On July 20, 1936, Archbishop Hajjar of Harissa placed the consecrated Lamb (altar bread particle) into the hands of the newly-ordained Father Joseph Elias Tawil (now Eparch Emeritus) and repeated the words said to every newly-ordained priest, "Take This and guard It until the second coming of Christ when He will ask you to give an account of It. " Little did the twenty-three year old Fr. Joseph realize that That which was placed in his hands would someday encompass the faithful from Damascus to Egypt and finally the United States!
The actual Body of Christ contained in the sancti-fied bread is, in a sense, the larger body of Christ made up of each member of His Church. Therefore, Archbishop Tawil's charge given to him over the years was and is every soul with whom he came and comes into contact during his ministry. From his early days as teacher, Dean and then President of the Patriarchal College in Cairo, Egypt, he experienced administration being put to the test.
His colleagues, Archbishop Neophytus Edelby of Aleppo, our present Patriarch Maximos V Hakim, and the late Archimandrite Orestes Kerame joined with him in forming what was later to be known as "the Cairo School " which committed itself to a return to a purer approach of Melkite adherence to its Byzantine and Antiochene origins.

From 1954-1960, he served as Patriarchal Vicar at Alexandria, Egypt. He was ordained Bishop on January 1, 1960 by the late beloved Patriarch Maximos IV Sayegh. From 1960-1969, he served as Patriarchal Vicar at Damascus, Syria.
It was during that last year that things began to change drastically for Archbishop Joseph. On October 13, 1969, he was named by Pope Paul VI as the Apostolic Exarch for the Melkites in the United States of America. His reluctance and begging of the Holy Synod to change its selection of him was in vain for it resulted finally in his courageous acceptance to pick up the omophorion (Bishop's stole) of the late beloved Bishop Justin Najmy and to shepherd the American flock. His fears about being in a strange country began with an informal gathering of priests and seminarians huddled upstairs in the Cathedral rectory. With the late Fr. Albert Gorayeb, of happy memory, translating from the Archbishop's Arabic, the Archbishop himself shared these thoughts: "We have, because of unfortunate events, become small in stature in the eyes of the other churches. Our historical prominence, recognized throughout the world, has been diminished. What pride we enjoyed by being catalysts for change at, the Vatican II Council has been tainted by a lack of focus on our real goals. We must work together for a single purpose. We must close ranks with each other as one hand fits the other."
With his installation in our beloved Annunciation Cathedral and Mother Church of the Diocese on March 15, 1970, he began his work as a father among his American children. "The Courage to be Ourselves," his famous Christmas Pastoral of that year remained the foundation of his vision for the years to come. He established himself as a well-respected spokesperson for the Eastern Churches in the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He worked diligently through our Patriarchal See of Antioch and the Venerable See of Rome to sometimes forcibly regain abandoned churches, properties and bank accounts acquired by others. His determination realized the transfer of all deeds of our then-existing parishes from Roman dioceses to the ownership of the American Melkite Exarchate and led to his being appointed the U.S. Melkite Eparch on June 28, 1976. Archbishop Joseph's deep concern for the growth of our community led to the founding of a monastery, for monks and a community sisters, and the establishment of churches and missions in locales where he saw enclaves of Melkite families. Our beloved father's quest to gather his people and keep them informed on a national level resulted in his establishing a diocesan publication "Sophia " in 1971. The Archbishop put together the first Eastern Catholic program in all of North America to train Deacons as part of the ministry of our Church. Travelling from one coast to the other to physically be present with his flock, scattered throughout this country, endeared him to the hearts of all.
His formation of a Diocesan Pastoral Council and a mandate for our parishes to return to our ancient practice of parish advisory councils became a vanguard for Roman parishes in the United States to follow suit. His foresight saw the need of establishing the Diocesan Seminary of St. Gregory the Theologian in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, closer to the hub of the theological schools in Boston as an outgrowth and continuation of the first and very productive training ground of St. Basil Seminary in Methuen. Our diocesan accomplishments, some highlighted, some not, both large and small, all had the stamp of our beloved Eparch Emeritus, Sayedna Joseph. Who, in 1936, would have thought that the footsteps of the young Fr. Joseph from Damascus would eventually lead him some thirty-three years later to the shores of America? Who would have ever thought that those initial fears of coming here would have been dispelled and over-shadowed by his twenty years of committed service and dedication?
As a crown to cap those many accomplishments was his continuing vision to petition the Patriarch and Holy Synod of Melkite Bishops to set the groundwork and then to participate in the election and ordination of his two Auxiliary Bishops and a new Archbishop, the establishment of two new Diocesan Regions and whatever, protected by God, will flow from this undertaking!
Sayedna, every priest from Damascus to Egypt to the United States who was ordained by you, remembers when you placed the Lamb in our hands and exhorted us to "take This and guard It until the second coming of Christ when He will ask you to give an account of It. "
Sayedna, the Lord has been repeating over and over to you: "Well done, good and faithful servant." May that same Lord continue to bless us with many more years of your now resting but not inactive hand of fatherly presence, guidance and blessing. May our beloved people of God be inspired to build upon the foundations you have set for them. God willing, would that we priests serve the Lord our God as a continuing ripple of your own service and love.

Your spiritual son,
Fr. John Azar