Maronite Churches in Australia

A city-by-city directory of Maronite parishes, where to find the Divine Liturgy near you

If you are looking for a Maronite church near you in Australia, this is the practical guide. Below is a directory of Maronite parishes organised by city, from Sydney's cathedral to the first Maronite church in Perth.

Every parish listed here belongs to a single jurisdiction, the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney. For the fuller story of how this community grew across three waves of migration, see our guide to Maronites in Australia. This page is about the churches themselves.

One Eparchy, Many Parishes

All Maronite churches in Australia fall under the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney, established in 1973. Its jurisdiction now covers Australia, New Zealand, and all of Oceania, and it is led by Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay.

The eparchy serves around seventeen churches and communities in Australia. Most sit in Sydney's western and inner suburbs, with further communities in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and regional centres. Wherever you go, the Maronite Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the same rite, most often in English and Arabic with Syriac chant.

Mass times and contact details change, so always confirm with the parish or the eparchy directly before you visit. The listings below name the churches and their suburbs so you can find the one closest to you.

Alongside the parishes, the eparchy runs schools, aged care homes, and welfare services, and two religious orders serve here as well. The Lebanese Maronite Order of Monks is based at Punchbowl in Sydney, and the Antonine Maronite Order serves Melbourne. Both bring the monastic life of Lebanon into the daily rhythm of the Australian Church.

Sydney

Sydney is the heart of the Maronite community in Australia, and most parishes are here. For a wider view of the community across the city, see Maronites in Sydney.

Saint Maroun's Cathedral, Redfern. The mother church of Australian Maronites and the seat of the eparchy. The parish dates from 1897, the oldest Maronite congregation in the country, and the present church, consecrated in 1965, is where the bishop presides.

Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral, Harris Park. The largest Maronite parish in Australia, in the heart of western Sydney's Lebanese community. Opened in 1978 and raised to a co-cathedral in 2014, it serves thousands of families. Read more about Our Lady of Lebanon in Harris Park.

Saint Charbel's Monastery and Church, Punchbowl. Home of the Lebanese Maronite Order of Monks in Australia since 1972, and one of the most visited Maronite sites in the country. In 2024 it welcomed relics of Saint Charbel before thousands of faithful. More on Saint Charbel's Monastery in Punchbowl.

Saint Maroun's, Dulwich Hill. A parish serving the Maronite community of Sydney's inner west, alongside its long-established college.

Saint Joseph's, Croydon. A parish in Sydney's inner west.

Saint George's, Thornleigh. Serves Maronite families in Sydney's Upper North Shore and Hills region.

Saint Raymond's, Auburn. Established in 2017 to serve the growing community in Sydney's west.

Saint Rafqa's, Austral. A parish in Sydney's south-west, named for the Maronite mystic and saint Rafqa.

Christ the Redeemer, The Hills District. A parish established in 2015 for the expanding Maronite population in the Hills.

Saint John Paul II Chapel, Ryde. A chapel serving Maronites in Sydney's north.

Melbourne and Victoria

Victoria's Maronite community is served from Melbourne's northern suburbs. For the broader picture, see Maronites in Melbourne.

Saint Charbel Parish, Greenvale. Run by the Antonine Maronite Order, this is the principal Maronite parish in Melbourne. The Antonine mission in Victoria began in 1998 and moved to Coburg in 2002. In recent years the community has developed a new church, monastery, and community centre at Greenvale in the city's north.

Our Lady of Lebanon, Melbourne. A long-standing eparchial parish serving Maronite families across the city.

Adelaide and South Australia

Saint Maroun's, Adelaide. The Maronite community in South Australia has been served since 1972, when its first parish priest, Fr Joseph Ndaira, arrived to gather the faithful. The parish remains the home of Maronite worship in Adelaide.

Brisbane and Queensland

Saint Maroun's, Brisbane. The parish serving the Maronite community of Queensland. Brisbane's Lebanese Christian community has its own eparchial parish for the Divine Liturgy and the sacraments. For the wider community story, see Maronites in Brisbane.

