Maronite Voice. A Publication of the Maronite Eparchies in the USA. Volume IV Issue No. XI December Christmas 2008

Transcription

1 The Maronite Voice A Publication of the Maronite Eparchies in the USA Volume IV Issue No. XI December 2008 Christmas 2008 Be Your Best Self. Follow Your Own Star, For God Is With You Dear Friends, T he warmth and joy of Christmas is centered in one thought. God became a child of man that we might become the children of God. Today we celebrate Christmas - today we again call our thoughts to the awe invoking event Jesus Christ is born! Who is Jesus Christ? He is the Son of Mary of Nazareth He is one of us a fellow citizen of planet Earth. But there is more. He is also Son of God, without ceasing to be fully human. He is divine. That makes Him the most remarkable member of the human race. The Birth of the Son of God as a member of the human race launches a new age in the history of the human family. In the person of Jesus, God joins Himself to Man. The Son of God becomes one of us for our sake God so loved the word that He sent His only begotten Son. Jesus is a gesture. A sign from God that He understands us... Cares for us Loves us. He is on our side in the struggle of life in the struggle for all that is good, for all that is true, and for all that is beautiful. So my dear friends, be yourselves. But be your best self. Dare to be different. Follow your own star, for God is with you. Don t be afraid to be happy... Enjoy what is beautiful... Love God with all your heart and soul. Believe those you love, love you. St. Mary, Virgin and Child, by Maronite Archbishopric of Cyprus, The Maronite Icons-Saints of the Maronite Church. Forget what you have done for your friends, and remember what they have done for you. Disregard what the world owes you, and concentrate on what you owe the world. It depends on you to make it a better place to live. (Continues on Page 20)

2 Schedule of Bishop Robert Shaheen December 5-7, 2008 Dedication of St. Sharbel Parish Center, Las Vegas, Nev. December 12-14, 2008 Liturgy for young people, St. Raymond Cathedral, St. Louis, Mo. December 24-25, 2008 Christmas Celebration, St. Raymond Cathedral, St. Louis, Mo. January 16-18, 2009 Order of Saint Sharbel Retreat, West Palm Beach, Fla. Eparchial Condolences Virginia Farhat, the mother of Seminarian Vincent Farhat and the aunt of Bishop Gregory Mansour, passed away on November 1, Virginia raised ten children, and was preceded in death by her husband Leo and her daughter Ann. Condolences can be sent to Seminarian Vincent Farhat, c/o Our Lady of Lebanon Seminary, 7164 Alaska Avenue, NW, Washington, DC Bishops Robert Shaheen and Gregory Mansour, along with the clergy and faithful of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon and of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, extend heartfelt sympathy and the promise of our prayers to Vincent, his brothers and sisters and their families. May Almighty God grant his servant Virginia eternal rest. Edmund G. David, age 98, the brother of Fr. Joseph David, Pastor of St. George Maronite Church in Uniontown, Penn., passed away on Sunday, November 23, He was predeceased by his wife, Iona. In addition to Father Joseph, he is survived by four brothers, one sister, and two daughters. Condolences can be sent to Father Joseph at Saint George Church, 6 Lebanon Terrace, Uniontown, PA Bishops Robert Shaheen and Gregory Mansour, along with the clergy and faithful of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon and of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, extend heartfelt sympathy and the promise of our prayers to Fr. Joseph and his family. May Almighty God grant his servant Edmund eternal rest. Father Donald Thomas passed away on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, after a long illness. He was predeceased by his parents, two sisters and is survived by two brothers, Edmond and Joseph and two sisters, Nancy and Rita, several nephews and nieces. The Funeral Liturgy was celebrated on December 10, 2008 at Saint Joseph Maronite Church in Olean, New York. Condolences may be sent to: Mrs. Rita Thomas Lynch, 82 Seel Acres, Dunkirk, NY Bishops Robert Shaheen and Gregory Mansour, along with the clergy and faithful of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon and of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, extend heartfelt sympathy and the promise of our prayers to Fr. Thomas family. May Almighty God grant his servant Donald eternal rest. The Maronite Voice 4611 Sadler Road Glen Allen, VA Phone: 804/ Fax: 804/ gmsebaali@aol.com The Maronite Voice, (ISSN ) the official newsletter of the Maronite Eparchies in the U.S.A. (Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles and Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn), is published monthly. Send all changes of address, news, pictures and personal correspondence to The Maronite Voice at the above captioned address. Subscription rates are $20.00 per year. Advertising rates are available upon request. Publishers Most Reverend Bishop Robert Joseph Shaheen Most Reverend Bishop Gregory John Mansour Editor Msgr. George M. Sebaali Consultor Fr. Abdallah Zaidan, M.L.M. Editing and proofreading Mary Shaia Anne-Marie Condlin Michael Maynes Printed in Richmond, Virginia. Maronite Convention 2009 Our Lady of Mount Lebanon Cathedral Los Angeles, Calif. July 1-5, 2009 For more information contact the NAM office at (914) or visit The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 2 December 2008

