Patriarchate of Antioch and all of the East, and of Alexandria and Jerusalem
Telephone: 417566-413111
Document 37, Number 183
Beirut, (Raboueh), Lebanon
Box 50076
July 10, 1998

An announcement from the secretariat of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Patriarchate reads as follows:

His Holiness Pope John Paul II has approved the election of Father Sleiman Hajjar, BSO, as Bishop of Canada, by the Holy Patriarchal Synod. He will replace His Excellency Archbishop Michel Hakim who upon reaching the canonical age had submitted his resignation.

The new Bishop was born on May 13, 1950 in Jezzine, Lebanon from a family, well known for their piety and virtue. After completing High School he continued his studies at St. Joseph University in Beirut, where he received a degree in Business Administration. He went on to study Theology and Liturgy at Holy Spirit University in Kaslik, Lebanon.

He is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.

He joined the Basilian Salvatorian Order and was ordained a priest in 1979. During his service he held positions in education and administration. He served as the rector of the Minor Seminary then moved on as the director of Providence Home in Salhieh, Saida. He was also a member of the advisory board of the Basilian Salvatorian Order.

He was involved in many social and cultural activities. He established a wide range of humanitarian relations in the Middle East and abroad. His main focus was to help the children and the youth during the ugly years of the war in Lebanon.

In 1996, he was appointed to Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Ottawa, Canada. He acquired the love and respect of all the parishioners as he served with devotion, patience and love.

 

 

Secretariat of the Patriarchate.

[Translated from the arabic original by Sts. Peter and Paul Melkite Church, Ottawa.]