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BORN
1936
DIED
2025
Dominic Ashkar Obituary
He was born on September 25, 1936 in Brumana, Lebanon, the son of a priest, Father Tobia Ashkar and his wife Rachide. He was preceded in death by them, his two brothers, Emil & Faik, and his sister Abla. He is survived by his three sisters, Julie, with whom he lived for many years in the USA, Nadia & Caroline, his sister-in-law Sileya, his nephew Gergi, his wife Katia & their family, his niece Monique & her husband Christophe.
After serving in several other parishes across the US, ChorBishop Ashkar served Our Lady of Lebanon and the DC community for nearly 4 decades. He founded the first Maronite Catechism, the Maronite Youth Organization & Maronite Young Adults. Author of many theological books including "We the Epiclesis People" & "Road to Emmaus: A New Model for Catechesis." Under his pastorship he built Our Lady of Lebanon Church in DC, he served the sick at Walter Reed & at NIH where he continued to serve the sick daily throughout the COVID-19 pandemic while he was well into his 80s, & he buried our soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
ChorBishop will be buried in Lebanon, but a Viewing and Funeral Divine Liturgy is planned at Our Lady of Lebanon Church in Washington, DC. The Viewing is on Sunday, March 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. with Incense Service at 7:30 p.m. The Funeral Divine Liturgy is on Monday, March 10, at 11 a.m. Our heartfelt condolences go to Julie & his family. Condolences can be sent to them at 7810 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20012. www.stmaron.org
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Memories and Condolences
for Dominic Ashkar
6 Entries
Sharon Beidinger
April 13, 2025
I'm so sad to see he passed away, he was always there for me when I came to the NIH and helped me through my surgery and other treatments. Hope he is still pulling lollipops out of saints ears
KG
March 6, 2025
I am so sorry for your great loss of our dear Sayedna ChorBishop Ashkar, may his prayers be with you, Julie, Nadia, and Carolene, in heaven as they were on earth.
He was a resolute man, he knew who was not listening and who had ears to hear, he knew who was sick and who was in need of some correction, he wanted to be of service and to serve.
ChorBishop served the sick, as in the 5th pic above with the thank you note from NIH, where he continued to serve daily as a Chaplain during the COVID-19 pandemic even though he was over 80, just so that no one felt abandoned.
ChorBishop was a founder (first Maronite Catechism, Maronite Youth Organization and Maronite Young Adults, which he originally pronounced as 'my-yo' and 'my-ya') and a builder:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/02/28/religious-rarity-church-to-be-erected-in-district/13873be7-b3fb-4b14-b81b-6288bd35698b/
ChorBishop was also a chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery, where he buried our soldiers, lieutenants and even generals, here is a news release from the Army which quotes him while he presided over the burial of 'Marvelous Mal':
https://www.army.mil/article/169883/marvelous_mal_laid_to_rest
We miss you, Sayedna ChorBishop, I miss you, you are in our prayers until surely soon, you will be praying for us as you did when you were with us on earth.
You've entered the 3rd womb to enter Eternal Life, thank you for, as you would put it, 'loving and living our great Syriac Antiochene Maronite tradition.'
GNG
March 6, 2025
ChorBishop Dominic Ashkar presiding for the burial services of our departed soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery,
he only wanted to serve
his life desire was fulfilled
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Gabriel Gubash
March 6, 2025
ChorBishop Dominic Ashkar with an audience with Saint Pope John Paul II the Great.
Two greats meet.
Gabriel Gubash
March 6, 2025
With a heavy heart I give my prayers and condolences to Julie, Nadia, Caroline, and the entire Ashkar family for your great loss of our Sayedna ChorBishop Dominic Ashkar. He is a saint, he was full of love, he was one of a kind. He always warned, "we are born originals, but die carbon copies." There was no one like Sayedna Ashkar, he followed the sacrificial, ascetical path of service as a true disciple of Saint Maron.
Thank you for giving your life for is.
Thank you for your pure heart that cared for us.
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