About Saint Anthony of Padua [Maronite] · Cincinnati, Ohio
Saint Anthony of Padua Maronite Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic parish in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, serving the metropolitan Cincinnati area, Northern and Central Kentucky, and Indiana. Founded in late 1910 by Middle Eastern Christians fleeing Ottoman persecutions and World War I, it is one of the oldest Maronite communities in the United States and belongs to the Maronite Diocese of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles while sitting within the geographic territory of the Roman Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The parish celebrates the Maronite Divine Liturgy in English and Arabic (with roots in Syriac, the Aramaic dialect of Jesus), and is known for its annual Mahrajan festival and long-running 'A Taste of Lebanon' celebration. Under its current pastor, Father George C. Hajj, the community is an Eastern Catholic home for Maronites and other Middle Eastern faithful — Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, Jordanian, and Egyptian — and reaches out to the wider tristate region through prayer, formation, and charitable works.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- Saint Anthony of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. George C. Hajj
- Diocese
- Maronite Diocese of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles (geographically within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati)
Why belong here
Saint Anthony of Padua is a vibrant Eastern Catholic community where Maronite faithful and other Middle Eastern Christians (along with anyone drawn to the Syriac tradition) worship together in the Divine Liturgy — celebrated in English and Arabic — and share a single parish family across Cincinnati, Northern and Central Kentucky, and Indiana. Under Father George Hajj's leadership the parish blends deep Maronite spirituality with active outreach: a Maronite Youth Organization (ages 12–18) and Maronite Young Adults (ages 18–35), Sunday religious education and Arabic classes, a women's prayer and service group, a parish prayer chain, soup kitchens and food pantry partnerships, and the founding of the inter-Christian 'One Church of Mercy' in Cincinnati. The long-running 'A Taste of Lebanon' festival (since 1940) and the annual Mahrajan summer festival give families a place to pass on Lebanese heritage, music, and food — a community that is, in Father Hajj's words, 'a Garden of Eden' where faith is put into action.
Mass times at Saint Anthony of Padua [Maronite]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Friday of the month, Noon to 9:00 PM (during Eucharistic Adoration)
- By appointment — call the parish at 513-961-0120
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, Noon to 9:00 PM
Parish Identity and Mission
Saint Anthony of Padua Maronite Catholic Church describes itself as 'a Maronite Catholic Community of Faith; Celebrating an Eastern Tradition and Serving the Garden in Which We Have Been Placed.' Its stated mission is to 'Glorify the Lord and serve the Gospel.' As a parish of the Maronite Church — one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Pope — it celebrates the ancient Antiochene Syriac tradition of Christianity, including the Divine Liturgy (Qurbono) and the Mysteries of Christian Initiation.
- Mission: 'A Maronite Catholic Community of Faith; Celebrating an Eastern Tradition and Serving the Garden in Which We Have Been Placed.'
- Stated purpose: 'to Glorify the Lord and serve the Gospel.'
- Part of the worldwide Maronite Catholic Church, one of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches (sui juris) in communion with Rome.
History of the Parish
The parish was established in late 1910 by Middle Eastern Christians who had come to Cincinnati fleeing Ottoman persecution and the upheaval of World War I. Families from Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt began gathering for the Maronite Liturgy under their first pastor, Rev. Beshara Kayata, in a former church on West Third Street. After a move to a leased Third Street residence in 1922 and decades of steady growth, the parish relocated in 1955 to its current home on Victory Parkway, a building with a fascinating architectural past.
- 1910 — parish established; first liturgy on West Third Street near a Pennsylvania depot
- 1922 — moved to a former residence on Third Street under a 99-year lease
- 1939–1948 — Sunday Masses celebrated by archdiocesan (Latin-Rite) priests
- 1948 — Msgr. Joseph Abood arrives from Lebanon; serves 40 years (1948–1987)
- 1955 — relocated to Victory Parkway building (originally a 1915 synagogue)
- 2010 — Centennial celebrated
- 2016 — visit of Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Peter Cardinal Rai
- 2023 — establishment of Our Lady of Cana Maronite Mission in Indianapolis
The Church Building on Victory Parkway
The parish's worship home at 2530 Victory Parkway has a layered history. It was built in 1915 as a Jewish synagogue, was sold to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1941, and was purchased by Saint Anthony of Padua parish in 1955 when road construction forced the community off Third Street. The main worship space is called the 'Upper Church'; many weekday liturgies are celebrated in the 'St. Aquilina Lower Chapel.' Two adjacent buildings have since been acquired for educational and possible charitable use.
