About Our Lady of Victory [Maronite] · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Our Lady of Victory is a Maronite Catholic parish in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serving the local Lebanese-American Maronite faithful and welcoming all who wish to experience the West Syriac Antiochene liturgical tradition. It is one of the oldest Maronite communities in the United States — the congregation traces its roots in Pittsburgh back to 1902, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003. The parish belongs to the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, and in August 2020 it relocated into the former St. Pamphilus Church at 1000 Tropical Avenue, a larger facility that allowed the growing community to consolidate its worship, faith formation, and community life under one roof.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- Our Lady of Victory
- Rector
- Rev. Samir Chebli
- Diocese
- Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn
Why belong here
Our Lady of Victory is the spiritual home of a thriving Lebanese-Maronite Catholic community in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, offering the full richness of the Maronite liturgical tradition in the West Syriac Antiochene rite. The parish is active across generations — faith formation (Maronite Christian Formation classes and Arabic language classes for children), a children's choir and adult choir under Dr. Jihad Irani, an annual Lenten Meals series, the famous Pittsburgh Lebanese Food Festival, a 33rd-annual Golf Outing, and a 'Helping the Needy' ministry that prepares and delivers lunches to Second Avenue Commons. Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed at liturgies celebrated in English (with Maronite Arabic chant), and the adjacent Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center offers a deeper place of retreat and prayer.
Mass times at Our Lady of Victory [Maronite]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM (before the 4:00 PM Liturgy)
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM (before the 8:30 AM Liturgy)
- Sunday: 10:30 AM – 10:50 AM (before the 11:00 AM Liturgy)
- By appointment during the week (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center (820 Crane Ave, adjacent): 5:00 PM Eucharistic Adoration on the 22nd of each month (St. Sharbel Day of Prayer & Healing), followed by 6:00 PM Rosary and 6:30 PM Divine Liturgy
About Our Lady of Victory Maronite Catholic Church
Our Lady of Victory is a Maronite Catholic parish in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serving the local Lebanese-American Maronite faithful. The congregation traces its roots in Pittsburgh back to 1902 and is part of the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, a diocese of the worldwide Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church in full communion with Rome. In 2020, after outgrowing its previous home in Scott Township, the parish purchased the former St. Pamphilus Church at 1000 Tropical Avenue in Beechview from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, giving it room for worship, faith formation, and community gatherings all in one place.
- Parish identity: Maronite Catholic (West Syriac Antiochene tradition)
- Year founded: 1902 (100th anniversary celebrated in 2003)
- Eparchy: Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn
- Region: Mid-Atlantic West Region
Parish History
The Maronite faithful first gathered for liturgy in Pittsburgh in 1902, using the chapel of St. Ann Catholic Church in the Lower Hill District. After nearly four decades in borrowed space, founding pastor Monsignor Elias P. Basil promised during World War II — when more than 150 of his parishioners were in military service — to build a church if they all returned home safely. The promise was fulfilled with the 1952 construction of the first Our Lady of Victory church on Dunster Avenue in Brookline. The congregation later moved to Scott Township, and in 2020 relocated to the former St. Pamphilus Church in Beechview, which it purchased from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh following the 'On Mission for the Church Alive' parish restructuring.
- 1902: First Maronite liturgies in Pittsburgh, at the chapel of St. Ann Catholic Church in the Lower Hill District
- 1940s: Monsignor Elias P. Basil makes his wartime vow to build a church
- 1952: First Our Lady of Victory church built on Dunster Avenue, Brookline
- Late 20th century: Parish relocates to Scott Township
- August 4, 2020: Our Lady of Victory closes on the purchase of St. Pamphilus Church, Beechview
- August 16, 2020: Bishop Gregory Mansour celebrates the first Maronite liturgies at the new home
- April 13, 2024: Dedication of the adjacent Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center
Maronite Lent & Holy Week
The Maronite Church begins Great Lent on Cana Sunday (the Sunday of the Entrance into Lent), commemorating the wedding feast at Cana, with the actual fast beginning on Ash Monday. The Maronite Lent is more than forty days in duration, ending on the Friday of the Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness during the week of Bartimaeus the Blind. During Lent, the parish holds Stations of the Cross on Fridays and the popular 'Lenten Meals' — Friday-evening gatherings for prayer and Lebanese food — as well as the Bishop's Annual Lenten Appeal in support of the Eparchy of Saint Maron.
- Cana Sunday — the Entrance into Great Lent
- Ash Monday — the Maronite start of the Lenten fast
- Sundays of the Healing of the Leper, the Hemorrhaging Woman, the Samaritan Woman, the Blind Man, and the Paralytic
- Friday of the Temptation — 40th day of Maronite Lent
- Lazarus Saturday and Passion Week (Hosanna Sunday)
- Stations of the Cross (Friday evenings in Lent)
- Lenten Meals — Friday evenings, 4:00–7:00 PM, with prayer and Lebanese specialties
Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center
Adjacent to the parish at 820 Crane Avenue, the Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center is a center for Christian spiritual formation named for Saint Sharbel Makhlouf, the Lebanese Maronite monk-priest whose prayerful intercession is credited for thousands of healings. Joyfully dedicated on April 13, 2024, by Bishop Gregory Mansour and Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh, the Center includes meeting and conference rooms, a chapel, library, offices, and places for quiet prayer on over three acres of grounds. It is affiliated with the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn. Father Samir Chebli and Chorbishop Michael Kail of Our Lady of Victory are credited with helping bring the Center to fruition.