3 Sister Rafka A Consecrated Contemplative Maronite Ascetic in the Eparchy of Saint Maron working to amend my rule of life to reflect a single hermit. I will continue to live on alms in order to be able to collect enough funds to build a hermitage modeling the life of Mother Mary. I need a modest parcel of land conducive to silence and solitude. I hope to start a website in the near future to be able to communicate with all of you, my Maronite family to walk into the New Millennium with Saint Paul. I thank each of you for your prayers and sacrifices for my vocation and beg your help to continue in this life of adoration and sacrifice. Contact Information Sister Rafka with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. History I am Sister Rafka Parmenter, a consecrated contemplative Maronite ascetic. I entered the Religious Community of women hermits of the Maronite Church established by Archbishop Francis M. Zayek in the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn on the feast of Saint Anthony of the Desert, January 17, 1993, and was clothed with the religious habit at Saint George Maronite Catholic Church in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on June 13, I made my first profession of temporary vows at The Monastery of Jesus the Eternal Priest on May 1, 1995 and took my Perpetual Monastic Profession of vows on August 1, 1999 at Saint George Maronite Church in Pawtucket, R.I. In June 2005, Bishop Gregory Mansour asked me to take a sabbatical in order for him to address some concerns regarding some administrative matters of my community. I left the monastery in August of 2005 for the sabbatical. In February of 2006, my superior, Mother Elias, decided to leave the monastery and withdraw from the Maronite Church. The withdrawal of my superior lead to the immediate closure of our monastery seeing I was the only one left in the community. In May of 2006, I voluntarily took on the black habit of Saint Rafka with the permission of Bishop Gregory. Bishop Gregory knew of my desire and commitment to continue with my vows in the Maronite Church, so on December 11, 2007, he accepted my private vows so that I could continue to live a consecrated ascetic, living apart from an Institute in the manner of a hermit. I continue with the charism of eremitic life of Eucharistic Adoration, prayer and penance for priests and vocations to the priesthood, modeling the Virgin Mary as Mother of the Church. I am currently living in Philadelphia, Penn., close to St. Maron Church. I am currently living in a small row house one block from the church. I am working to establish a nonprofit status to be able to solicit funds to continue this way of life and I am Mailing Address (letters only) Sister Rafka, P.O. Box 25119, Philadelphia, PA srrafka@aol.com Physical Address Saint Maron s Maronite Catholic Church 1010 Ellsworth Street Philadelphia PA Deacon and Subdeacon Retreat B ishop Gregory Mansour has asked that all permanent deacons and subdeacons in the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn attend a retreat at Our Lady of Florida Retreat House in West Palm Beach, Florida, January 8 11, Their wives are also invited to attend. The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 3 December 2008

4 Vocation Questions Asked of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light by Sister Marla Marie Lucas I n person or via , I have been asked several good questions regarding the vocation of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light, the new foundation of consecrated religious begun on June 1, I have included a couple of questions and answers here, and welcome you to ask others. Our is sister@maroniteservants.org; our website is: Maroniteservants.org, and our Blog is: radiatehislight.blogspot.com. Q. I've done quite a lot of research - both Roman and Maronite rite - but nothing has clicked just yet. My research is primarily on-line and articles, etc.. It's difficult for me because I have so many ministries that I am attracted to. Yes, uncertainty is always a challenge and even more so in our technological times when things are so instantaneous. Relationships will never be like a click of a mouse. Prayerful discernment is central to discovering one's mission/call in this life. Lord, how do you want me to serve you? Where? He will lead the way as long as we keep an open heart and faithfulness to daily prayer and the Sacraments. A religious vocation is a deep attraction to give oneself completely to the Beloved, who is Christ and His Church. The ministry is secondary. Our Maronite Servant's call is to be there for our people to walk the journey of faith with them as a spiritual mother looking out for their needs. In parish ministry the needs are diverse and reflect the Gospel life of Christ who preached, healed, fed, comforted, taught...loved each and every one. Q. I just wanted to see if you - as a nun - had ever experienced any frustration in your vocation discernment just to see if what I'm experiencing is normal. Take heart, you are not alone in this experience. Trust in the Lord. Reflect and ask yourself, "Am I seeking what He wants for me? Or am I seeking what I want for me?" Discernment means we have to ask tough questions of ourselves and probe our motives and desires. It means that we have to truly seek detachment and surrender. Mary is your model in this, and she will be your guide. Read the Gospel of St. Luke, especially the beginning chapters, and meditate on Mary's challenges and trials, her confusion which surrendered in an obedient faith. Mary gave all with joy, pondering in heart -- not fully understanding -- but trusting. Washington, D.C. Pro-Life March E very year thousands of young people and families brave the winter cold to pray and march in the annual pro-life demonstration in Washington, D.C. The March this year will take place January 21 and 22, The Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn hopes that many Maronite pastors and parishioners will be able to join Bishop Gregory Mansour and participate. The schedule is as follows as published by Wednesday, January 21, :00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.:an Afternoon of Prayerful Remembrance and Intercession at the National Shrine (Crypt Church) Sisters of Life/Archdiocese of New York Respect Life Office 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: Opening Mass- Great Upper Church (Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, Chairman, USCCB Committee for Pro-Life Activities, is the principal celebrant and homilist) 10:00 p.m. to 12 a.m. Confessions (Our Lady of Hostyn Chapel, to the left of Crypt Church, lower level) 10:15 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.: National Rosary for Life (Crypt Church, lower level) 11:00 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Night Prayer (Byzantine Rite) - Crypt Church (Most Rev. William Skurla, Byzantine Eparchy of Passaic, with members of Epiphany of our Lord Church, Annandale, Virginia) 12 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.: Holy Hours for Life, Crypt Church (Pro-life seminarians from across the country). Thursday, January 22, :30 a.m.: Morning Prayer (Crypt Church) (Dominican House of Studies) 7:30 a.m.: Closing Mass - Great Upper Church (Principal Celebrant and Homilist is to be announced). The Pro-Life March at the Mall, between the Capitol and the Washington Monument, begins at 12 Noon. The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 4 December 2008

