Since the foundation, late in the nineteenth century, of Zahret el Ihsan school and Saint Catherine’s Monastery, a large central hall in the monastery served as a place of worship for the nuns, the students and the orphans that the convent sheltered. The religious offices, with the exception of the [[Eucharist]], took place in this hall. For the Sunday mass and the great feasts, the nuns and the students went on foot to the neighbouring churches: Saint Nicholas and Saint Dimitri. The [[Akathist]] of the Theotokos (called Χαιρέτισμα) that was celebrated the first five Fridays of the [[great Lent]] and the [[Matins]] of the Holy Saturday (Lamentations called Επιτάφιος Θρήνος,) celebrated on [[Holy Week|Holy Friday]] evening, attracted a great number of believers who came from different regions of Beirut.

In 1976 and with the beginning of the civil war in Lebanon, the Saint Catherine’s church became parochial when the [[metropolitan]] of Beirut H.E. Elia (born Saliby) designated Father Elia (born Issa; 1916 – 2003) as pastor of the [[church]] and the new parish, and Mr Elias Geahchan (1910 – 2006) as church’s mandatary.