In the IV century, Saint Maron attracted various disciples who, after his death, founded the monastery of Apamea, not far from Aleppo. In the VIII century, the community, followed by many faithful, moved to the mountains of Lebanon looking for protection from religious discrimination. This group evolved into a Church with autonomous administration and hierarchy. The bishop was called Patriarch of Antioch and the East.

    The Maronite Church renewed its communion with Rome at the time of the Crusades (1182), a communion that the Maronite Church considers always existing since there was never a division because of heresy or schism. The Maronite Church is the only example of an oriental Church without a correspondent Orthodox community. The Maronite Church is still strong in Lebanon (850.000 people), yet, the majority of faithful live in the Diaspora (3.000.000 people). The Patriarch lives in Bkerke, near Beirut and always takes the name of Peter to underline the connection with Antioch.
The Maronite Church has a considerable number of priests and a good number of local religious institutes. Monks, always at the heart of Maronite spirituality, are numerous. At the moment, the Church is renovating its liturgy. Of the 62 anaphoras (liturgical prayers) the Missal has kept six, those linked to saints Peter, James, Mark, Justus and the Twelve Apostles. The liturgy is in Arabic.
    The Maronite Church in the Holy Land is present with the Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land (since 1966), and the Exarchate of Jerusalem and Jordan (since 1895). The presence of Maronites in Jerusalem goes back to the XVI century. Today, four female Maronite religious institutes are present in the Holy Land.