Saint George [Maronite]

Welcome to St. George Maronite Church

St. George Maronite Church is a welcoming community offering traditional apostolic worship that speaks to the needs of modern life. Located in the historic town of Uniontown in the Laurel Highlands of Southwest Pennsylvania, the parish strives to be a Catholic and Apostolic witness under the patronage of Saint George and the Syriac Fathers. The parish is committed to sharing the fullness of the Gospel and living the richness of the Syriac Maronite Tradition through worship, charity, and striving for personal and communal holiness.

About Us

Founded in 1927, St. George has welcomed many families to worship across Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia for nearly a century. The current pastor is Rev. Father Aaron J. Sandbothe, who was assigned by Bishop Gregory Mansour in March 2020. Father Aaron previously served as parochial vicar at St. Louis Gonzaga Church in Utica, NY (where he moderated the Maronite Young Adults and developed liturgical music) and as Administrator of Mary, Mother of Light Church in Tequesta, FL (where he also offered the Maronite Liturgy in Spanish for the Palm Beach community and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite for the Latin Mass Society of the Palm Beaches).

• Rev. Father Aaron J. Sandbothe, Pastor (2020–present)
• Subdeacon Thomas R. George
• Subdeacon Charles Machesky
• Subdeacon Charles Michael

History of St. George Church

Syriac-Maronite Christians came from villages such as Abdilly, Beirut, Saida, Iddee, and Batroun in what is now Lebanon, drawn to the United States in the late nineteenth century. They found the terrain of the Laurel Highlands similar to their native land, and treasured their religious traditions most of all. After years of informal worship, thirteen parishioners petitioned Bishop Hugh C. Boyle of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1927 to establish a formal parish. Father Elias Basil was sent to found it, the first church at 124 Lincoln Street was dedicated 25 March 1928, and through fifteen subsequent pastors the parish has grown into a multi-generational Maronite community serving about 250 families.

• 1922 — First Maronite worship begins in a home at 10 Wilson Avenue under Father Paul Abi-Rizk.
• 1927 — Parish formally established with 110 families.
• 25 March 1928 — First church on Lincoln Street dedicated.
• 1942 — Original mortgage formally burned.
• 1949 — Rectory purchased.
• 1950 — Father Elias G. Nader returns as pastor; organizes the Sodality, Holy Name Society, Ladies Guild, and Church Committee.
• 1966 — Bishop Connare of Greensburg approves construction of a new church.
• 23 April 1967 — Groundbreaking; first Divine Liturgy in the new church on Christmas Eve.
• 2016 — $1.1 million renovation dedicated by Bishop Mansour on 4 April 2016, marking 90 years of parish life and 50 years in the current building.

Syriac Maronite Tradition and Liturgy

The Syriac-Maronite liturgy developed out of the ancient liturgies of Jerusalem, Antioch, and the Syriac-speaking areas of Syria Secunda and Mesopotamia. Many of its prayers and chants can be traced back to the 4th- and 5th-century Church Fathers St. Ephrem the Syrian and St. Jacob of Serugh. The liturgical language is Syriac, a dialect of Classical Aramaic that evolved from the very language of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles. The Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch is one of more than twenty Eastern and Oriental Catholic Churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, led by Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai from Bkerke, Lebanon.

• Rite: Maronite
• Liturgical language: Syriac
• Historical figures: St. Ephrem the Syrian, St. Jacob of Serugh
• Head: Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai of Antioch and all the East

Worship with Us — Divine Liturgy and Divine Office

The parish celebrates the Maronite Divine Liturgy on weekends and weekdays, with Vespers on Tuesday evenings and Feast Days. Confessions are heard before the Saturday vigil liturgy.

• Saturday Vigil — 4:00 pm
• Sunday — 8:30 am and 10:30 am
• Monday – Thursday — 12:15 pm
• Feast Days — 7:00 pm
• Vespers — Tuesday 6:00 pm (parish website) / Wednesday 7:00 pm (Eparchy directory); Feast Days 6:00 pm
• Confessions — Saturday 3:30–3:55 pm

Parish Office and Staff

Parish office hours are Monday through Thursday, 1:00–4:00 pm. Office phone is 724-437-5589; fax is 724-437-3819; email is [email protected]. Three subdeacons assist the pastor in liturgical and pastoral ministry.

• Pastor: Rev. Fr. Aaron J. Sandbothe
• Subdeacon Thomas R. George
• Subdeacon Charles Machesky
• Subdeacon Charles Michael
• Office phone: 724.437.5589
• Office fax: 724.437.3819
• Email: [email protected]

Adult Faith Formation

The parish runs an ongoing Adult Faith Formation series that meets in the Parish Rectory. Sessions begin with Evening Prayer at 6:00 pm followed by formation, and all are welcome — members and seekers alike.

• Tuesday Adult Faith Formation at 6:00 pm in the Parish Rectory
• Evening Prayer precedes the formation talk

Parish Life, Ministries, and Outreach

St. George runs a remarkably full roster of parish organizations — many founded by Father Gregory Mansour in the 1980s and 1990s — that still flourish today. The Maronite Youth Organization (MYO) hosted a fundraiser dinner in May 2025 supporting Acts of Kindness Lebanon. Long-time parish leaders such as Sylvia Roger (65 years as organist) and the Gabriel, George, Nickman, Macar, and Roger families have shaped the parish across generations.

• Ladies Guild, Men's Holy Name Society, Young Ladies Sodality
• Altar Rosary Society, Order of Saint Sharbel, Massabki Award
• Music Ministry, Liturgical Commission, Lectors, Ushers, Altar Servers
• Maronite Youth Organization (MYO) and Maronite Young Adults
• Religious Education / Catechism, Summer Bible School, basketball leagues
• Bingo Committee, Church Committee, Parish Council, Archives Committee
• Knights of Columbus, Lebanese Club
• Outreach: Acts of Kindness Lebanon

Facilities and Buildings

The 2016 renovation project — overseen by Alan George, Arthur Gabriel, James Nickman Sr., Dr. Michael George, and James Nickman Jr. with the approval of Bishop Mansour and Chor Bishop Michael Thomas — transformed the parish campus. Inside the church: a new altar, a restroom and prayer room near the sanctuary. Outside: a memorial portico in honor of a deceased member of the Lebanese Club, a renovated bell tower, and a rosary garden in memory of deceased members of the Altar Rosary Society. Downstairs: classrooms, conference room, archive room (organized by Macar with parish history and artifacts), a commercial kitchen dedicated to Martha Dolores Zhour John George, and a parish hall renovation dedicated to Arthur and Millicent Gabriel. The parking lot was repaved with new lighting.

• 1967-built current church at 6 Lebanon Terrace
• 2016 $1.1 million renovation
• New altar, prayer room, renovated bell tower, rosary garden
• Parish hall, commercial kitchen, classrooms, archive room, conference room
• Repaved and re-lit parking lot

Contact and Visit

St. George Maronite Church is located at 6 Lebanon Terrace, Uniontown, PA 15401, in the Laurel Highlands of Southwest Pennsylvania. The parish office can be reached at 724.437.5589 (fax 724.437.3819) or by email at [email protected]. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 1:00–4:00 pm. The parish invites anyone seeking a new spiritual home — across Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia — to worship with them.

• Address: 6 Lebanon Terrace, Uniontown, PA 15401
• Phone: 724.437.5589
• Fax: 724.437.3819
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.stgeorgeuniontown.org
• Office Hours: Mon–Thu, 1:00–4:00 pm