About Our Lady of Lebanon [Maronite] · Millbrae, California
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church is an Eastern Syriac Antiochene Catholic parish in Millbrae, California, serving the San Francisco Bay Area's Maronite faithful — and reportedly the only Maronite Catholic church in San Mateo County. The parish belongs to the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, which is headquartered in St. Louis and serves Maronite Catholics from California to Ohio under Bishop A. Elias Zaidan. Sunday Divine Liturgy is celebrated in a trilingual mix of Arabic, English, and Aramaic — the language spoken by Jesus Christ — making the parish a small but distinctive outpost of Eastern Catholic tradition in the middle of the Peninsula. The church building itself is one of the oldest structures in Millbrae, an early-20th-century edifice that the Maronite community purchased and rededicated in the early 1980s.
- Established
- 1977 (mission); 1981 (dedicated as Our Lady of Lebanon)
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lebanon (the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated under this title, shared with the national shrine at Harissa, Lebanon)
- Rector
- Rev. Rami Razzouk
- Diocese
- Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles (geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Francisco)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lebanon offers something rare on the Peninsula: a living Eastern Catholic liturgical tradition celebrated in Arabic, English, and Aramaic — including weekly Sunday Divine Liturgy with elements in the Aramaic spoken by Jesus. It is a small, bilingual Lebanese-American community with active ministries for children, youth (MYO), young adults (MYA), and women (Ladies Guild), regular Maronite devotions such as the monthly Saint Sharbel Mass, and the warmth of a parish that meets in one of Millbrae's oldest and most historic buildings. If you are Maronite, Eastern Catholic, or simply drawn to the Syriac Christian heritage, this is a welcoming spiritual home in the heart of the Bay Area.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lebanon [Maronite]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Half an hour before every Mass
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament: First Saturday of the month (per parish bulletin)
Welcome & Identity
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Millbrae welcomes parishioners and visitors from across the San Francisco Bay Area to worship, learn about the Maronite faith, and become part of its community. The parish is an Eastern Syriac Antiochene Catholic church in full communion with Rome, and the only Maronite Catholic parish in San Mateo County. It belongs to the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and serves under the pastoral care of Fr. Rami Razzouk.
- Eastern Syriac Antiochene Catholic tradition in full communion with the Holy See
- One of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles parishes
- Geographically located within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
Our Community & History
The Maronite presence on the San Francisco Peninsula began in 1977 with the arrival of Fr. Paul Mouawad, who gathered the faithful for Sunday worship in the auditorium of Serra High School. After years of that arrangement, the community purchased an existing church building from St. Dunstan's Parish in 1981 — a structure originally dedicated in 1914, making it one of the oldest buildings in Millbrae. Archbishop Francis Zayek formally dedicated the building as Our Lady of Lebanon Church. Since then, a succession of Maronite, Jesuit, and Redemptorist priests has shepherded the parish, including the current pastor, Fr. Rami Razzouk, appointed in December 2019.
- 1977 — Fr. Paul Mouawad arrives and begins Bay Area Maronite mission at Serra High School
- 1981 — Community purchases the 1914 church building from St. Dunstan's Parish
- 1981 — Archbishop Francis Zayek dedicates the building as Our Lady of Lebanon Church
- 2019 — Fr. Rami Razzouk appointed as current pastor
The Maronite Tradition
The Maronite Church is one of the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome, born in the fourth century around St. Maron and the monasteries of the Lebanese mountains. Throughout their history, Maronites built churches, formed schools, cultivated arid lands and founded religious orders — the Lebanese Maronite Order (LMO) being the first and oldest, with some 300 years of history. Today the global Maronite community numbers around ten million faithful, spread across the Middle East, the Americas, Europe, Africa and Australia. The Maronite liturgy is celebrated in Syriac (and here, also Arabic, English and Aramaic), connecting Eastern and Western Christian culture.
- Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome
- Liturgical heritage rooted in Syriac and Aramaic
- Lebanese Maronite Order (LMO) — first Maronite religious order, ~300 years old
- Global Maronite community of approximately ten million faithful
Sacraments
Our Lady of Lebanon welcomes families preparing for the sacraments. Following the Eastern Maronite tradition, Baptism and Chrismation (Confirmation) are typically administered together in infancy. The parish has published formal requirements covering documentation, godparents, baptismal attire, a confirmation saint's name, and donations. Reconciliation is offered half an hour before every Mass and by appointment, and couples are encouraged to contact the parish office to begin marriage preparation.
