25% of Eastern Catholic groups.[13] The number of active Melkites is considered to be significantly lower, as it the case with most other religious groups, especially highly-ethnic denominations.[14][15][16] The discrepancy between a large number of canonical Melkites in the U.S. and the relatively small number of Melkite parishes, as well as decreasing numbers of attendees in many of those parishes, suggest to some that Melkites are assimilating into other denominations or, perhaps, not affiliating at all.[17]

Seminary and Vocations programs[]

In 1975, Archbishop Tawil founded a seminary program for the eparchy, after the Basilian Salvatorian Fathers -- who had originally been charged with the formation of Melkite eparchial clergy -- closed their program in Methuen. Salvatorian students subsequently enrolled at Weston School of Theology, then in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Eparchial students matriculated at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts and received supplemental instruction from eparchial clergy. The next year the eparchy purchased a house in Newton Centre, Massachusetts as a residence and house of studies for its seminarians, and named it St. Gregory Seminary.[18] Eventually, Bishop John Elya sold the complex—along with the former chancery offices and bishop's residence in West Newton—to a private developer, at which time the chancery and bishop's residence relocated to an area adjacent to the cathedral.

Seminarians are now trained at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh.

Following ancient Christian tradition the eparchy counts among its clergy both celibate and married priests and deacons.[19]

The vocation office is co-located with the Melkite church in Atlanta, Georgia[20]

Other Offices and Functions[]

The Judicial vicar/Tribunal is co-located with St. Ignatios Church in Augusta, Georgia.

The Economos is co-located with St. Ann Church in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

Office of Educational Services provides "catechetical materials and training programs for the parishes of the eparchy."[21]

Sophia Press publishes liturgical and prayer books, as well as biographies, histories, and other texts of Melkite interest.[22]

OES Publications publishes booklets for sacramental preparation and spiritual development.[23]

Sophia is the quarterly magazine of the eparchy.[24]

Lay organizations[]

Bishop Ignatius Ghattas founded the Order of Saint Nicholas in 1991, a regional lay order attached to the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton.[25] This program is currently undergoing a revitalization under the current eparchial bishop.

Melkite Ambassadors is an organization for those in their mid-20s to aged 40. It is for those "who want to participate in advocacy, catechesis mentorship, community life, community service, leadership development, and prayer."[26]

Melkite Association of Young Adults (MAYA) is social and spiritual group for those who are aged 18 and at least one year out of high school to their mid-20s. This group is active at the local parish level and nationally when conventions are held.[27]

National Association of Melkite Women (NAMW) is open to any female aged 17 and older. This group supports Melkite seminarians and vocations.[28]

National Association of Melkite Youth (NAMY) is a "religious, social, educational, humanitarian" group for Melkite youth aged 13 to 18.[29]

Society of Publicans is a fellowship of Melkite faithful united in daily prayer.[30]

Bishops[]

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Ordinaries[]

  1. Bishop Justin Abraham Najmy (January 27, 1966–June 11, 1968); Exarch
  2. Archbishop Joseph Tawil (October 30, 1969–December 2, 1989); Exarch until June 1976; then Eparch
  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 Auxiliary Bishop April 21, 1989; retired 2005; appointed Eparch June 15, 2011)

Bishop Najmy through Archbishop Bustros all hailed from the Middle East, with Bishop Samra being the only American-born bishop. Bishop Samra, upon reaching age 75, is thought to have submitted to the pope a letter requesting retirement. As of the 2021 Melkite Synod, neither the Holy See nor the synod is thought to have yet taken action on electing or naming Bishop Samra's successor.

Clergy Serving in the Episcopacy on Special Assignment Outside the Diocese[]

Other notable priests[]

  • Rev. Emmanuel Charles McCarthy,[32][33] Advocate for peace and non-violence. Having been ordained by the Melkite patriarch in Damascus, he is not a priest of the Eparchy of Newton but simply resides within it.

