He was awarded a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Ottawa and a doctorate of theology from Saint Paul University in Ottawa. He has taught courses on the Eastern Catholic Churches and Christianity in the Middle East.
He was ordained a priest in 1998, the first ever for the eparchy of Saint-Sauveur de Montreal of the Greek-Melkites. He served as deputy parish priest of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Ottawa.
In 2011 he was incardinated in the eparchy of Newton of the Greek-Melkites, where he was elected member of the Presbyteral Council and appointed as parish priest of the Holy Cross Melkite Catholic Church in Placentia, Calif.
Besides English, he knows French, German and Arabic.
The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope. It is based in the Syrian capital of Damascus, but has eparchies in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Venezuela, and the U.S.
The Melkite Synod, a meeting of Catholic bishops from Syria and Lebanon, took place in Rome at the end of June, and included a meeting with Pope Francis.
Pope Francis also accepted the resignation of the 78-year-old Bishop Nicholas James Samra, 78, who was bishop of the Eparchy of Newton since 2011. Canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the Pope when they turn 75
Catholic News Agency with local files