5 Send Out, O Lord, Laborers for Your Harvest! by Fr. Armando Elkhoury T he church is in dire need for men and women to come forward and join the ranks of holy priests, monks, and nuns whom God called to be His shining instruments in this everchanging world. This shortage of vocations affects all of us. As of today, there are not enough Maronite priests to serve the overwhelming number of parishes in the United States. Many of our communities are blessed to have a priest serving them. Unfortunately, many others are not as blessed. Our bishops hope to have an overabundance of priests to serve their flocks. We priests hope for our numbers to grow. We cannot afford getting sick! It would be a tremendous blessing to have monasteries and convents in our communities. There are many different ways to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Important as they may be, none of them will be discussed in this article. It is not my intention to remind us that considering a religious vocation is a worthy cause. What I am hoping to do, however, is to invite you to take Jesus up on his Word, The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest (Luke 10:2). The call to religious life is a gift from God, a privilege and not a right. Unworthy as I am of this gift, God offered it to me, I believe, because of my mother s prayers. She kept asking Him to call one of her sons to the priesthood. It is a blessing for a Maronite family to produce a priest. By 1995, God still had not answered her prayers. She died on the eve of Epiphany. She was persistent, however. Death did not deter her from continuing praying to the master of the harvest to bless her family with a laborer in his vineyard. I joined the seminary in 1998 and was ordained six years after. At one point in my life, I thought this was a cute story about my mother, until I got more involved in vocation work. The shortage of vocations to the priesthood and religious life is not unique to Maronite Eparchies in the United States. Other eparchies are facing the same issues. Nonetheless, some are being blessed with higher than normal numbers of men and women answering God s call to religious life. They admit that they have been actively promoting vocations. Yet, unanimously, they attribute the spike in numbers to prayers. Jeff Ziegler, a reporter for Catholic World Report wrote, Officials of the nation s most vocation-rich dioceses most frequently attribute their success to divine grace given in response to prayer... Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, credits first and foremost the atmosphere of prayer for vocations and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patroness of the diocese (Priestly Vocations in America: A Look At the Numbers, Catholic World Report, July 2005). With the blessing of our Bishops Shaheen and Mansour, I am forming a prayer group network throughout the United States. This group has one and only one purpose: to ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. I invite you to join this prayer group network by ing me at father@vineyardofthelord.com. As soon as I formulate the list, I will contact each one with prayer requests. If for some reason is not your forte, please contact me via mail at: Fr. Armando Elkhoury, St. Rafka Maronite Church, 2301 Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, CO Let us be persistent and hopeful. Didn t Jesus teach persistence and hopefulness? And Jesus says to us, Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you, then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? (Luke 11:5-13). Send out, O Lord, laborers for your harvest! is my prayer. I hope that it will be yours as well. If the Lord is Calling You, The Church Needs You! If you feel that you have a vocation to the Priesthood or religious life, please contact your Pastor or write to: Msgr. sharbel Maroun, Director Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon Office of Vocations c/o St. Maron Church 600 University Ave. NE Minneapolis, MN Or Fr. James Root, Director Eparchy of Saint Maron Office of Vocations c/o Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral 113 Remsen Street Brooklyn, NY The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 5 December 2008

6 Order of St. Sharbel Retreat in Warm, Sunny Florida by Wanda Elkhourie H ow does a weekend in January in warm, sunny Florida sound? The Order of Saint Sharbel will sponsor a Spiritual and Social Retreat open to all on January 16 18, 2009, at the Marriott Hotel, 1001 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida Bishops Mansour and Shaheen will be attending. Registration fee of $200 includes Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch at the church. Registration deadline is January 2, 2009; after that date, the registration fee will be $225. The Marriott is now offering a new and reduced room rate of $159 per night (when making reservations mention you are with the Order of St. Sharbel). Depending on availability, these rates will be effective three days before and after the retreat. Reservations should be made as soon as possible to take advantage of the extended dates. If you have already made your reservations based on the group rate initially given, your rates will be adjusted by the hotel. You must contact the hotel directly to make reservations; dial toll free The Marriott is providing a free shuttle service that goes to the airport every 30 minutes starting at 6 am and ending at 12 am; there is a phone at the kiosk at baggage claim to call for pick up. When you call to make room reservations, mention that you will need the shuttle service. The Marriott is within walking distance of the Raymond Kravis Center for Performing Arts; the hotel shuttle will also take you there for free (website is kravis.org and click on Performance to choose dates).you do not have to be a member of the Order of St. Sharbel to attend this retreat. For more information, contact the following: Beverly Mike- Nard, President, OSS, , BJMikeNard@aol.com; Anthony Budway, Immediate Past-President, OSS, , budway99@cox.net; Bernadette Shalhoub, Vice President, OSS, , BBShalhoub@aol.com; or Wanda Elkourie, Vice President, OSS, , welkourie@charter.net. Registration Form Order of Saint Sharbel Retreat January 16-18, 2009 Marriott Hotel West Palm Beach, Florida Last Name: First Name: Address: Pre-Registration Form (Deadline January 2, 2009) City/State/Zip: Phone: Registration fee: $200 After January 2: $225 Amount enclosed: Make checks payable to: Mail form and check to: : Mary, Mother of Light Mission 4891 Lake Worth Road, Greenacres, FL (Please do not send cash) Room reservations must be made through hotel: Marriott West Palm Beach 1001 Okeechobee Boulevard West Palm Beach, Florida Toll Free Room rate of $159 is available January 16-18, 2009 Mention Order of Saint Sharbel Retreat to get discounted rate. The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 6 December 2008