Parish locator[]

Parish City State
Seattle WA
Birmingham AL
Phoenix AZ
Annunciation Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral West Roxbury MA
Covina CA
Houston TX
Placentia CA
St. Anne Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral North Hollywood CA
Lincoln NE
San Jose CA
Sacramento CA
Temecula CA
San Bernardino CA
El Segundo CA
St. John the Theologian Melkite Greek Catholic-former church Oakland CA
San Diego CA
Danbury CT
Waterford CT
St. Jude Melkite Greek Catholic Church Miami FL
Delray Beach FL
Augusta GA
Atlanta GA
Northlake IL
St. John of Damascus Melkite Greek Catholic Church-Former Church South Bend IN
Worcester MA
Lawrence MA
Warren MI
Lansing MI
Plymouth MI
Manchester NH
Woodland Park NJ
Cliffside Park NJ
Yonkers NY
Brooklyn NY
Utica NY
Rochester NY
Columbus OH
Zanesville OH
Cleveland OH
Akron OH
Scranton PA
Lincoln RI
St. Elias Melkite Greek Catholic Church-Former Woonsocket RI
McLean VA
Southern Orange Country Area Greek Melkite Catholics at Saint Kilian’s Church Mission Viejo CA
St. George Melkite Greek Catholic Church Milwaukee WI

Religious orders[]

There is a community of the Basilian Salvatorian Order in Methuen, Massachusetts, with their own regional superior for the U.S. and Canada. There are currently several Basilian clergy serving in parishes of the eparchy. A community of religious sisters, the Community of the Mother of God of Tenderness, is based in Danbury, Connecticut.

See also[]

  • List of the Catholic bishops of the United States#Other Eastern Catholic bishops

Notes[]

  1. ^ 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. JSTOR 3711783.
  2. ^ vatican.va, AAS 58 (1966), n. 8, S. 563f.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Cheney, David. "Eparchy of Newton (Our Lady of the Annunciation in Boston) (Melkite)". Catholic Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Philip A. Khairallah (1986). "The Ecumenical Vocation of the Melkite Church" (PDF). St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly. 30 (3): 197–206. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  5. ^ vatican.va
  6. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_Middle_East
  7. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_immigration_to_the_United_States
  8. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_emigration
  9. ^ "For Melkite Catholics, a new co-cathedral in Los Angeles". Georgia Bulletin. June 25, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  10. ^ Parish Locator
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Niebuhr, Gustav (February 16, 1997). "Bishop's Quiet Action Allows Priest Both Flock and Family". The New York Times. p. 1.
  13. ^ USCCB: Eastern Catholic Churches in the United States
  14. ^ Pew Research Center: In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace
  15. ^ Hartford Institute for Religion Research
  16. ^ GOAA Office of Interfaith Marriage
  17. ^ https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/eastern-catholic-churches/melkite-greek-catholic-church/melkite-migration
  18. ^ Mark Melone (Summer 2012). "Archimandrite Charles Aboody Celebrates 50 Years of Priestly Ministry" (PDF): 4–5. Retrieved August 13, 2016. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. ^ Ignatius, William (November 13, 2001). "Melkite Catholic Church to Ordain Married Men to the Priesthood in the US". Catholic Online.
  20. ^ Vocations
  21. ^ Office of Educational Services
  22. ^ Sophia Press
  23. ^ OES Publications
  24. ^ Sophia Journal
  25. ^ "» the Order of St. Nicholas".
  26. ^ Melkite Ambassadors
  27. ^ MAYA
  28. ^ NAMW
  29. ^ NAMY
  30. ^ Publicans
  31. ^ Resignations and Appointments, 25.02.2020
  32. ^ Blessed are the Peacemakers by Michael Battle, pg 181
  33. ^ Child's Close Call Aided Nun's Way To Sainthood by LAURIE GOODSTEIN Published in The New York Times of October 11, 1998

External links[]

Coordinates: 42°17′51.03″N 71°08′03.7″W / 42.2975083°N 71.134361°W / 42.2975083; -71.134361

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