Perth and Western Australia

Saint Charbel's, East Cannington. The first Maronite church in Western Australia. A former Catholic church was renovated for the Maronite community and dedicated by Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay in July 2023, a milestone that coincided with the eparchy's golden jubilee. It gives Perth's Maronites a permanent home of their own. For the wider community story, see Maronites in Perth.

Wollongong and the Canberra Region

South of Sydney, the eparchy serves two regional communities with parishes of their own.

Our Lady of Lebanon, Wollongong. The Maronite parish of the Illawarra, based at Lake Heights near Wollongong and established as a parish in 1983. It serves Lebanese families who have been part of the region since the early waves of migration.

Our Lady of Mercy, Goulburn. A historic church and monastery acquired by the eparchy and opened in 2023 as the spiritual home of Maronites across the Goulburn and Canberra region. There is no dedicated parish inside Canberra itself, so families from the capital and Queanbeyan travel to Goulburn for the Divine Liturgy.

What to Expect When You Visit

A Maronite Mass will feel familiar to any Catholic and yet distinct. The rite is ancient, tracing back to the early Church of Antioch, and it carries the Syriac language of Jesus in some of its most sacred moments.

Most parishes celebrate the liturgy in a blend of English and Arabic, with the Syriac words of consecration sung in the old tongue. Newcomers are welcome, and you do not need to be Lebanese or Maronite to attend. The larger Sydney parishes offer several liturgies each weekend, while smaller communities may gather once. If you are new to the rite, our guide to the Maronite Divine Liturgy explains what happens and why.

How to Find Your Parish

If your city is not listed, the eparchy still cares for Maronites everywhere in its territory. Many communities without a dedicated church are visited by travelling priests or attend the nearest parish.

The simplest way to confirm the closest Maronite church and its current Mass times is to contact the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney or the parish directly. When you arrive, you will find the same liturgy prayed in Punchbowl, Greenvale, or East Cannington, rooted in the Maronite tradition that travelled from Lebanon and never lost its voice.

How to Check Mass Times

Mass times change with seasons, feasts, and clergy moves, so this directory deliberately lists no times. Check the parish's own website or social media pages, where most parishes post their weekly schedule, or the Maronite Eparchy of Australia's site at maronite.org.au for parish contact details. A quick call to the parish office is still the most reliable way to confirm before you travel, especially around major celebrations such as the feast of Saint Charbel in Sydney.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Maronite churches are in Australia?

The Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney serves around seventeen churches and communities across Australia. Most are clustered in Sydney, with further parishes in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and regional centres such as Wollongong and Goulburn. New parishes have been added steadily since 2015.

Where is the Maronite cathedral in Australia?

Saint Maroun's Cathedral in Redfern, Sydney, is the cathedral and seat of the Maronite Eparchy. Its parish was founded in 1897, and it is the mother church of the community in Australia. Our Lady of Lebanon in Harris Park serves as the co-cathedral and is the largest Maronite parish in the country.

Is there a Maronite church in Melbourne?

Yes. Saint Charbel Parish in Greenvale, run by the Antonine Maronite Order, serves the Maronite community of Victoria, alongside Our Lady of Lebanon parish. The Antonine mission in Melbourne began in 1998 and has grown with a monastery, church, and community centre.

Is there a Maronite church in Perth or Brisbane?

Yes to both. Saint Charbel's Church in East Cannington is the first Maronite church in Western Australia, dedicated in July 2023. Brisbane is served by a Saint Maroun parish for the Maronite community of Queensland.

Is there a Maronite church in Wollongong?

Yes. Our Lady of Lebanon parish, based at Lake Heights, has served the Maronite community of Wollongong and the Illawarra since 1983. It is the eparchy's parish for the region south of Sydney.

Is there a Maronite church in Canberra?

There is no Maronite parish inside Canberra itself. The closest is Our Lady of Mercy in Goulburn, a church and monastery opened by the eparchy as the spiritual home of Maronites across the Goulburn and Canberra region, about an hour from the capital.

What eparchy do Australian Maronite churches belong to?

Every Maronite parish in Australia belongs to the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney, an Eastern Catholic eparchy in full communion with Rome. Its jurisdiction covers Australia, New Zealand, and all of Oceania, and it is currently led by Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay.