St. Maroun's Cathedral, also called St Maron's Cathedral, is a Maronite rite Eastern Catholic Church cathedral and church, located in the suburb of Redfern, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

St. Maroun's Cathedral is the main church of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney (Eparchia Sancti Maronis Sydneyensis Maronitarum). Saint Maroun's was first established on 10 January 1897. The Eparchy, itself, was created by Pope Paul VI later in 1973 through the papal bull, Illo fretis Concilii. The administration of the Eparchy is overseen by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

The first Maronite priests to arrive in Sydney were Father Abdallah Yazbek and Father Joseph Dahdah, arriving on 8 May 1893. The then Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal Moran permitted them to initially celebrate mass at Saint Vincent De Paul located on Redfern Street in Redfern and Our Lady of Mount Carmel located on Kellick Street in Waterloo.

Saint Maroun's Cathedral is the seat of current Epoch Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, OLM.

Religious services at Saint Maroun's Cathedral are delivered in English and Arabic, as well as the liturgical language of the Maronite Church, being ancient Syro-Aramaic.

History Roots The Maronites trace their beginnings to Saint Maroun (also called St Maron) who led a monastic life in the fourth century in Syria. Maronite clergy preached the Christian gospel in the mountains of North Lebanon where the Maronite Christian community grew. The Maronite diaspora has since spread to many countries throughout the world, including Australia.

Lebanese migration to Australia first took place in around the early 1800s.

The first Maronite priests to arrive in Sydney were Father Abdallah Yazbek and Father Joseph Dahdah, arriving on 8 May 1893 to serve the growing Maronite community in Australia. The then Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal Moran permitted them to initially celebrate mass at Saint Vincent De Paul in Redfern and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Waterloo.

In 1894, the Maronite community, with the encouragement of Father Yazbek and Father Dahdah, leased the top floor of a premises in Raglin Street, Waterloo for approximately 2 years and this was used for church services, and as a meeting place for the growing Maronite community in and around Redfern.Handwritten letter by Father Abdallah Yazbek titled "How I arrived to Australia and the time I spent during the time of His Beatitude, Holiness, Eminence, Youhanna Boutros El Hajj, Patriarch of Antioch and All The East", undated, translated from Arabic to English, held in the archives of Saint Maroun's Church at Redfern.

First building In 1895, the premises at 621 Elizabeth Street, Redfern, NSW, 2016 was purchased for 600 pounds. The construction of the original Saint Maroun's Church commenced in about 1896 and was completed in early 1897. Saint Maroun's Church was officially consecrated and opened on 10 January 1897, with the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal Patrick Moran, celebrating mass along with Father Yazbek and Father Dahdah.

The original Church consisted of rendered lime brick construction with the exterior painted a light grey color. The Church also featured a small bell-tower which sat on top of the front entrance or archway.

Saint Maroun's Cathedral was initially known as "Saint Maroun's Church" rather than "Saint Maroun's Cathedral". Saint Maroun's was initially a church and not the seat of a bishop. The first Maronite Bishop of Australia was elected in 1973 with the establishment, through the papal bull, Illo fretis Concilii, of the Eparchy of Saint Maroun. Accordingly, "Saint Maroun's Church" officially became "Saint Maroun's Cathedral" from 25 June 1973 with the appointment of Bishop Ignace Abdo Khalife as the first Maronite Bishop for the Eparchy.

Current site and church In 1963, Father Peter Ziade (later Monsignor Ziade) was commissioned by then Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir to travel to Sydney, Australia as the new parish priest for the Maronite community. Father Ziade left Lebanon on 10 September 1963 and arrived in Sydney on 11 September 1963 to begin his tenure, replacing Father Chuchrallah Harb.

The Maronite community in Australia (particularly in Sydney) continued to grow from the early migration wave which had begun in about the early 1800s. The community had experienced a plateau in migration with the introduction of the White Australia Policy which came into force in the early 1900s, however this was relaxed in the 1920s. The Maronite community grew from an estimated 5,000 members in about 1950 to around 25,000 by 1970.

Given their growing number, there was a need within the community for the expansion of pastoral care and church space. Father Ziade, reflecting on the construction of the new Saint Maroun's church, and the size of the original Saint Maroun's Church, described the situation as follows: "The former little church was so small there was no place for everybody to sit so some stood outside under the rain in winter and in sunshine in the summer."

In 1965, the Maronite community of Sydney raised funds for the purchase of the adjacent property at 627 Elizabeth Street, Redfern, NSW 2016 (which was then used as an auto-repair shop) in the hope of establishing a new larger church to meet the needs of the Maronite community.

The then-Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal Gilroy and Father Ziade celebrated Holy Mass and laid the foundation stone for the new church on 1 March 1964 on the south side of the corner of the (then-vacant) land located at 627 Elizabeth Street, Redfern, NSW, 2016. Construction of the new Saint Maroun's Church at 627 Elizabeth Street, Redfern was completed in about April 1965.

The official opening and consecration of the new Saint Maroun's Church took place on 2 May 1965. Then Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal Gilroy and Father Ziade presided over the mass.

The current Saint Maroun's Cathedral stands on the site of the former auto-repair shop, with the current Saint Maroun's Church Hall now standing on the site of the original church built in 1897.

