Michel Hakim

OBITUARY Mgr. MICHEL HAKIM 1921 - 2006 "O Christ God, with the Saints, grant rest to the soul of your servant, the High Priest Michel, in a place where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing, but everlasting life." Please pray for the repose of the soul of Archbishop Michel Hakim, B.S.O. who left us to be with his Lord on Wednesday, November 22, 2006. Funeral services will be presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III in our Cathedral in Montreal on Saturday, November 25, 2006. Archbishop Hakim was born in Maghdushee, Lebanon on April 21, 1921. He completed his general and theological studies at the St-Sauveur Seminary in Lebanon. He was ordained as a Priest on November 10, 1947. Mgr Hakim was the principal of the Bab-el-Mousalla school in Damas from 1948-1954. In 1955 he was named as priest to the St-Joseph parish in Zahle where he contributed greatly to the catholic youth education and catholic youth workforce groups. From 1966 to 1969, he furthered his education in Paris, at the Catholic Institute and the Sorbonne. He was elected as General Superior to the Basilian Order of St. Sauveur in 1974, and ordained as bishop of Saida and Deir-el-Kamar on September 10, 1977. In 1980, upon request from the Holy Father Jean-Paul II, he founded the first canadian Diocese of Greek-Melkite Catholics, and later became the organization's Archbishop in 1984. In 1998 he retired at the age of seventy-seven. Condolences will be received at: 1255 Beaumont, Montreal where Mgr Michel Hakim will be resting Thursday, November 23, 2006 from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, November 24, 2006, he will be resting at the Notre-Dames Des Anges Church, 5621 Gouin O. as of 3 p.m. and Saturday November 25, 2006, as of 9 a.m. A religious service presided by S.B. the Patriarch Gregorios III Laham will be held at 10:30 a.m. May his memory live on eternally.