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Metr. Germanos Shehadi of Zahle and Baalbek

Metropolitan Germanos Shehadi of Zahle originally came to the United States before the death of St. Raphael of Brooklyn (1915) to raise funds for a project in his diocese in Lebanon. After Raphael's death, however, he openly campaigned to become his successor in leading the Syro-Antiochian parishes in America, eventually forming his own rogue diocese in 1916.

Despite numerous orders of recall from the Antiochian synod in Damascus to return to shepherding his own diocese, Germanos remained in America, leading various groups of Antiochians and also, for a time, a Ukrainian faction, until he finally departed in 1933. During his time in America, he was a major rival to and nemesis of Abp. Aftimios Ofiesh, Raphael's official successor.

Much of Germanos's success amongst the Syro-Antiochians was based not only on his fine singing voice and great charisma, but also because he was well known and related to many clergy and parishioners from the Zahle region. As a result, many of Germanos's parishes eventually became part of the Toledo Archdiocese under Metr. Samuel David, another son of Zahle.

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Uploaded on Mar 7, 2009

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