- Address: 820 Crane Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA (adjacent to the parish)
- Dedicated April 13, 2024 — the first spiritual-life center in the world named for St. Sharbel Makhlouf
- Director: Dr. Anne Borik
- Monthly St. Sharbel Day of Prayer & Healing on the 22nd of each month
- Affiliated with the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for the parish's children is offered through the Maronite Christian Formation (MCF) program, which meets on Sunday mornings between the two Sunday Liturgies. The parish also offers Arabic language classes for children who wish to learn the liturgical and cultural language of their Maronite heritage. For adults, the adjacent Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center offers retreats, conferences, and spiritual direction rooted in the Western and Eastern mystical traditions.
- Maronite Christian Formation (MCF) — Sundays 9:45 AM–10:45 AM
- Arabic Classes — Sundays 10:20 AM–10:55 AM in the MCF area
- Faith Formation Director: Dima Ayoob (current) / Lori Evans (earlier)
- Children's Choir — for youth 18 and under, weekly rehearsals after the 11:00 AM Liturgy
Music & Liturgy
Music is an essential part of the Maronite liturgical experience at Our Lady of Victory. The parish choir, directed by Dr. Jihad Irani, preserves and extends the Maronite hymn tradition, and a children's choir is being developed so the musical heritage passes to the next generation. The Maronite liturgical calendar — with its Sundays named for Cana, the Leper, the Hemorrhaging Woman, the Samaritan Woman, Bartimaeus, and the Paralytic — gives the choir a rich and distinctive seasonal repertoire.
- Choir Director: Dr. Jihad Irani
- Children's Choir — for all youth 18 and under
- Distinctive Maronite hymn tradition preserved at Sunday Liturgies
Community Life & Fellowship
Beyond the Liturgy, Our Lady of Victory is a deeply social parish with a strong Lebanese-American identity. The signature event is the annual Pittsburgh Lebanese Food Festival, held each September in the parish's large parking lot under a tent, with live music, dancing, and homemade Lebanese food prepared by more than 100 volunteers. The parish also hosts an annual Golf Outing, a Lenten Meals series during Great Lent, a monthly 'Helping the Needy' ministry that prepares and delivers lunches to Second Avenue Commons, and the rental program for Victory Hall, the parish's 350-person-capacity banquet facility.
- Pittsburgh Lebanese Food Festival (annual, September) — 26+ years running
- Lenten Meals (Friday evenings during Great Lent, 4:00–7:00 PM)
- OLOV Annual Golf Outing (33rd annual in 2026, in memory of Peter Habib)
- Helping the Needy — monthly lunch preparation for Second Avenue Commons
- Victory Hall — banquet and meeting hall rental (350-person capacity, ample parking)
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
Our Lady of Victory prepares parishioners for the seven Mysteries (sacraments) of the Catholic Church, with particular attention to the customs and formation appropriate to the Maronite tradition. Confession is offered before and after every weekend Liturgy and by appointment. Baptism and Chrismation are preceded by instructional classes for parents and sponsors, both of whom must be Catholic and at least 18 years of age. Marriages must be arranged through the parish office at least six months in advance, and all funeral liturgies are celebrated at the church.
- Mystery of Reconciliation (Confession) — before/after weekend Liturgies, by appointment during the week
- Baptism & Chrismation — instruction for parents and sponsors, forms required
- Marriage — six months' notice, no weddings outside the parish
- Funerals — all funeral liturgies are celebrated at the church
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by a pastor supported by an advisor, a permanent deacon, and a team of lay staff. Governance is shared with elected Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council members. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and a 24/7 emergency line is available through the pastor's mobile number.
- Rev. Samir Chebli — Pastor ([email protected])
- Chorbishop Michael Kail — Parish Advisor ([email protected])
- Rev. Deacon Bahige Alchoufete ([email protected])
- Anne Ayoob — Financial Administrator ([email protected])
- Judi Perry — Office Administrator ([email protected])
- Dima Ayoob — Faith Formation Director
- Dr. Jihad Irani — Choir Director
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Emergency contact: 914-309-6650
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Elias P. BasilMid-20th century
Founding pastor of the Brookline church; made the WWII vow to build a church if his parishioners returned from the war, fulfilled by the 1952 construction on Dunster Avenue.
- Rev. James RootEarly 2000s
Quoted in the 2003 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette around the parish's 100th anniversary, describing the wartime promise of Msgr. Basil.
- Rev. Samir ChebliPresent
Current pastor, credited alongside Chorbishop Michael Kail with helping to realize the Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center.