- Built 1915 as a synagogue
- Owned 1941–1955 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Purchased by St. Anthony of Padua in 1955
- Upper Church (main worship space)
- St. Aquilina Lower Chapel (weekday liturgy)
- Two adjacent buildings — currently used as educational centers
Father George C. Hajj — Current Pastor
Father Hajj was born in 1976 and raised in Lebanon and has lived in the United States since 2001. He holds a Master of Arts in Archaeology, a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, and a Master of Divinity from The Catholic University of America. Ordained on July 5, 2013, at the Maronite Convention in Tampa, Florida, he was appointed to Saint Anthony of Padua on October 1, 2014. He serves as Vice President of the Maronite Seminary's Alumni Association and on the Eparchial Presbyteral Council. He is widely noted in the wider Cincinnati community for founding 'One Church of Mercy,' an ecumenical Christian network in 2015.
- MA in Archaeology; BA in Business Management; MDiv, The Catholic University of America
- Ordained July 5, 2013 (Maronite Convention, Tampa, FL)
- Appointed pastor of St. Anthony of Padua October 1, 2014
- Vice President, Maronite Seminary Alumni Association
- Member, Eparchial Presbyteral Council
- Founder, One Church of Mercy (2015)
Parish Staff and Councils
In addition to the pastor, the parish is supported by a Subdeacon who was himself baptized 'Anthony' at the parish in 1961 by Father Joseph Abood and who was ordained Subdeacon in 2010. Two standing councils — the Pastoral Advisory Council and the Parish Stewardship Council — have been active in parish life since the mid-1990s.
- Subdeacon — born of Lebanese and German/Swiss descent, baptized at the parish in 1961
- Pastoral Advisory Council
- Parish Stewardship Council
Worship and the Divine Liturgy
The Maronite main worship service is called the Divine Liturgy (also 'Service of the Holy Mysteries' or 'Qurbono'), which traces its roots to the early Church of Antioch. Maronite liturgical texts are written in Syriac, a dialect of the Aramaic that Jesus himself spoke, and the Antiochene school of theology gives the liturgy a particular focus on the humanity of Christ. At Saint Anthony of Padua, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated throughout the week in English and Arabic.
- Sunday: 10:30 AM (Upper Church)
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (Upper Church)
- Tuesday–Friday: 6:00 PM (St. Aquilina Lower Chapel)
- Fridays: Divine Liturgy celebrated in Arabic
- First Friday of the month: 10:30 AM Divine Liturgy; Adoration & Confession Noon to 9:00 PM
- Liturgical season observances (Opening of the Liturgical Year, Consecration Renewal)
Mysteries / Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven Mysteries (sacraments) of the Catholic Church in the Maronite tradition. Christian Initiation (Baptism and Confirmation), Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Crowning (Marriage), and Holy Orders all have specific procedures and timelines noted on the parish website.
- Baptism & Confirmation — contact the parish center
- Reconciliation — First Friday during Adoration, or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — call the priest directly
- Communion of the Homebound — register online
- Crowning (Marriage) — formation begins 7 months in advance
- Funerals — contact the priest at 513-961-0120
- Holy Orders — contact the priest or vocations director
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education classes are offered every Sunday for the children of the parish, along with Arabic-language classes that help transmit the Maronite heritage to younger generations. A Summer School program is also offered. Together these are the parish's primary catechetical offerings.
- Sunday Religious Education for children
- Arabic language classes
- Summer School program
Youth and Young Adults
Two Maronite-specific age groups meet regularly at the parish. The Maronite Youth Organization (MYO) serves teens ages 12 to 18, and the Maronite Young Adults (MYA) gathers adults ages 18 to 35 for spiritual formation, moral teaching, social justice projects, and community life (book club, movie nights, guest speakers, retreats).
- MYO — Maronite Youth Organization (ages 12–18)
- MYA — Maronite Young Adults (ages 18–35)
Parish Prayer Life
The parish maintains an active prayer chain that lifts up the intentions of parishioners and friends. Prayer requests can be submitted through an online Jotform. The Marian devotion 'Ya Um Allah' — a chant Father Hajj describes as 'the national anthem of the Maronite Church' and which dates back more than 1,200 years — is a regular part of parish prayer.
