Elya, a native of Maghdouché, Lebanon, entered the Melkite Basilian Salvatorian Order, where he professed his solemn vows in 1949.

On 25 November 1993 he was appointed Eparch of Newton, succeeding the deceased Bishop Ignatius Ghattas.

[2] The Vatican had taken a restrictive view of ordaining married men to the priesthood in the Eastern Catholic churches of North America.

Previously, North American married Melkites had gone overseas for ordination and returned as parish priests.

In 2011 the Melkite Eparchy formally announced it was not observing the Vatican restriction of married men in the priesthood and in 2014, Pope Francis ended the prohibition.