OUR CHURCH IN BRAZIL

History:

The boundaries of this diocese coincide with those of the immense territory of Brazil, a country covering 8,512,000 square kilometres, over two and a half million square miles. Out of a global population of 120 millions, about 3 million belong to the Arab colony, and of this about 300,000 are Melkite-Greek Catholics.

It was in 1939 that Father Elias Coueiter arrived in Rio de Janeiro to be parish priest at the church of St Basil. Faithful to the Brazilian mission, Fr. Coueiter later became Vicar-General of the Greek-Melkite Catholics of the Ordinarate of Brazil and in 1960 he was designated by Pope John XXIII as Titular Bishop of Taua and Auxiliary of His Eminence Giacomo Cardinal de Barros Camara, Archbishop of Sao Paulo and ordinary in Brazil for Catholics of the Eastern rites. The exarchate had now been born. Fr. Coueiter was consecrated bishop at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paradise by . Archbp Zoghby, delegated by H.B. Maximos IV, and assisted by the Archbishops Loureiro, Auxiliary of Sao Paulo, and Martinez, Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholics of Brazil.

Finally in 1971 Pope Paul VI named him as first bishop of the Diocese of Our Lady of Paradise of Sao Paulo.

The Bishops of the Diocese:

1971 -1977 : Elias Coueiter (even after his retirement in 1977, he continued to reside in Brazil until his death on 16 June 1985).

1978-1982 : Spiridon Mattar.

Eparchy of Our Lady of Paradise in São Paulo, Brazil

Metropolite: Archbishop Fares Maakaroun, domfama@terra.com.br

General Vicar: Archimandrite Joaquim Stein
Presbyter: http://br.geocities.com/melquita/George Khoury
Rua do Paraíso, 21 - Paraíso
CEP 04103-000 - São Paulo - SP
Brasil
Phone: 55-11-3141-0639, 55-11-3171-3443
Fax: 55-11-3171-3913
Web site: http://geocities.yahoo.com.br/melquita/cathedral.htm

The Parishes and their Priests:

Our Lady of Lebanon Melkite Church
Rua República do Líbano, 15
Bairro Meireles
60160-140 - Fortaleza - CE
Brasil
Telephone: 55-85 224-7799
Fax: 55-85 224-7799
Presbyter: Father Philip Fouad Louka
Telephone: 55-85 224-7799
E-mail: melquita@yahoo.com.br
Web site:  http://br.geocities.com/melquita/

Juiz de Fora - State of Minas Gerais

Saint George Church
Father João Carlos Teodoro
Rua São Sebastião, s/n - Santa Helena
CEP 36015-410 - Juiz de Fora - MG
Brazil
Phone: 55-32-212-7878

Rio de Janeiro - RJ

Saint Basilio Church
Exarca Alphonse Nagib Sabbagh
Rua República do Líbano, 17- Centro
CEP 20061-030 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ
Brazil
Phone: 55-21-222-1762

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For any information updates or amendments, please send an E-mail to GMA: gma@melkites.org,

or alternatively by post to:
Global Melkite Association
Rev  Fr Samir Haddad
40 Gillies St  Fairfield VIC 3078
Australia