Ignatius Ghattas, BS (25 December 1920 — 11 October 1992) was a Palestinian Catholic prelate who served as Eparch of Newton in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1990 to 1992.[1] He was a member of the Basilian Salvatorian Order.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Ignatius Ghattas

BS
Bishop
ChurchMelkite Greek Catholic
SeeEparchy of Newton, Massachusetts
In office23 February 1990—11 October 1992
PredecessorJoseph Tawil
SuccessorJohn Elya
Orders
Ordination1946
Consecration23 February 1990
Personal details
Born25 December 1920
Died11 October 1992 (aged 71)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.

Biography

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Ghattas was born in Nazareth in 1920 and raised in Maaloul.[2] He entered Holy Saviour monastery in Saida, Lebanon following his primary education and professed his religious vows in 1939. He was ordained a priest of the Basilian Salvatorian Order in 1946.[1] Following his ordination he taught Greek, Latin, English, French and mathematics.[3]

In 1952, he went to the United States to serve as assistant pastor of St. Elias parish in Cleveland, Ohio, and was appointed pastor in 1955.[4] Later he was elected bishop by the Holy Synod of the Melkite Church in July 1989 and approved by the Holy See on December 11. He was consecrated bishop on February 23, 1990, succeeding Archbishop Joseph Tawil as eparch.[5]

Ghattas founded the Order of Saint Nicholas in 1991, a regional lay order attached to the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton.[6]

He died in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1992, aged 71.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Catholic Hierarchy website, retrieved 5 November 2007
  2. ^ Memorial tribute to Bishop Ghattas Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 30 March 2008
  3. ^ "Archbishop Ignatius Ghattas, 71; spiritual leader of Melkites in US". The Boston Globe, 16 October 1992
  4. ^ St. Elias Church website Archived 2004-09-11 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 5 November 2007
  5. ^ Catholic Near East Welfare Association news item, "New Melkite Eparch", 1 April 1990[permanent dead link]. Note that the Eparch of Newton normally holds the title of Bishop; Abp. Tawil had had the personal title of Archbishop due to his prior service in another position.
  6. ^ "» the Order of St. Nicholas". Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  7. ^ "OBITUARY for Ignatius Ghattas, Eparch of Newton". The Boston Herald. October 16, 1992. p. 055. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2008-02-23.