7 San Antonio, Texas Third Pastoral Visit Left to right: Fr. Ghassan Matter, Bishop Robert Shaheen, Fr. Abdallah Zaidan and Fr. Charles Khachan. by Robert Beathe and Judy Perillo O n September 29, 2008, the Maronite community of San Antonio, Texas, welcomed the Most Reverend Robert Shaheen on his third pastoral visit as Bishop. Accompanying His Excellency were Fr. Abdallah Zaidan, M.L.M., Superior of the Maronite Lebanese Missionaries in the United States; Mary Denny, Vice Chancellor; and Roxie Rask, Secretary to the Bishop. He began his stay as the guest of honor at the annual gala Magic is the Night. This event was created forty-five years ago to showcase the best in Lebanese food, dancing, and entertainment to the entire city of San Antonio. Magic continues to be the principal fundraising event for the community and is attended by parishioners, many local dignitaries and celebrities. The next morning Bishop Shaheen began his day having breakfast with the seniors in the Maronite Community Center. The parish s young adults acted as servers. On Sunday Bishop Shaheen presided at the Divine Liturgy. Fr. Abdallah Zaidan; Fr. Ghassan Mattar, Pastor; and Fr. Charles Khachan, Associate Pastor; concelebrated. The local chapter of the Order of Saint Sharbel formed the honor guard. During the Liturgy Evangelina Kalifa, Peggy Karam, Richard Karam, Adriana Khalife, Jason Khattar, Joseph Khattar, Helen Kopcznski-Antonelli, Ross Mery, Joseph Rizzo, Jamal Tawil, and Manny Watters were inducted into the Order of Saint Sharbel. Following the Liturgy a luncheon was served in the Grand Banquet Hall. Jamil and Ghayda Tawil hosted a dinner attended by the parish leaders and committee heads. The visit of the Bishop has great meaning to the Maronite community in San Antonio, because it is the reminder and sign of the unity we share with other communities of the United States, and with Maronites worldwide. The Bishop calls us to a greater vision, to look to a horizon beyond local concerns. His presence and message call us to enlarge our hearts and resolve to reach out to others with an inclusive and compassionate spirit. The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 7 December 2008

8 Tampa, Florida Support for Children with Cancer in Lebanon Washington, D.C. Clergy Day and Ordination to Minor Orders Left to right: Dr. Danny Sayad, Dr. Roula Farah-Sayad, and Fr. Anthony Salim. by Dr. Danny Sayad W ith the theme that no child with cancer in Lebanon should be denied the right to be treated due to lack of funding, a fund-raising dinner was organized by Sts. Peter and Paul Maronite Mission on October 17, 2008 in Tampa, Florida, on behalf of an organization known as CHANCE (Children against Cancer in Lebanon). CHANCE S President, Dr. Roula Farah-Sayad, a boardcertified pediatric hemato-oncologist, gave an excellent presentation regarding the difficulties that many doctors in Lebanon have encountered in trying to provide the appropriate treatment for children with cancer. CHANCE is a non-profit organization that was launched in Lebanon five years ago with doctors, parents and volunteers. This organization has grown to cover more then five hospitals in Beirut with more then 200 volunteers. The parishioners of Sts. Peter and Paul Mission along with many friends and volunteers, organized this dinner. All the food, drinks, music, hall and lots more were donated. The dinner was an excellent success, raising more than $13, 000. We are all happy and proud at how well our community and friends responded to the call, and especially at how people with so many different backgrounds were able to come together in support of one cause. The opportunity that we are giving to sick children is priceless, and we would like to thank everybody who helped in this event. This event was a good example of excellence in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. Assisted by Chorbishop Michael Thomas, Vicar General of the Eparchy of Saint Maron (left) and Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, Rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Seminary, Bishop Gregory Mansour ordains seminarians Vincent Farhat and Tony Massad to the Order of Subdeacon. O n Thursday, November 13, 2008, twenty priests of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn and the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon joined Their Excellencies Bishop Robert Shaheen and Bishop Gregory Mansour for a clergy day at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary in Washington, D.C. Following lunch, Chorbishop Michael Thomas, JCD, Vicar General of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, presented a workshop on Eastern Canon Law with emphasis on Maronite Particular Law. In the evening, Bishop Mansour presided at a Divine Liturgy in which he ordained Seminarian Alex Joseph to the Order of Cantor and Seminarians Vincent Farhat and Tony Massad to the Order of Subdeacon. The Maronite clergy in attendance concelebrated and the Choir of Our Lady of Lebanon Church served the Liturgy. Following the ordination ceremony, Our Lady of Lebanon Church hosted a reception for the newly ordained in the Church s Social Hall. Our warm personal greetings to you and your families as we celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God. We are grateful for the support you have given us during the year. May the Prince of Peace fill your hearts with His Love and Peace at Christmas and in the New Year. From all of us here at The Maronite Voice, Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Joyful The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 8 December 2008

9 San Diego, California Seventh Annual Retreat This year we were blessed by the visit of Sister Marla Marie of the newly established Order of Maronite Servants of Christ the Light. With her was Therese Touma, a young lady from Sydney, Australia, who is discerning her vocation. We are anxious to have Sister Marla visit out parish and talk to our young ladies about her noble vocation. This message we bring back is that we have to do more since we have been given more. We are also awed by the wisdom of the church. The Bible teaches that There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written (John 21:25). Feast of All Saints by Fr. Nabil Mouannes, Pastor of St. Ephrem Church, San Diego, California A lthough this is our seventh retreat at Most Holy Trinity Monastery in Petersham, Mass., it seems like we have been going there forever. It seems as if we know the Maronite Monks of Adoration as we know our own family members. Abbot William Driscoll is our spiritual Father indeed. Whenever we are there it is him that we seek for advice, for knowledge, for a view of history, for an opinion about politics, and most of all for inspiration and spiritual advice and growth. Father Michael Gilmary holds a special place in our hearts. He is the brother that we are joyous to be with. He is our wise and learned brother. He is always so generous in pouring out his knowledge about the church fathers, the teachings of the church. He is the image of charity and the smile never leaves his face, and he always has a few humorous stories to share with us. He knows all of us by name. Even when we return home we are in his prayers. This year he asked us to pray for his elderly parents who are going through some difficult times. How can we not miss them when we think of Fr. Robert the Guest Master with his wisdom, humility, contagious smile and laugh? Or Fr. John Marie and his holy presence at the Altar, introducing us to Mary, Our Lady of America, and yet he talks to us about raising chickens and ducks. How can we not pray for and think about Brother Patrick, who looks like St. Hardini, and his spirituality is like Saint Therese s, the Little Flower of Jesus? Holiness radiates to its surroundings. This is why we are anxious to be at the Most Holy Trinity Monastery for a retreat every year. The 5 a.m. Safro starts our day of prayer until the 8:45 p.m. night prayer that prepares us for a peaceful sleep with the blessings of Mother Mary. This year our days were filled with the study of the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul. Of course, our day would not be complete without a few walks, rosaries and heated discussions. Daily Liturgy, reflections and silent prayers in front of the Eucharist, and the sacrament of reconciliation provide the core of our spiritual nourishment. by Mary Ghosn S t. Ephrem Academy in San Diego, California, along with Fr. Nabil Mouannes, Pastor, celebrated the Feast of All Saints on All Hallows Eve (Halloween) by featuring the Parade of Saints as well as presenting to the community various Lives of Saints reports. This has been an annual event celebrated by the Academy since the year 2001 in the hope of restoring the Feast of Halloween to its Catholic roots. The day also features a small festival as well as lunch for the students and their families and friends. Eparchy of Saint Maron Christmas Directives Christmas Novena: His Excellency Bishop Gregory Mansour has asked that the Maronite Christmas Novena be celebrated in all the parishes of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn from December 15 to December 23, 2008, inclusive. Christmas Eve Liturgy: It is not the custom of the Maronite Church to celebrate Christmas before midnight. However, the Chancery Office is fully aware that in many areas the Christmas Eve Liturgy (around 5:00 p.m.) is very popular. Therefore, pastors are urged to do all they can to maintain the midnight tradition if at all possible. The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 9 December 2008