- Baptism & Confirmation — administered together to infants; meet Fr. Rami before or after Sunday Mass
- Reconciliation — half an hour before Mass or by appointment
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Devotions & Special Services
The parish keeps classic Maronite devotional rhythms alive. The monthly Saint Sharbel Mass on the 22nd of each month reflects the deep Maronite devotion to St. Sharbel Makhlūf, the Lebanese hermit-priest canonized in 1977 whose feast is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of July in the Maronite calendar. First Saturdays feature Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and a Rosary and Litany begin twenty minutes before weekend Masses.
- Saint Sharbel Mass — 22nd of every month, 6:30 PM
- Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament — First Saturday of the month
- Rosary & Litany — 20 minutes before weekend Masses
- St. Sharbel annual feast weekend — celebrated in July
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The parish runs a small but active program of ministries for every age and stage of life. Governance is provided by a Parish Council and Parish Financial Council. Fellowship and faith formation are nurtured by the Ladies Guild, the Maronite Young Adults (MYA) group — affiliated with the national MYA organization — the Youth Ministry (MYO / Maronite Youth Organization), and a dedicated Children Ministry. The parish has also hosted the National Apostolate of Maronites (NAM) Convention.
- Parish Council
- Parish Financial Council
- Ladies Guild
- Maronite Young Adults (MYA) — national MYA affiliate
- Youth Ministry (MYO)
- Children Ministry
- NAM Convention participation (hosted 2016)
Clergy & Staff
Fr. Rami Razzouk has served as pastor of Our Lady of Lebanon since December 2019. Ordained to the priesthood on 20 October 2018 at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Ghadir, Lebanon, by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, Fr. Rami previously served as a deacon at Our Lady of the Cedars Maronite Church in Fairlawn, Ohio. He succeeds more than a dozen pastors who have served the Bay Area Maronite community since 1977, including a long-tenured pastor in Fr. John Nahal (2007–2016) and a Redemptorist and a Jesuit among his immediate predecessors.
- Rev. Rami Razzouk — Pastor (December 2019 – present), ordained 20 October 2018 in Ghadir, Lebanon
- Full succession of pastors published on the parish 'Our Community' page (1977 – present)
Visiting & Getting Involved
Visitors are warmly welcomed at Our Lady of Lebanon. Parish office hours are by appointment, and new families are encouraged to introduce themselves to Fr. Rami before or after Sunday Mass. The parish website publishes weekly bulletins, a digital library of forms (baptism, donation, registration), and links to the Eparchy, the Maronite Young Adults (MYA) and Maronite Youth Organization (MYO) national networks, and the National Apostolate of Maronites (NAM).
- Parish office — by appointment only; contact via phone or email
- Weekly bulletins posted on the parish homepage
- Online registration forms and baptism/donation PDFs
- Mobile app referenced for connecting with Maronite heritage
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Paul Mouawad1977 – 1982
Founding priest; arrived in 1977 and established the Bay Area Maronite Mission at Serra High School.
- Msgr. Elie Antoun1982 – 1983
- Rev. Nehmatallah El-Hayek1983 – 1986
- Msgr. Maximos Merdalli1986 – 1990
- Rev. Peter Karam1990 – 1991
First of two stints at the parish.
- Rev. Stephen Meriwether1991 – 1994
- Rev. Peter Karam1994 – 1997
Returned for a second term.
- Rev. Toufic Nasr1997 – 2006
- Rev. Jibran Bou-Merhi2006 – 2007
- Rev. John Nahal2007 – 2016
Long-tenured pastor.
- Rev. Gary George, C.Ss.R.January 2017 – March 2019
Redemptorist; also served as Youth & Vocation Director for the Eparchy.
- Rev. Fady El Chidiac, S.J.March 2019 – December 2019
Jesuit.
- Rev. Rami RazzoukDecember 2019 – present
Ordained a priest in Ghadir, Lebanon on 20 October 2018 by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan; previously a deacon at Our Lady of the Cedars Maronite Church in Fairlawn, Ohio.