- Parish Prayer Chain (online request form)
- Monthly Prayer Intentions
- Marian devotions including 'Ya Um Allah'
Outreach and Social Justice
Putting faith into action is a hallmark of the parish under Father Hajj. The parish partners with soup kitchens and food pantries, visits the sick, supports homebound parishioners, and offers material support to charitable organizations. A parish women's group meets, prays, visits the sick, and provides material support to various charities.
- Soup kitchen and food pantry partnerships
- Visits to the sick and homebound
- Women's prayer and service group
- A proposed percentage-of-income giving program in development
One Church of Mercy
Father Hajj co-founded 'One Church of Mercy' in 2015 — a network of Catholic and Orthodox congregations in metropolitan Cincinnati that comes together for prayer, common rituals, advocacy, and education on behalf of persecuted Christians (especially in the Middle East). The group has hosted film screenings (such as 'Our Last Stand'), educational events on religious persecution, and joint liturgical services like the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
- Founded 2015
- Member congregations: Catholic (Roman and Eastern) and Orthodox
- Annual events including the Exaltation of the Holy Cross service
Lebanese Heritage and Cultural Life
Lebanese cultural identity is woven into parish life, most visibly through 'A Taste of Lebanon' — the parish's signature festival running since 1940 — and the annual Mahrajan summer festival. These celebrations feature authentic Lebanese food, traditional music, and dabke dance, and serve as both a fundraiser and a way to pass heritage to younger generations.
- A Taste of Lebanon festival (since 1940)
- Mahrajan summer festival
- Authentic Lebanese food, traditional music, dabke dance
Solidarity with Lebanon
The parish maintains an active spiritual and material bond with Lebanon. Following the devastating August 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion, Father Hajj led a candlelit procession on the feast of the Assumption (August 15, 2020) and channeled donations through the parish to the Archdiocese of Beirut to help victims directly.
- Annual Assumption-of-Mary observance with Marian procession
- Donations channeled to the Archdiocese of Beirut after the 2020 explosion
Get Involved and Support the Parish
Parishioners and friends can support Saint Anthony of Padua through the weekly bulletin, online giving, and several no-cost shopping programs. The Kroger Community Rewards program (NPO PV014) and AmazonSmile (charity ID 31-0645471) both direct a percentage of everyday purchases to the parish at no extra cost to the shopper.
- Weekly bulletin (with Kids' Bulletin and archive)
- Kroger Community Rewards — NPO PV014
- AmazonSmile charity link
- Online prayer request form
Bulletin and News
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin and a Kids' Bulletin. Recent bulletins have highlighted the Mahrajan summer festival, the 'Bless The Day' concert, a Summer School registration, and resources for hearing the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic-Syriac. A bulletin archive is maintained on the parish website.
- Weekly bulletin
- Kids' Bulletin
- Bulletin archive
- Featured recent topics: Mahrajan festival, 'Bless The Day' concert, Summer School, the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic-Syriac
Diocesan Affiliations
The parish belongs to the Maronite Diocese (Eparchy) of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, the U.S. Maronite eparchy that covers this region. Geographically, the parish sits within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, with which it cooperates on events such as the Fatima statue visitation, ecumenical services, and the Cincinnati Festival of Faith at Xavier University.
- Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
- Geographically within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
- Participates in archdiocesan events (Festival of Faith, Fatima visitation, ecumenical services)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Beshara Kayata1910–
First pastor; celebrated the inaugural Maronite Liturgy in a former church on West Third Street near the Pennsylvania depot.
- (Maronite priests)1910–1939
Parish served by successive Maronite priests.
- (Archdiocesan/Latin-Rite priests)1939–1948
Sunday liturgies celebrated by priests from the (Roman) Archdiocese of Cincinnati during the priest shortage between Maronite assignments.
- Msgr. Joseph Abood1948–1987
Came from Lebanon in 1948; led the parish for 40 years, purchased the Third Street property, and guided the move to the Victory Parkway building in 1955. He is described as laying the foundation for the parish as it exists today.
- Rev. Fr. George C. Hajj2014–present
Appointed October 1, 2014; ordained July 5, 2013, at the Maronite Convention in Tampa, FL. Born in 1976 in Lebanon, resident in the U.S. since 2001; holds an MA in Archaeology, a BA in Business Management, and an MDiv from The Catholic University of America.