Current status The parish of Saint Maroun's now comprises three locations at which church services are conducted for members of the Maronite community as follows:

Saint Maroun's Cathedral at Redfern, Sunday Mass at 10AM in Arabic and English; Saint Maroun's College at Dulwich Hill, Sunday Mass at 8:30AM in Arabic; Our Lady of Lourdes Church at Earlwood, Sunday Mass at 5:30PM Family Mass.

The current parish ministry team is made up of:

Father Maroun Elkazzi, Parish Administrator and Priest; Father Geoffrey Abdallah, Dean of the Cathedral and Priest; Father Ron Hassarati, Assistant Priest; Father Bernard Assi, Assistant Priest. Saint Maroun's Cathedral Redfern remains the main church of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney.

Historic documents

The document depicted is a significant historical document in the history of the Maronite Church in Australia. It is a handwritten letter by Father Abdallah Yazbek who, along with Father Joseph Dahdah, were the first Maronite priests to arrive in Australia, arriving in Sydney on 8 May 1893.

The letter is handwritten in Arabic and recounts Father Yazbek's travels and journey from Lebanon to Australia and his arrival, along with Father Dahdah, in Sydney, Australia in 1893. The document is the English translation of Father Yazbek's letter recounting his journey from Lebanon to Australia and the purchase and building of the first Maronite Church in Australia in 1897, being Saint Maroun's Redfern.

The letter also recounts the early struggles of the priests as they sought to establish a place of worship for their community in Sydney. It refers to the use of the property in Raglan Street, Redfern, as well as the use of the churches of Saint Vincent's, Redfern and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo.

The letter is dated and signed 10 January 1897 very shortly after the church was purchased and built.

Extracts from the (translated) text of the letter are set out below:

Title: How I arrived to Australia and the time I spent during the time of His Beatitude, Holiness, Eminense, Youhanna Boutros El Hajj, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

Extracts from Text:

"His Grace Bishop Elias El Houaik, Patriarchal Vicar, and currently enjoying the See of Antioch, asked me whether I would like to travel to Australia, to serve the Maronite parishoners, on 25 December 1892...I advised him of my acceptance...He then advised me that there are two priests, Father Boulos Mattar from Lahfd and Father Youssef El Dahdah, and asked me which one of them I would like to have with me. I asked for Father Youssef El Dahdah...Subsequently we went to Beirut and from there to Port Saed..."

...

"When we arrived to Sydney on 8 May 1893, we were received at the Port by members of the Maronite Parish. That same day one of them went with us for interpreting, he is Antisfalous Morad, to meet His Beaitude Bishop Youssef Higgins. We presented him with the delegations and publications which we have from his Eminence, clarifying his intention and the permission from the Congregation for the Evangalisation of People...We provided His Beatitude, Cardinal Moran, with the letter... [Cardinal Moran] authorised us to celebrate Mass, and delegated us to hold the Religious Obligations for our Maronite people on Sunday at Saint Vincent in Redfern, and on Saturday at Mount Carmel...We continued for more than one year and until we leased a place in Raglin Street Waterloo, pursuant to a decree from His Eminence. We used the top floor as a temporary church, where we celebrated the Eucharist and religious obligations, it was consecrated by a decree from His Grace Bishop Higgins. We remained in it for approximately three years. During that period...the Cardinal gave us the required permission to...collect donations from the faithful, in order to build a Church and subsequently to purchase a place to build a Church...When the Church was built, His Eminence the Cardinal consecrated it on 10 January 1897."

The document is the original handwritten purchase deed and bank loan from the London Bank of Australia located at Pitt and Market Streets, Sydney.

The document is dated 20 January 1897 and names Reverend A. Yazbek (Father Abdallah Yazbek) and Reverend Joseph Dahdah (Father Youssef Dahdah) as the named borrowers. The bank representative is named as Mr. T. M. Slattery.

The document records the purchase price and other fees towards the purchase of the original Saint Maroun's Church located at 621 Elizabeth Street, Redfern, NSW, 2016.

The document also records payments made towards the loan by both Father Yazbek and Father Dahdah from funds raised by the Maronite congregation.

The document is held in the archive of Saint Maroun's Redfern.

The document is a notice/invitation that was published in The Freeman's Journal on 9 January 1897 issuing an open invitation to the opening of the new Church of Saint Maroun's on Sunday, 10 January 1897.

The notice which appears at the top left corner of page 15 of The Freeman's Journal edition published on Saturday, 9 January 1897 reads as follows:

"The Maronite church, Redfern.

Father Joseph Dahdah (Maronite Missionary) has issued invitations for the opening of the new church, "St. Maroun's," in Elizabeth-street, Redfern, which is to take place next Sunday at half-past three. His Eminence the Cardinal is to officiate."

The reference to "His Eminence the Cardinal" is a reference to the then-Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal Patrick Moran who consecrated the church and celebrated mass along with Father Yazbek and Father El Dahdah on Sunday, 18 January 1897.

The Freeman's Journal was a newspaper founded in 1850 by William Lane an served Sydney's Catholic community for news, opinion and analysis and covered local, national and international events.

Redfern Park Commemorative Plaque