“From the top of the cedar, from the highest branch I will take a shoot and plant it myself on a very high mountain, this branch will bear fruit and become a noble cedar.” (Ezkiel 17:22-26)
The essence of our Parish history is best captured by this verse. Our St Charbel Parish is truly a ‘Noble Cedar’, one that has and will always continue to bear fruit.
Fathers Antoine Merheb and Yousef Boutros Al-Chaar to serve the Maronite community in Adelaide together with Father Boulos Ziade who was at the time in Sydney. Fathers Antoine Merheb and Youssef Boutros Al-Chaar arrived in Sydney on 6th February 1972. Their mission was to serve the Maronite Immigrants in Australia.
When the monks arrived in Adelaide they found that Father Yousef Ndaira had already established himself as the parish priest. As a result, Fathers Antoine Merheb, Yousef Boutros Al-Chaar and Boulos Ziade decided to return to Sydney in order to avoid a division in the Adelaide Maronite community. On the 15th June 1972, these monks were ordered by the Sacred Congregation of the Oriental Churches to establish a monastic group in Sydney working under the direction of Monsignor Boutros Ziade.
Plans for the church building were submitted to Bankstown City Council on 8th August 1972. Permission for building a church was granted by the council on the 6th December 1972.
On the 6th February 1973, the monks received the key to the house. An emotional celebration took place. This was to be the first of many fruits that our parish, our ‘Noble Cedar’, would bear.
The first mass in this house took place on 3rd March 1973. This is a Maronite community of Sydney, a parish that we are proud of.
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