The fighting between Abd-Al-Malik and Ibn-Al-Zubeir over the succession of the Umayyad dynasty took a toll on the people of the area, causing unemployment and inflation in the land. Add to that the famine and the plague which overwhelmed the population and destroyed a great number of the inhabitants in the region. During these difficult and trying times, Bishop John Maron tended to his flock, traveled between towns and villages, consoled the oppressed, sheltered the homeless and fed the hungry. Just like his master St. Maron, God had endowed him with a special gift of healing. John Maron would anoint the plagued and pray over the terminally ill and they would immediately be healed. In addition to being a compassionate healer, an excellent teacher and an effective preacher, he was also a respected political figure and an outstanding leader of his community.

John Maron resided in Batroun, a coastal Phoenician city, between Byblos and Tripoli. In his new Eparchy he continued to teach and preach, to establish new parishes, and to build beautiful churches. Organizing the Maradites and fortifying their stronghold, he protected his flock in this new homeland and inaugurated the cornerstone of the new Maronite Lebanese nation.

Patriarch
Because of the fighting which persisted in the seventh century, the indigenous Christian population in Syria dwindled. Several issues led to the massive migration from the war-torn Christian land. First there was the death of Patriarch Anastasius in 609A.D. Then the Persians invaded Syria and threatened to take Constantinople. Later, the Byzantine Empire claimed Syria back from the Persians only to surrender it after a short period to the Arab Conquest in 636A.D. Add to that the incessant fighting between the Arabs and the Byzantine Empire that lingered to the end of the century. Caught between persecution on the one hand and wrestling powers attempting to rule Syria on the other, it was no longer safe for the patriarch to live in Antioch. As a result, the patriarch moved to Constantinople and the patriarchal See became vacant. Between 640A.D. and 702.A.D., Macedonius, Macarius, Theophanus and Georgius were appointed titular patriarchs who were not able to fulfill their pastoral duties in Antioch proper.

The Maradites (2), upon which the Byzantine Empire depended for protection from the incursions of the Umayyad Dynasty, emerged as a strong military power. The Maradites who, in effect, were the Maronites, became so powerful that they were called: "The Brass Wall" because they shielded Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire from the constant attacks of the Arabs. Not having a shepherd and a leader living among them to direct their affairs, the Maronites felt abandoned and looked for a way to fill the void. Having military power and political clout, the Maronites seized this opportunity to elect John Maron Patriarch in 685A.D., a patriarch from their monastery to tend