About St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church · Rancho Santa Fe, California
St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic (Maronite Rite) parish in the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, serving the Lebanese and broader Antiochian Syriac Catholic community of San Diego County from its principal church at 750 Medford Street in El Cajon, California. The parish also operates a North County Maronite mission — a chapel in effect — at the Church of the Nativity, 6309 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe, where the Maronite Divine Liturgy is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. The community preserves the Syriac-Maronite liturgical and cultural heritage, offers the Divine Liturgy primarily in Arabic and English, and is known for its annual Lebanese Festival that draws more than 8,000 visitors from across Southern California.
- Established
- 1989
- Patron
- Saint Ephrem the Syrian (Ephrem of Edessa / the 'Harp of the Holy Spirit'), Deacon and Doctor of the Church
- Rector
- Rev. Toufic Nasr (assigned June 2012)
- Diocese
- Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles (Maronite Catholic; part of the worldwide Antiochian Syriac Maronite Church, in full communion with Rome)
Why belong here
St. Ephrem offers a worshipping home for Maronite Catholics, Lebanese and other Middle Eastern Christians, and anyone drawn to the ancient Syriac-Maronite liturgical tradition in the San Diego region. The parish celebrates the Maronite Divine Liturgy in Arabic and English, hosts a major annual Lebanese Festival drawing thousands, runs a strong lineup of family and youth organizations (Jr. MYO, MYO, MYA, Ladies Guild, Men's Organization, Sororities of St. Rita and of the Immaculate Conception, Order of St. Sharbel), and welcomes Roman-Rite, Melkite and even non-Catholic Lebanese to a sense of belonging rooted in shared heritage.
Mass times at St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (call the parish office at (619) 337-1350)
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: 12:00 PM Eucharistic Adoration followed by Benediction at 6:00 PM (no First Friday adoration scheduled until September)
History of St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church
St. Ephrem was first envisioned in the early 1970s by Lebanese families and college students in the San Diego area who longed for a place to worship in the Maronite tradition. Fr. Denis Krouse, a Roman priest with bi-ritual faculties, began celebrating the Maronite Divine Liturgy in private homes. In 1989 Archbishop Francis Zayek approved the establishment of St. Ephrem Mission. The first permanent priest, Fr. Nabil Mouannes, arrived in 1991 and served for 21 years. After an unsuccessful land purchase in Del Mar in 1992, the community acquired its present El Cajon facility in 1999. Under Pastor Fr. Toufic Nasr (assigned June 2012), the parish built a community center (2020) and purchased four-plus acres in North County (2019) to expand its reach.
- Early 1970s: vision among Lebanese families and college students in San Diego
- Pre-1989: Maronite Liturgy celebrated in homes by Fr. Denis Krouse (bi-ritual Roman priest)
- 1989: St. Ephrem Mission established by Archbishop Francis Zayek
- 1991: Fr. Nabil Mouannes arrives as first permanent priest (served 21 years)
- 1992: Land purchased in Del Mar for a future church
- 1999: Present El Cajon property acquired after Del Mar plan was relinquished
- 2006: Two adjacent lots purchased (rental home + duplex/ADU development project)
- 2019: Four-plus acres purchased in North County for a future church
- 2020: Community center completed under Fr. Toufic Nasr
Clergy and Staff
St. Ephrem is served by Pastor Rev. Toufic Nasr, Visiting Priest Rev. Canon Thomas Thompson, and Deacons George Geagea and Georges Ghosn. Mary Ghosn serves as parish secretary. Fr. Toufic was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and formed at the Maronite Patriarchal Seminary in Ghazir, Our Lady of Lebanon Seminary in Washington, D.C., and Oblate College in Washington, D.C.
- Rev. Toufic Nasr — Pastor (since June 2012)
- Rev. Canon Thomas Thompson — Visiting Priest
- Deacon George Geagea
- Deacon Georges Ghosn
- Mary Ghosn — Parish Secretary
North County Mission — Church of the Nativity, Rancho Santa Fe
To serve Maronite Catholics living in North San Diego County, St. Ephrem celebrates the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Nativity (6309 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe) on the first Sunday of each month at 5:00 PM. The parish's 2019 purchase of more than four acres in North County reflects the long-term goal of building a dedicated Maronite church to serve this growing region.
- First Sunday of each month — 5:00 PM Divine Liturgy
- Address: 6309 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
- 2019 land purchase of 4+ acres earmarked for a future Maronite church in North County
Liturgical Schedule (Divine Liturgy)
The Maronite Divine Liturgy is celebrated in Arabic and English at the principal church in El Cajon on weekends and several weekdays throughout the week, with a separate monthly Liturgy at the North County mission chapel in Rancho Santa Fe.
- Saturday Vigil — 5:30 PM
- Sunday — 9:15 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday — 10:00 AM (Daily Divine Liturgy)
- Holy Days of Obligation — 7:30 PM
- First Sunday of the month — 5:00 PM at Church of the Nativity, Rancho Santa Fe
Parish Organizations and Apostolates
St. Ephrem's parish life is shaped by a wide array of long-standing lay organizations. The Sorority of St. Rita is the longest continuously active prayer organization in the parish's history, meeting the second Saturday of each month at 3:00 PM with fellowship, lunch, Arabic devotions to St. Rita, and the Divine Liturgy. Other groups include the Sorority of the Immaculate Conception, the Ladies Guild, the Men's Organization, the Order of St. Sharbel (which supports U.S. Maronite seminarians), and a vibrant slate of youth and young-adult organizations.
