A Biography of Metropolitan Elias Kurban (1926-2009)

The following is taken from today's edition of the Lebanese newspaper an-Nahar, which is owned by the Orthodox Tueni family. The Arabic original can be found here. Another summary of his life, written by Metropolitan Phillip of the Archdiocese of North America can be found here.

Here is a short summary of the life of the Metropolitan of Tripoli and al-Koura for the Greek Orthodox, Elias Kurban:

-- Born in 1926 in Ein al-Sindyaneh, Dahour al-Shoueir, Lebanon.
-- Ordained deacon in 1946 by the thrice-merciful Patriarch Alexander Tahhan in the Church of the Cross in Damascus. He continued to serve there until 1948.
--Came to Beirut in 1949 and served its church as a deacon. He studied in the American University and graduated with a diploma of higher studies in history.
--Travelled to the United States of America in 1954 and served as a deacon at the Cathedral of St. Nicolas in Brookyln. He enrolled in St. Vladimir’s Seminary and received a degree in theology.
-- The thrice-merciful Metropolitan Anthony Bashir ordained him to the priesthood for the parish in Boston in the United States in 1957, where he served for five years.
-- The Holy Synod elected him metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Tripoli, al-Koura, and their dependencies, on February 10, 1962. The thrice-merciful Patriarch Theodosios VI consecrated him on March 18, 1962. He would continue to serve the Archdiocese until his last breath.
-- He wrote studies and articles in various Orthodox papers and journals, as well as a number of books, including “The Orthodox Patriarchal Crisis: 1890-1900” and a series of booklets about the Church’s Holy Mysteries.
--The archdiocese witnessed a material and spiritual renaissance under his tenure, including all the parishes, the schools, the technical institutes, charitable institutes, centers for the mentally disabled, homes for the elderly, health centers, and a school of church music.
-- He built a new metropolitan complex in Tripoli after the destruction and burning of the old complex in al-Zahiriyya during the painful events in Tripoli in 1985. Likewise, he erected many new churches and parish halls in each parish of the archdiocese.