The Maronites, Eastern Catholics, derive their name from the celebrated Saint Maron [350-410 A.D.] who lived in Apamea in what is now Syria. There, leading the life of a hermit, he guided a number of disciples and many lay followers who embraced his way of life.
These followers came to be called the Maronites. Centered in Lebanon, they are in ecclesiastical communion with the Roman Pontiff. Maronite communities also exist in Cyprus, Palestine, Syria, South Africa, Canada, Australia, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and France. One famous Maronite author and painter in the United States is Gibran Khalil Gibran who wrote the celebrated book: The Prophet.