10 North Jackson, Ohio th Human Life Guild Speakers Mark Encyclical s 40 Anniversary The following was written by Marly Kosinski, a journalist working in Warren, Ohio, and freelancing for the Catholic Exponent, Official Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio. The Maronite Voice reprints it with the permission of the Catholic Exponent. Small white crosses in the front of Our Lady of Lebanon National Shrine in North Jackson, Ohio, represent the children who have been murdered by abortion. They were placed by members of the Human Life Guild as a memorial to all the unborn, aborted babies. They remained there for the remainder of the month of October. (Picture by Tom Navarra). H uman life and human love were the themes of a Respect Life Conference held October 4, 2008 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in North Jackson, Ohio. The conference was sponsored by the diocesan Human Life Guild. Melinda Knight, Director of the diocesan Office of Pro-Life, Marriage and Family, said the conference was a kick-off to Respect Life Month (October). The conference has been held the past four or five years, with various pro-life themes each year for example, abortion, stem-cell research and human cloning. She said this year s conference was th a celebration of the 40 anniversary of Humanae Vitae, the encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI on the regulation of birth (July 25, 1968). The document s Latin title means Of Human Life, and the encyclical reaffirmed the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church opposing contraception and abortion and addressing other issues pertaining to marriage and the transmission of human life. The conference began with a discussion of Humanae Vitae by Dominican Father James Sullivan, pastor and prior of St. Dominic Parish in Youngstown. At the time Humanae Vitae was promulgated, Father Sullivan said, many people were disappointed and even resentful to discover that Pope Paul VI had not changed the teaching of the Church regarding contraception. The priest said he hoped that, by the end of his talk, attendees would see why the pope could not change this necessary truth and why the Church was proven right in preserving its teaching. Father Sullivan discussed the time period in which the encyclical was written, a time that followed the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. He explained the process in which Vatican officials were asked to sign the document and the reaction the encyclical received from the laity and religious communities. Priests and laity alike struggled with the concepts presented in Humanae Vitae and those struggles continue today. But more people realize there has to be something to Humanae Vitae and Pope Paul VI had to be right about something, because all the predictions he made have, sadly, come true, right down to the last detail, Father Sullivan said. He cited various newspaper articles dealing with the birth control pill, including one that estimated 11.7 million people in the United States use it every week, and 13.8 million Americans are sterilized each year. He talked about the birth control pill and the medical problems associated with taking it that he said have been welldocumented in medical journals and studies. It s really important for us to get to the heart of the abortion issue, which is contraception, he said. The reason we have abortions in this country is because we have contraception. And we not only have the means for contraception, but we have a contraception mentality in this country. The only way to change that is by not just accepting the precepts of Humanae Vitae, but by being re-invigorated by them so we can go and change others. We have to have the courage to stand up for our faith and embrace this concept so we can then convince others of its importance, Father Sullivan said. He then discussed the history of Humanae Vitae, noting that the catalyst for it began in 1930, when the World Confederation of Anglican Churches began allowing married couples, and only married couples, to The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 10 December 2008

