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His Grace, The Most Reverend John Adel Elya, B.S.O.
Eparchial Bishop of Newton
Church Melkite Greek Catholic Church
Diocese Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton
Enthroned January 25, 1994
Reign ended June 22, 2004
Predecessor Ignatius Ghattas
Successor Cyril Salim Bustros
Orders
Ordination February 17, 1952
Consecration June 29, 1986
by Maximos V Hakim, Joseph Tawil and Michel Hakim
Personal details
Born 16 September 1928
Maghdouché, Lebanon
Died 19 July 2019(2019-07-19) (aged 90)
Joun, Lebanon
Previous post Auxiliary Eparch of Newton
Titular Bishop of Abila Lysaniae
Motto That all may be one
Styles of
John Adel Elya, B.S.O.
Mitre (plain).svg
Reference style
Spoken style His Grace
Religious style Eparch

John Adel Elya (born September 16, 1928 – died July 19, 2019) was an important leader in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. From 1993 to 2004, he served as the Eparch of Newton. An eparch is like a bishop who leads a group of churches in a specific area. Bishop Elya was in charge of the Melkite churches across the United States.

About Bishop Elya's Life

Early Life and Education

John Adel Elya was born in Maghdouché, a town in Lebanon. When he was young, he joined a religious group called the Basilian Salvatorian Order. He made his official promises to the order in 1949.

After studying deeply about philosophy and religion, he became a priest on February 17, 1952. He later earned a special degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He also taught important subjects like moral theology and philosophy in a monastery in Lebanon. For a time, he was also in charge of a seminary (a school for training priests) in Methuen, Massachusetts.

Serving as a Priest

Bishop Elya served as a parish priest in many different places. He worked in Zerka, Jordan, helping the local church community. Later, he moved to North America.

He was a pastor in churches in Manchester, New Hampshire, Toronto, Ontario, and Lawrence, Massachusetts. He also led the Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral in Roslindale, Massachusetts. While working as a priest in the United States, he continued his education and earned a master's degree from Boston College.

Becoming a Bishop

In 1977, John Elya was given the title of archimandrite, which is a high rank for a priest. He was then appointed as a titular Bishop of Abilene of Lysanias. This means he was given the title of a bishop for a historical place, but he didn't lead a church there. Instead, he served as an auxiliary (a helper) to the Eparch of Newton.

On November 25, 1993, he was chosen to become the Eparch of Newton. He took over from Bishop Ignatius Ghattas, who had passed away. Bishop Elya officially began his role on January 25, 1994. He served as the eparch until he retired on June 22, 2004. After his retirement, Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros became the new eparch.

Important Change for Priests

In 1996, Bishop Elya made a very important decision. He ordained a married man to become a priest. This was a big step because, at that time, there were some rules that made it difficult for married men to become priests in Eastern Catholic churches in North America.

Before this, if a married Melkite man wanted to become a priest, he often had to travel overseas for his ordination. Bishop Elya was the first to ordain a married man right there in the United States. This helped change things for the future. In 2011, the Melkite Eparchy officially announced that they would not follow the old rule about married men. Later, in 2014, Pope Francis ended the prohibition for good.

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Honors and Titles

Bishop Elya was recognized for his service. He held the title of Grand Prior for the United States Province of the Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem. This is an honor given for special service.

More to Explore

  • Gregory III Laham, a former leader of the Melkite Church
  • Joseph Tawil, another former eparch
  • Melkite Christianity in Lebanon, to learn more about his home country's church

Leadership Roles

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Ignatius Ghattas
Eparch of Newton
1994–2004
Succeeded by
Cyril Salim Bustros
Preceded by
Auxiliary Eparch of Newton
1986–1994
Succeeded by
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