His Grace, The Most Reverend

Robert Joseph Shaheen
Eparch Emeritus of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
ChurchMaronite Catholic Church
DioceseMaronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
InstalledFebruary 15, 2001
Term endedJuly 10, 2013
PredecessorJohn George Chedid
SuccessorAbdallah Elias Zaidan
Orders
OrdinationMay 2, 1964
by Francis Mansour Zayek
ConsecrationFebruary 15, 2001
by Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Francis Mansour Zayek, Roland Aboujaoudé, John George Chedid and Stephen Youssef Doueihi
Personal details
Born(1937-06-03)3 June 1937
Danbury, Connecticut
Died9 August 2017(2017-08-09) (aged 80)
St. Louis, Missouri
Styles of
Robert Joseph Shaheen
Reference style
Spoken styleHis Grace
Religious styleEparch

Robert Joseph Shaheen (3 June 1937 – 9 August 2017) was an American prelate of the Maronite Catholic Church. He was the former Eparch of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. He resided at St. Raymond's Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri.

Life

Shaheen was born to Albert and Aileen Shaheen in Danbury, Connecticut; his grandfather came to the United States from Lebanon in 1898.[1] He attended St. Peter Grammar School and Danbury High School before entering the Latin Church St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield in 1955.[1][2][3] In 1958, he transferred to the Eastern rite St. Basil Seminary in Methuen, Massachusetts, while attending classes at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire.[2]

After being ordained a subdeacon (October 2, 1962) and deacon (June 7, 1963), Shaheen was ordained a priest by Bishop Francis Mansour Zayek on May 2, 1964, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.[2][4] Shortly after his ordination, he became pastor of St. Raymond's Church in St. Louis, Missouri, which had then been without a resident priest for over 20 years.[5] Under his leadership, St. Raymond's went from just a few faithful parishioners using a four-family apartment to a cathedral with hundreds of active families.[5]

From 1965 to 1970, he organized and celebrated Maronite liturgies on regular basis.[5] He also developed newsletters, bulletins, and fliers; conducted a census to identify Maronites in the greater metropolitan area; and introduced spiritual and cultural programs, including Maronite religious education classes.[5] He hosted National Aposolate of Maronites Convention in 1970. Kicking-off a fund drive for new church in 1971, he later dedicated a new church in November 1975 and a new rectory in February 1977.[5] He was ordained an archpriest in September 1978, and dedicated a new parish center "The Cedars" in November 1979.[6]

On March 31, 1986, Shaheen was ordained a Chorbishop by Archbishop Zayek.[7] He purchased additional property and buildings for future development as a Maronite retirement center and cultural center in 1991, and again hosted the National Apostolate of Maronites Convention in 1995.[7]

On December 5, 2000, Shaheen was appointed Eparch of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon by Pope John Paul II, following the retirement of Our Lady of Lebanon's first bishop, John George Chedid.[4][8] He was consecrated a bishop on February 15, 2001, by Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East.[4] and his co-consecrators were Roland Aboujaoudé, auxiliary bishop in Antioch, John George Chedid, retired bishop of Our Lady of Lebanon in Los Angeles, Stephen Hector Youssef Doueihi, Bishop of Saint Maron in Brooklyn, and Francis Mansour Zayek, Archbishop Emeritus ad personam of Saint Maron in Brooklyn.

Shaheen was the first Lebanese Maronite priest or bishop from the United States.[2][9] Pope Francis accepted his age-related resignation on July 10, 2013.

Shaheen died on August 9, 2017, in St. Louis at the age of 80.[10] He was buried in his birthplace of Danbury, Connecticut on August 21.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Youth: 1937-1958". Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Seminary: 1955-1963". Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. Archived from the original on August 21, 2006.
  3. ↑ "Curriculum Vitae - Maronite Eparchial Bishop Robert J. Shaheen". Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. Archived from the original on December 14, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 "Bishop Robert Joseph Shaheen". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Priesthood: 1964-1978". Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2006-08-21. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  6. ↑ "Monsignor: 1978-1986". Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon.
  7. 1 2 "Chorbishop: 1986-2001". Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon.
  8. ↑ "Sayedna 2001-". Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon.
  9. ↑ "Danbury native named bishop". The News Times.
  10. ↑ Maronite Bishop Robert J. Shaheen dies Aug. 9
  11. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-09-23. Retrieved 2017-09-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Episcopal succession

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