11 use contraception (barrier methods and eventually oral contraceptives). Well, we see how long [allowing only married couples to use contraception] lasted. And between 1930 and 1968, many things were done to advance the birth control pill specifically, but also [to advance] anything that separates life from love, which is the theme of this conference. The Church was faced with many challenges in the early 1960s when the pill was discovered, and Pope John XXIII summoned a commission to look at the issue. Their opinion was, sadly, that the Church change its view and that was publicized before Pope Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae, Father Sullivan said. He said the commission, which consisted of scientists and clergy members, recommended that Paul VI change his opinion, but he did not. The priest continued with an outline of the four predictions Paul VI made about what would happen in a society that embraced artificial birth control, including: Marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards, which he said would have a particular devastating effect on the young. Father Sullivan cited the example of the sexual experimentation of teenagers so prevalent in today s society; That man would reduce woman to being a mere instrument of the satisfaction of his own desires. The priest cited the example of pornography and television shows that promote promiscuity; That certain governments would use contraception as a weapon and a means to control other governments. Father Sullivan said that in the past, the United States has told certain Central American countries that they could not receive American aid unless they adopted birth control policies for their people. That contraception would give people a false understanding that there are no limits to the power of man over his own body. Father Sullivan said Paul VI believed that if people could control when life is given and when it s not given, they would have a false sense of themselves as human persons. Father Sullivan said all of the predictions have come true and the last one especially has bearing on scientific concepts such as cloning and embryonic stem-cell research. At the time of Paul VI, the Church was seen as out of step and out of touch. All we can do as members of the Church today is reconsider these concepts and attempt to unseat this contraceptive mentality because then all the other problems, original sin notwithstanding, will disappear, he said. The greater lesson here is one of God s grace transforming our lives so they are not reduced purely to the level of nature. Father Sullivan s talk served as an introduction to the second speaker, Coleen Kelly Mast, an international speaker on chastity education and a Catholic Radio talk show host. Kelly Mast is the author of the Sex Respect and Love and Life programs, both aimed at teenagers. She spent some time discussing the programs and how she got involved in teaching them, followed by personal stories of her struggles with pregnancy and motherhood. She said during her second pregnancy, she was diagnosed with Rh disease, which is caused by incompatibility between the blood of a mother and her fetus. Kelly Mast said doctors were encouraging her to have an abortion, telling her that the baby would be born with retardation or not survive at all, as well as putting her at risk. After her son was born with no health issues, those same doctors encouraged her to be sterilized because of the risk of having another Rh baby. She said she and her husband began using Natural Family Planning to space their children in a manner that would decrease the health risks for her and the baby. (The only family planning method approved by the Church, NFP teaches a couple to monitor their fertility so they know when to be intimate and when to abstain. It is not the old unreliable rhythm method of the past.) She said five years went by without her getting pregnant. Then she and her husband stopped using Natural Family Planning, inviting God to decide when they would have their next child. Kelly Mast said her third pregnancy was worse than the second and her son was two months premature. She said the baby was literally killing her because she became so ill because of the Rh factor, and she was killing her baby with her (incompatible) blood. Still, they both survived, proving the doctors wrong again. I figured my son and I would become the poster children of the prolife movement, she said. However, the speaker said she did not want to give her talk on negative topics such as antiabortion and anti-birth control, but something positive a way of loving that surpasses all others and a love so great that it reflects the love of the inventor of love Himself, God. God created a love, a unity of two human beings that no other creature can separate a love that comes alive in the other person and is all encompassing; a love that can only be defined as sacramental love, which is not only natural but supernatural. A man and woman are meant to be co-creators [with God], and doing so reflects the love that God intended, Kelly Mast said. She said intimate love between married persons is a way of expressing their love and should not be treated as something ordinary because it transforms a couple and prepares them for creating a family. She used the Old Testament story of Adam and Eve to explain how God created Eve as Adam s perfect partner, to which Adam marveled, finally, this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. Using a couple from the audience to accompany her narration of the Bible story, Kelly Mast pointed out how the serpent s successful temptation of Eve corrupted her relationship with Adam and forever changed man s relationship with God. She continued speaking about conjugal (marital) love, saying it means being open to God s plan for children, saying yes to commitment and fidelity, and emptying one s self into another person, not in the physical sense but in the emotional and spiritual sense. (Continues on Page 20) The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 11 December 2008

12 The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Sixty Years Later by Brother John M. Samaha, S.M. D th ecember 10, 2008, is the 60 anniversary of the official signing of the United Nations landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To mark this special occasion and to evaluate the current status of this key document, the Embassy of the U.S.A. to the Vatican City State organized a series of conferences. The theme of the daylong forum held on October 16 was For Everyone, Everywhere: Universal Human Rights and the Challenge of Diversity. The meeting hall at the host Istituto Maria Santissima Bambina was bulging with prelates, ambassadors, professors, and students who came to learn from the stellar speakers on the program. For six decades the Declaration has been bandied about by supporters and detractors. During his May 2008 appearance at the United Nations Pope Benedict XVI indicated some threats and opposition to the document in current times, and highlighted the need to scrutinize progress and bolster this modern magna carta. In response to the papal invitation to evaluate this Human Rights Project, Mary Ann Glendon, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, opened the forum with a paper by University of Chicago political theorist, Jean Bethke Elshtain. Professor Elshtain explained how the universality of the Declaration has been questioned by some factions in recent times, who consider it a Western document which reflects only the thinking of the European-influenced parts of the world and by particular interest groups in the West. Such attitudes contribute to the fragmentation of the Declaration, as though it was offering a buffet of choices. Both groups reinterpret the document because they choose to ignore its fundamental understanding of the dignity of the human person, the most important contribution of Catholic social teaching to the formulation process of the Declaration. In another presentation Ambassador Glendon paid tribute to the great generation of diplomats who served on the composing commission of eighteen members which was headed by Eleanor Roosevelt. She pointed out that the Declaration s adoption without a single dissenting vote was a near miracle, considering the cultural diversity of the commission and the political minefield in which they had to work. In the troubled times of the late 1940s relations between the Soviet Union and the West were deteriorating rapidly, Glendon explained, and conflicts were erupting in many areas of the world, especially in Palestine, Greece, Korea, and China. Yet only eight of the fifty-eight member states abstained: Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the six-member Soviet bloc. And despite the Chinese civil war that spawned the People s Republic of China in the year following the Declaration s adoption, one of the principal authors of the document was the Chinese delegate, Confucian philosopher P eng ch un Chang. Glendon also commented on the remarkable collaboration of René Cassin, a backer of the State of Israel, and the Lebanese delegate, Charles Malik, a staunch Christian who was at that time the leading spokesman for the League of Arab States. They found common ground to work together in producing the Declaration under emotionally charged conditions. Melding the wisdom of many cultures and the efforts of many minds, the Declaration seemed universal when the forty-eight nations adopted it. Does it still speak to all peoples? Ambassador Glendon pointed out that some authoritarian regimes began to complain of Western cultural imperialism in the human rights project. Those charges, she noted, were followed by efforts of special interest groups to formulate their agendas in terms of human rights. The more the Human Rights Project showed its power in places like South Africa and Eastern Europe, she commented, the more intense became the efforts to capture its prestige for various ends, not all of which were respectful of human dignity. She concluded her address by strongly encouraging all participants to th celebrate this 60 anniversary by carefully reading the document, not as simply a list of statements, but as a whole with mutually conditioning parts. Following Ambassador Glendon s challenging analysis came an extraordinary panel who spoke in a session chaired by Japanese Ambassador to the Holy See, Kagefumi Ueno. The speakers were Professor Hsin-chi Kuan of the University of Hong Kong and Habib Malik, son of the UN charter delegate Charles Malik and professor at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. Their compelling interventions were frank and forthright about past and present situations and supported the proposition that there has been and is a universal basis for the notion of human rights that resonates with people of the East and Middle East as well as the West. Other papers by Cardinal Renato Martino and Professor Janne Matlary related Catholic social thought to the Declaration and re-established the Declaration in the original vision of its authors as an integral text with interdependent parts. The closing session of the day was an address by Father Thomas Williams, author of Who Is My Neighbor? Personalism and the Foundations of Human Rights. He tackled the thorny question of how to recognize a universal foundation for human rights. The framers of the Declaration based it on the centrality of the idea of human dignity. But others in later years chipped away at that very foundation causing a fragmentation of the notion of universal human rights. Father Williams contrasted two incompatible visions of human dignity: one that sees dignity possessed by all human beings in equal measure, and only by human beings; and a second outlook that sees degrees of dignity both among human beings and among other species as well. Naturally, only the first vision is capable of grounding universal human rights. (Continues on Page 20) The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 12 December 2008

