A tiny but growing Maronite Community settled inthe Chinatown of Boston around the year 1890. In 1893, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of boston John Williams, realizing the spiritual needs of the Maronites assigned Father Gabriel Korkemaz to serve the community of the city and state. Two years later, Father Stephan Korkemaz, a cousin took over and was succeeded shortly after by Father Joseph Yazbek. At the time, the hundred families that formed the Maronite community worshipped at St. James Church on Harrison Ave. Father Yazbek bought a 4 story building on Tyler St., which he remodeled to include a chapel, a social hall and a priest's residence. Father Yazbek served the community until his death in 1925. Two co-pastors, Father Anthony Yazbek and Father Peter Sfeir succeeded Father Yazbek until the appointment of Chorbishop Stephen El-Douaihy in 1929. With the growing number of attendance in the tiny Our Lady of the Cedars, there was a need to expand. In 1935, a new location in the South End was bought by Chorbishop El-Douaihy. It served the needs of the parishoners until the Chorbishop's death in 1959 and after he had served the parish for 30 years. An interim administrator, Msgr. James Manning was appointed while the search for a pastor continued. In the meantime, and with the migration of the community to the suburbs, the building and the location proved to be inadequate and consequently the building was torn down and a search for a new location began. Simultaneously, two young student priests from Lebanon, Fathers Roland Aboujaoude and David Gabriel attended to the spiritual needs of the parish until Father David Gabriel was assigned tot he pastorate of the parish in 1964 and Father Roland Aboujaoude returned to Lebanon to establish St. Joseph School in Cornet Chahwan. To the young Father David was assigned the task of financing and building a new house for the Maronites and Our Lady. It is then that the late Richard Cardinal Cushing who, in his unlimited generosity gave Father Gabriel the property on Moss Hill and pledged $300,000 towards the building of the church. On Nov 2, 1969, the social hall which was rightfully named after the Cardinal's name was dedicated by him and served as a church, and a social hall. Shortly after this dedication, on Jan 16, 1970 Father Gabriel died unexpectedly. He was 37 years old but he had born a heavy cross and fell under it. The debt was too heavy to carry and the buildings and grounds needed more work. In the meantime, the administration of the Maronite Churches were passed on to the newly appointed bishop, His Excellency Francis M. Zayek. Realizing the financial problem of Our Lady of the Cedars and the enormous problem that needed to be resolved, Bishop Zayek turned to Father Joseph Lahoud to administer the parish in its new location. A new Chapter began for the Boston Maronites. Left without a church building, the parishoners worshipped in the hall until the debts were paid and plans were drawn for the new Our Lady of the Cedars. Father Lahoud enlisted the help of architect William Geddis and his daughter Barbara to draw the plans for the new church, which was dedicated in 1975. He also commissioned Saliba Doueihy, a renowned Lebanese artist to create the color-over-color glass windows depicting the history of the Maronites. Shortly after that he saw the need of an expansion to the community center in order to provide more meeting places and storage. At the same time, the parish turned is attention to war torn Lebanon and began working for peace. It welcomed Bishop Roland Aboujaoude as a representative of the Maronite Patriarch in 1976. It hosted a reception for Cardinal Anthony Peter Khoraiche in 1980 and for Cardinal Nasrallah Peter Sfeir in 1988. Both Patriarchs had come to plead the cause of Lebanon. Prior to that, it had welcomed in 1962 Patriarch Paul Meoushy. Simultaneously Our Lady of the Cedars welcomed also the former presidents of Lebanon, their Excellencies Elias Sarkis and Amine Gemayel, along with many other Lebanese and American dignitaries. But most of all, the attention was focused on helping the war-torn victims. Since its dedication in Jamaica Plain, Our Lady of the Cedars has hosted two conventions for the National Apostolate of the Maronites in 1973 and 1992. It also celebrated Chorbishop Lahoud's 25th anniversary or ordination to the priesthood in 1984, his elevation to the rank of Chorbishop in 1986 and his 25th anniversary at Our Lady of the Cedars in 1995. Being America's oldest Maronite Church, Our Lady of the Cedars celebrated its first centennial with the planting of one hundred cedar trees, a symbol of the church's roots and longevity. As Our Lady of the Cedars enters the 3rd millenium, it will remain a meeting place for all political and religious figures from Lebanon visiting the U.S. It will also witness death and marriages, listen to the spiritual melodies of the choir and inspired sermons while watching God's sunlight stream through the exquisite stained glass windows by Saliba Douaihy.