About Our Lady of Cedars [Maronite] · Fairlawn, Ohio
Our Lady of the Cedars of Mount Lebanon Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Maronite parish in Fairlawn, Ohio, serving the Lebanese-American Maronite faithful of the Greater Akron area. Established in 1971, it belongs to the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, whose current bishop is His Excellency A. Elias Zaidan. The parish celebrates the Divine Mysteries in the West Syriac Maronite Rite, and welcomes all — parishioners, friends, neighbors, and visitors — to its liturgies and special devotions.
- Established
- 1971
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Cedars (of Mount Lebanon)
- Rector
- Fr. Armando Elkhoury
- Diocese
- Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Cedars offers Maronite Catholics of northeast Ohio a faithful home in the West Syriac Maronite tradition, with daily celebration of the Divine Mysteries and a strong devotional life centered on the Blessed Virgin Mary. The parish community is small but active — anchored by the Ladies Guild, a Mercy Meal outreach, and lay leaders who have shaped its physical home in Fairlawn. Whether you are Maronite by heritage or simply curious about the Eastern Catholic liturgical tradition, the parish extends an explicit welcome to all parishioners, friends, neighbors, and visitors.
Mass times at Our Lady of Cedars [Maronite]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday — following the 9:00 AM Mass (approximately 9:30–10:00 AM)
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month, 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
About Our Lady of the Cedars
Our Lady of the Cedars of Mount Lebanon Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic parish in the Maronite tradition, located in Fairlawn, Ohio, in the Greater Akron area. Established in 1971, the parish belongs to the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, headed by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan. The community celebrates the West Syriac Maronite Rite — referred to on the parish's own website as 'the Celebration of the Holy Mysteries' — and welcomes all who wish to join in worship, devotions, and the life of the parish.
- Full name: Our Lady of the Cedars of Mount Lebanon Maronite Church
- Rite: Maronite (West Syriac)
- Eparchy: Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
- Eparchial Bishop: His Excellency A. Elias Zaidan
- Established: 1971
History of the Parish
The Maronite presence in the Akron area grew out of the late-19th and early-20th-century immigration of Arabic-speaking Christians from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. In the early days, Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, and Maronite Catholic faithful often worshipped together in homes and halls. As each community grew large enough, it founded its own church — St. George Antiochian Orthodox, St. Joseph Melkite Catholic, and Our Lady of the Cedars of Lebanon Maronite Catholic. The current Fairlawn property was found by Bob Snyder and negotiated by realtor Lou Farris, with Dr. Nabil Manneh serving as Parish Council Chairman during the purchase and construction. Pastors over the years have included Msgr. William Bonczewski and Msgr. Michael Kail; the current pastor is Fr. Armando Elkhoury.
- Founded 1971 in the Greater Akron area
- Part of the historic Arabic-speaking Christian community alongside St. George Orthodox and St. Joseph Melkite
- Current Fairlawn campus developed with the help of lay leaders Bob Snyder (property), Lou Farris (realtor), and Dr. Nabil Manneh (Parish Council Chair)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Armando Elkhoury, Pastor, who can be reached through the parish office. He is assisted by Deacon Thomas Maroon Sr. and two subdeacons, Paul Boulos and Chuck Abraham. Parish office staff include Betty Schnitzler, who handles parish communications and administration.
- Fr. Armando Elkhoury — Pastor, (330) 666-3598
- Deacon Thomas Maroon Sr. — (330) 239-3634
- Subdeacon Paul Boulos
- Subdeacon Chuck Abraham
- Betty Schnitzler — [email protected]
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The parish sustains a small but active roster of ministries. The Ladies Guild is the parish's principal women's organization, and the Mercy Meal program is the parish's principal outreach ministry. Both are listed on the parish website under 'Parish' alongside Events.
- Ladies Guild — Constitution & Bylaws, Mercy Meal, spiritual development, hospitality, communication
- Mercy Meal — parish outreach program (details at ourladyofthecedarschurch.org/mercy-meal)
Ladies Guild
The Ladies Guild of Our Lady of the Cedars Maronite Church is the women's organization of the parish. According to its Constitution and Bylaws, the Guild's purpose is 'to foster in its members an ardent devotion and filial love toward the Mother of God' and to become 'good Maronites intent upon sanctifying themselves and their neighbors and in promoting spiritual renewal and a renewed awareness of the Maronite Tradition.' Membership is open to parish women, with non-parishioners and honorary members admitted by the pastor and board. The Guild is organized around standing committees of Spiritual Development, Publicity, Hospitality, and Communication, and meets monthly (typically omitting June and July at the moderator's discretion).
- Mission: Maronite Marian devotion, spiritual renewal, civic and humanitarian outreach in Greater Akron
- Standing committees: Spiritual Development, Publicity, Hospitality, Communication
- Officers: Spiritual Moderator (the pastor), President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer
- Monthly meetings; dues $20/year
Contact & Office Hours
Parish office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The office phone number is (330) 666-3598. The pastor can be reached at [email protected], and parish staff member Betty Schnitzler can be reached at [email protected]. The mailing address is 507 South Cleveland Massillon Road, Fairlawn, OH 44333, USA.
- Office Phone: (330) 666-3598
- Pastor: [email protected]
- Office staff: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Address: 507 South Cleveland Massillon Road, Fairlawn, OH 44333
Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Our Lady of the Cedars is part of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, which is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and serves Maronite Catholics from California to West Virginia. The current bishop of the eparchy is His Excellency A. Elias Zaidan. The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with Rome, using the West Syriac liturgical tradition, and Our Lady of the Cedars represents that tradition in northeast Ohio.
- Eparchy seat: Los Angeles, California
- Geographic coverage: California to West Virginia
- Bishop: His Excellency A. Elias Zaidan
- Parish sits within the territorial boundaries of the Roman Diocese of Cleveland (per GCatholic)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. William Bonczewski
Listed as Pastor in February 2014 parish correspondence to the City of Fairlawn Zoning Department.
- Msgr. Michael Kail
Mentioned in 2013 Maronite Voice coverage of parish events including the Eagle Scout honor for altar server Mitchell Koellner.
- Fr. Armando Elkhoury
Current pastor, per official website and parish directory.