13 Westchester, New York Third Annual Parish Dinner by Rita Ziheeni T he Westchester Maronite Catholic Mission (WCMCM) in Westchester, N.Y., gathered for its Third Annual Family Dinner on November 16, 2008 at Place Knights of Columbus in White Plains, N.Y. Adults, teenagers and kids enjoyed the pre-festivities of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Dinner was indeed a festivity by itself. The crowd of almost 180 parishioners made it an exceptional event. Father Jean Younes opened with a prayer, and the kids show that followed was equally enjoyed by adults! Following the show, dinner was served. Mr. Sami Khoueiri, the President of the Parish Council, recognized with a gift the efforts of Ms. Katia Daaboul in setting up and maintaining its website. It is important to mention that Ms. Daaboul has undertaken her task while residing in Lebanon. To check our website, please follow the link: At WMCM, we never forget our parents in Lebanon especially during this time of the year. For that reason, the dinner included a 50/50 raffle to help students pay their tuition in our home country. Even though the night ended, we promise you many more to come, especially our upcoming Christmas party on December 19. See you then! Something Beautiful For God To Show great love for God and our neighbor we need not do great things. It is how much we put in the doing, that makes our offering something beautiful for God. Mother Theresa of Calcutta Pawtucket, Rhode Island Fund-Raising Raffle S t. George Maronite Catholic Church in Pawtucket, Rhode Island is conducting a fund-raising raffle to help rebuild the church which was destroyed by fire more two years ago. The Grand Prize is a New Corvette or $50,000 cash. Also ten $1000 prizes will be awarded. Drawings will take place after 1500 tickets are sold. Donation is $100 per ticket and the winner needs not be present. For more information about ticket sales, please contact the Church at or Fred Simon at or Deeb Tannous at Please note that this offer is void where it is prohibited by law. North Jackson, Ohio Shrine s Online Gift Shop T he National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in North Jackson, Ohio, takes great pleasure in announcing the opening of its online gift shop. The website carries a variety of items sure to catch the eye of everyone searching for a great gift or looking to enrich their spiritual life. Whether it is a crucifix needed for a new home, a statue for a special feast day, or a First Communion gift, the online gift shop is sure to have something for the occasion. The online gift shop offers twenty different categories that cover everything from art to miscellaneous items. Access to the gift shop website is easy. It can be reached through Our Lady of Lebanon Shrine s home page at by clicking on one of six buttons. The most visible being the one with the green bow on top. Direct access is also available at The site is secure and all major credit cards are accepted. Shipping is quick and reliable through UPS. Questions and concerns can be addressed easily either by calling the gift shop at , ext. 1 or by ing the gift shop at giftshop@ourladyoflebanonshrine.com. Deadline for next month s issue of The Maronite Voice is December 26, The Maronite Voice is the official Newsletter of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon and of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn. Send all changes of address, news, pictures and personal correspondence to: The Maronite Voice 4611 Sadler Road Glen Allen, Virginia Phone: (804) ; Fax: (804) Gmsebaali@aol.com Pictures must be original. Digital pictures must be in JPG format. The Maronite Voice is also available online, in PDF format, at The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 13 December 2008

