ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the post-migratory experience of the aforementioned Arab-Christian groups by first detailing the formation and organizational structures of the religious institutions established subsequent to arrival in Brazil. It identifies a number of debilitating factors that have impacted Arab-Christian communities in the decades subsequent to their settlement in this country. The chapter treats the Arab-Christian struggle to articulate a specific identity that stands out against the background noise of the still dominant Roman Catholicism. In Brazil, aside from the dominant Roman Catholicism, some institutions are currently vying for the Christian religious space within the community of immigrants who spoke Arabic in their country of origin. Maronites are the largest group of Arabic-speaking immigrants considered Uniate; that is, Eastern Catholic Christians who accept and recognize papal authority primarily because of their strong identity with the Lebanese colony throughout Brazil. The chapter also identifies a number of contemporary challenges faced by descendants of Arab-Christian migrants in Brazil.
