Justin Najmy

Justin Najmy (1898 - 1968) was the first bishop for the United States in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Appointed exarch for the newly created Melkite diocese in the United States, Bishop Najmy served for two years before his death at age 70.

Biography

Justin Abraham Najmy was born April 23, 1898. Much of his family lives in New York and Florida (USA). He was ordained a priest of the Basilian Alepian Order on December 25, 1926. Moving to the United States, he served as pastor of St. Basil the Great Church in Central Falls, Rhode Island before his appointment as apostolic exarch on January 27, 1966. Najmy was consecrated titular bishop of Augustopolis-in-Phrygia by Archbishop Athanasios Toutoungi on May 29, 1966. The following month he was formally enthroned. He established his episcopal see at the Church of the Annunciation in suburban Boston, which became the cathedral for the newly created Diocese of Newton.

Bishop Najmy did not serve as exarch for long. He died of a heart attack on June 11, 1968 and was succeeded by Joseph Tawil. He is buried parish Cemetery of St. Basil the Great in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

See also

• Eparchy of Newton
• Melkite Greek Catholic Church
• Maximos IV Sayegh

External links

• Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem
• L'Église Melkite/The Melkite Church.
• Melkite Catholic Web Ring.
• Official Website of the Melkite Church in the US.
• Extensive history of the Melkite Church