- Sorority of St. Rita
- Sorority of the Immaculate Conception
- St. Ephrem Church Ladies Guild
- St. Ephrem Men's Organization
- Order of St. Sharbel (supports Maronite seminarians at Our Lady of Lebanon Seminary, Washington, D.C.)
- Junior Maronite Youth Organization (Jr. MYO) — grades 5–8
- Maronite Youth Organization (MYO) — grades 9–12
- Maronite Young Adults Organization (MYA) — college freshman through age 30
- National Apostolate of Maronites (NAM)
- Parish Advisory Board
Faith Formation, Religious Education and Arabic School
The parish's Language and Religious Education Program combines Christian formation with Arabic-language instruction. Classes are held at the church on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM for students from preschool through eighth grade. A monthly Children's Liturgy complements the program, and religious instruction is also offered at Jr. MYO and MYO meetings.
- Saturdays 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
- Preschool through 8th grade
- Children's Liturgy held once a month
- Religious instruction integrated into Jr. MYO and MYO meetings
Sacraments / Sacred Mysteries
St. Ephrem prepares parishioners for all the Maronite Sacred Mysteries. Baptisms and Confirmations require at least one month's notice and a Baptism Preparation Class for parents and godparents; First Communion and First Confession are offered as a two-year course; Crownings (Marriages) require at least six months' notice and the parish's 'One in Christ' Pre-Cana course. The Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the pastor or deacons.
- Baptism / Confirmation — 1+ month advance notice; Baptism Prep Class required
- First Communion & First Confession — 2-year course (First Communion traditionally on the first Sunday in May, Feast of Our Lady of Lebanon)
- Marriage (Crowning) — 6+ months advance notice; 'One in Christ' Pre-Cana
- Anointing of the Sick — call Fr. Toufic, Deacon Georges, or parish office
- Holy Orders — speak with a priest; Vocations Office (404) 525-2504
- Other rites: Betrothal Ceremony, Blessing of a Newborn, Wakes and Burials
Annual Lebanese Festival
One of the most noteworthy events in the parish calendar is the annual Lebanese Festival, a three-day celebration held on the church grounds that draws more than 8,000 visitors from across greater San Diego County, Orange County, and Los Angeles County. The festival features traditional Lebanese dishes and gourmet sweets, live music, dancing, folkloric performances, a beer and wine garden, carnival games, and an annual raffle drawing.
- Three-day event on the church grounds
- 8,000+ visitors annually
- Traditional Lebanese food, sweets, live music, dancing, folkloric performances
- Beer and wine garden, carnival games, annual raffle drawing
61st Annual NAM Convention — San Diego 2026
St. Ephrem Church will host the 61st Annual National Apostolate of Maronites (NAM) Convention on July 2–5, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. NAM is the official lay apostolate of the Maronite Church in the USA and the only one of its kind in the world, serving as a unifying force among Maronite laity and a link between clergy and laity.
- Dates: July 2–5, 2026
- Venue: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
- Sponsored by NAM and hosted by St. Ephrem Church
Patron — St. Ephrem the Syrian
The parish is named for St. Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373 AD), the great deacon, hymnographer, and theologian of Edessa, known as the 'Harp of the Holy Spirit.' He is the only Syriac-speaking Doctor of the Church, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XV on October 5, 1920, with the title 'Doctor of the Syrians.' His Maronite feast day is June 18; in the Roman Catholic Ordinary Form his memorial is June 9, the traditional date of his death. He is foundational to Maronite spirituality, having written in Syriac — the liturgical language of the Maronite tradition.
- Deacon of Edessa, 4th century (c. 306–373 AD)
- Proclaimed Doctor of the Church on October 5, 1920 by Pope Benedict XV ('Doctor of the Syrians')
- Maronite feast day: June 18; Roman Catholic (Ordinary Form): June 9
- Only Syriac-speaking Doctor of the Church
Contact and Visiting
Parish Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The principal church is at 750 Medford Street, El Cajon, CA 92020. The North County Maronite mission chapel at the Church of the Nativity is located at 6309 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067.
- Parish phone: (619) 337-1350
- Email: [email protected]
- Principal church: 750 Medford St, El Cajon, CA 92020
- North County Mission (1st Sunday/month, 5 PM): 6309 El Apajo Rd, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Denis (Fr. Denis) Krousepre-1989 – c. 1989
Roman Catholic priest with bi-ritual faculties who began celebrating the Maronite Divine Liturgy in San Diego in family homes; helped found the community before formal mission status.
- Rev. Antoine Bachc. 1989 – c. 1991
Co-celebrated the Liturgy with Fr. Krouse after Archbishop Francis Zayek approved the establishment of St. Ephrem Mission in 1989.
- Rev. Nabil Mouannes1991 – 2012
First permanent priest of the community; served the parish for 21 years.
- Rev. Toufic Nasr2012 – present
Born in Beirut, Lebanon; formed at the Maronite Patriarchal Seminary (Ghazir, Lebanon), Our Lady of Lebanon Seminary (Washington, D.C.), and Oblate College (Washington, D.C.). Under his pastorate the parish built a community center (2020), acquired North County land (2019), and is hosting the 61st Annual NAM Convention in 2026.