Sleiman Hajjar

Bishop Sleiman Hajjar, 51, the eparch or leader of Greek Melkite Catholics in Canada, drowned off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on March 10 while on vacation. Several weeks earlier, he and the Anglican primate, Archbishop Michael Peers, had met in Toronto and toured a bakery that is a joint mission of the Melkite and Carpatho-Russian Orthodox churches. The Melkite and Anglican churches have explored closer relations. Bishop Hajjar was born in Lebanon and graduated from St. Joseph University and from the Pontifical University of the Holy Spirit in Lebanon. He was ordained in 1979 and served in Lebanon before coming to Canada in 1995. He was consecrated a bishop in 1998. “He won the affection and esteem of all those who got to know him, because of his pastoral zeal, his generosity, his wisdom and his tireless efforts in uniting his diverse flock,” read his obituary notice. He had also been working on the organization of World Youth Day, a Catholic youth event that will take place in July in Toronto.