It all started when…

At the turn of the century Maronites from Lebanon began to immigrate to the outlying towns southwest of Philadelphia, and forming small communities in Coatesville, Downingtown, Broomall and Chester.  These clusters of immigrants formed a network of families who shared information, jobs, births, weddings and even deaths together.  As this immigration intensified in the seventies during the years of civil strife in Lebanon, the Maronites needed a spiritual home to serve as the heart of their expanding community.

In November of 1982, the old Llangollen Swim Club on Route 252 in Newtown Square was sold at auction to Joseph Barakat Sr. for $308,000.  As a Maronite who immigrated from Jaj, a small mountain village in Lebanon, he immediately donated the Swim Club to St. Maron Maronite Church in South Philadelphia with the provision that a new Maronite Church be establish at the site to serve the expanding community of Maronites in the area.  So in early 1983, Msgr. Sharbel Lischaa inaugurated St. Sharbel’s Community Center.  The pool was renovated, as a source of funding for the community, and once a month Msgr. Lischaa would come out from St. Maron’s to celebrate Liturgy for the people.  Plans were drawn up and Archbishop Francis M. Zayek came to bless the grounds.  Sadly, though, Joseph Barakat Sr. passed away on July 23rd, 1985, the Feast of St. Sharbel, and much of the enthusiasm for building died with him.

In 1987 Fr. Antoine El-Maghariki, a Lebanese Monk came to America in need of a kidney transplant.  He stayed with Lillian Dow and her family in Lansdowne, offering Mass each day in her living room.  On Sundays, many of the Maronites in the area would join them.  By this time Msgr Lischaa’s health was also failing and he could no longer offer Liturgy at the Swim Club each month.  So it was agreed that Fr. El-Maghariki would staff St. Sharbel’s Mission until he was recalled to Lebanon.

Around this time the old home next to the Swim Club was renovated to function as a rectory for the priest upstairs, while the basement was converted into a chapel.  Parishioners donated the furnishings, and Christopher Shahadi did much of the remodeling.

Two years passed and Fr. El-Maghariki’s surgery was successful.  The time had come for him to return to his duties in Lebanon.  So Fr. Antoine Saad was called out retirement to serve temporarily at St. Sharbel’s.  This temporary assignment lasted five years, from 1989 to 1994.  In June of that year, Fr. Louis Baz came to administer St. Sharbel’s Mission, under the bishop’s director to evaluate the future potential of the community.  He concluded that there was enough support to build a church, but first they would have to sell a portion of the club to finance the construction.  This angered the family managing the pool for the church, and an argument ensued.  Fr. Baz left the Mission disgusted at the year’s end.

Fr. Paul Mooradd arrived to administer St. Sharbel’s on January 5, 1995.  After some consultation with the parishioners it was decided to build a church on the grounds of the Swim Club.  But unfortunately, the water table was very close to the surface of this property, which rendered that plan too costly for the resources of the parish.

On March 1, 1996, the Swim Club was sold to the neighboring restaurant, Alberto’s for $900,000.  On that same day, St. Sharbel’s also bought a colonial home including 4.5 acres on Providence Road, which overlooked a small valley for $500,000.  Almost immediately, Thomas Dever was retained as an architect and blueprints were developed for a church with a lower level to be constructed over the stone foundation of the old barn.  Meanwhile, the parishioners gathered in the living room of the 250-year old farmhouse each Sunday for Liturgy.

Before the actual purchase of its scenic new property, starting back in November of 1995, Fr Paul sought to obtain for St. Sharbel’s the necessary township approvals for zoning and development.  Despite some initial resistance by the town to the construction of the church, tractors began clearing the site on the First Friday of September 1996.  By June of 1997 the church parking lot, the storm water drains, and the septic system were all established.  Almost one year later, in August of 1997 all the legal hurdles had been overcome.  At this time Bruce Fretz and Andy Vasco of R&R Kelly Associates were selected as our General contractors.  They began erecting the church building itself in late November of the same year. 

In the midst of all these preparations for St. Sharbel’s church, Archbishop Zayek retired and Bishop Stephen Hector Doueihi was chosen as his successor.  In late February of 1997, just after assuming his new office, Bishop Doueihi met with Fr. Paul to evaluate the status of St. Sharbel’s.  He decided at that time to continue developing plans for St. Sharbel’s church, despite the considerable uncertainty concerning its finances.  He sealed his decision on April 6, 1997 by visiting the people of St. Sharbel’s and formally blessing the site of the future church. 

The continued construction of the church was carried throughout the winter months of early 1998, and by March the financing by Jefferson Bank and Beneficial Savings was secured.  Because of the mild winter, work progressed rapidly until the opening of the church on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul in late June for the community’s first Liturgy celebration.  Final details of the building were completed on August 14, 1998, on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption as the Medallion of St. Sharbel was installed above the main door and the gold-domed steeple was lifted into place.  St. Sharbel was consecrated by Bishop Doueihi on November 7, 1998.  This was the culmination of 15 years of work, and it was a sign of heaven’s blessing that the Consecration will occur during the Centennial Anniversary Year of St. Sharbel’s death.

Father Paul Mouawad was appointed as Pastor of St. Sharbel from 2006 To 2014.  In 2014, Fr. Paul suffered a medical emergency.   In 2014, Fr. Raymond Khallouf succeeded as the Parish Administrator from 2014 to 2016, where he was replaced by Fr. Tony Mouanes from 2016 to 2018.  On 2018, Father Joseph Abisaad was asked to be St. Sharbel’s Parish Administrator and is still currently serving the parish.