14 Waterville, Maine Annual Christmas Bazaar by Fr. Larry Jensen S t. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Waterville, Maine, had its annual Christmas Bazaar on November 15, There were people waiting to enter up to an hour before the doors opened to the public. These were "professional" shoppers hoping to get first choice from the White Elephant Table. Fortunately, the many booths with crafts, baked goods, and other items were ready for some early customers. The big selling items were the spinach and meat pies. The demand was greater than the supply and we were sold out before noon. MYO helped with the popcorn and soda stand and the baked goods table was also a popular attraction. If the success of a Bazaar is measured by selling out of all food items, then we certainly qualified! The Bazaar ended with several raffles, with prizes ranging from floral arrangements and framed art to gift certificates from several area businesses. The laughter, smiles, and greetings of parishioners and friends say loudly, a great time was had by all! Newtown Square, Pennsylvania Children s Halloween Party by Lillian Shahade O n October 24, St. Sharbel Maronite Church in Newtown Square, Penn., held its annual Halloween party for children of all ages. A large number of children showed up for the party with parents in tow. There were no ghouls, ghosts or scary costumes this year. There were cowgirls, cowboys, clones, comic book heroes, clowns, princesses and pirates. Fr. Paul Mouawad, Pastor, even showed up in costume, but the children guessed him right away. The children had a great time playing spin art, mini races. dunking for apples, egg on a spoon and the biggest treat of all is always the piñata when the kids get the chance to grab all the candy they can grab. A light dinner and desserts were prepared by several of the mothers. A special thanks goes to Laila and David Haddad, Mina and Maryam Alsaigh, Norma and Christina Muaddi and Reema Naser who took care of all the games and saw to it that the kids had a great time. Schedule of Bishop Gregory Mansour December 6, 2008 Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, Brooklyn, N.Y. December 14, 2008 Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, Brooklyn, N.Y. December 15-16, 2008 Catholic University of America, Board of Trustees Meeting, Washington, D.C. December 21, 2008 Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, Brooklyn, N.Y. December 24-25, 2008 Christmas Celebration, Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, Brooklyn, N.Y. January 6, 2009 Epiphany of the Lord, Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, Brooklyn, N.Y. January 9-11, 2009 Deacons and Subdeacons Retreat, Our Lady of Florida Retreat House, West Palm Beach, Fla. January 12-16, 2009 Annual Clergy Retreat, Our Lady of Florida, West Palm Beach, Fla. January 16-18, 2009 Order of Saint Sharbel Annual Retreat, West Palm Beach, Fla. The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 14 December 2008

15 Phoenix, Arizona Costume Party Speaking on behalf of the MYA, we love to host picnics like these. It allows all of us in the community to spend quality time with each other as well as escape from the everyday routine of the week. We have a great chance to bond by spending the whole day together. San Francisco, California Knights of Columbus Chapter Members of St. Joseph Mission s MYA group prepare for their picnic on October 12, by Fr. Ghattas Khoury O n Sunday, October 26, 2008, Saint Joseph Maronite Mission in Phoenix, Arizona held its annual Halloween party. Children from different age groups and their families participated. There was a variety of costumes and decorations; the Church s social hall was filled with excitement and joy. MYO members and high school students participated in the decorating and in making the food. It was great to see the smiles on the children s faces as they played musical chairs, and gracefully competed in the costume contest. The music filled the hall and encouraged everyone to dance. Laughs could be heard from all around, and everyone had a great time. The MYO did a great job in conducting the games and keeping everything organized and under control. Also, the ladies who helped in the kitchen did an outstanding job. As the end of the night rolled around, the MYO stood together and made sure everything was cleaned up. Many thanks to all who helped out and participated in this party. MYA Picnic T he Maronite Young Adults (MYA) of St. Joseph Maronite Mission in Phoenix, Arizona, hosted a picnic at Chaparral Park. Fr. Ghattas Khoury celebrated the Divine Liturgy under the bright sun and cool breeze. As soon as Liturgy was over, people lined up for a lunch prepared by the MYA. Our small knit group pulled together and served to make the picnic as successful as possible. Also, many games were played and many people enjoyed the three major card tournaments. by Nicole Rishwan S an Francisco Bay area s community of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church is working hard to establish a Knight of Columbus Council. The prospect knights met for the first time at Sinbad Restaurant and shared Middle Eastern dinner together. The prospect Grand Knight Khalil Saikali explained the mission statement and goals of the knights and answered questions. The Knight of Columbus fraternity was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief and public relief works. Prayer For Priestly Vocations Father, in every generation You provide ministers of Christ and the Church. We come before You now, asking that You call forth more men to serve our eparchies in the ministerial priesthood. Give us priests who will lead and guide Your holy people gathered by Word and Sacrament. Bless us with priestly vocations so that we can continue to be a truly Eucharistic Church, strengthened in our discipleship of Jesus Christ, Your Only Son. Raise up, we pray, men who are generous in their service, willing to offer their lives and all their gifts for Your greater glory and for the good of Your people. We make our prayer in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, through Christ, our Lord. Amen. The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 15 December 2008

16 The Documents of the Maronite Patriarchal Synod are available in Arabic from Saint Maron Publications for $15 plus $5 shipping, and in English for $25 plus $5 shipping. The Prayer of the Faithful, three volumes of morning and evening prayers of the faithful in English, is available from Saint Maron Publications. Volume One (Sundays of the Church; Season of Announcements; Birth of the Lord and Epiphany) is available for $40 plus $5 shipping. Volume Two (Seasons of Great Lent and Resurrection) is available for $40 plus $5 shipping. Volume Three (Seasons of Pentecost and Holy Cross) is available for $30 plus $5 shipping. The Prayer of the Faithful (in Arabic), also three volumes of morning and evening prayer of the faithful, is now available from Saint Maron Publications for $75 plus $10 shipping. Mary in the Maronite Church, by Archbishop Boutros Gemayel and translated by Fr. Georges El-Khalli, is now available from Saint Maron Publications for $15 plus $4 shipping. A Book of Blessings and Prayers: This book contains an introduction and pastoral notes regarding blessings according to the Maronite Rite. The work is divided into six parts: The blessing of persons; objects; oil, water, and air; places; articles for liturgical use; prayers for various occasions and needs. It is available in hard cover (185 pages) for $20 plus $5 shipping. The Maronites, History and Constants by Antoine Khoury Harb. This 245-page hardcover book on the history of the Maronite Church contains more than 600 full-color illustrations and is available for $45 plus $5 shipping. To order your copy (ies) please write to: Saint Maron Publications 4611 Sadler Road Glen Allen, Virginia For further information, call (804) For a complete listing of publications carried by Saint Maron Publications, please visit The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 16 December 2008

17 Austin, Texas The deadline is April 1, 2009 (incomplete or late applications will not be accepted). Submit all materials to: ADC Research Institute, Attn: Dr. Nawar Shora 1732 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC Fall River, Massachusetts Christmas Bazaar (Left to Right) Lauren, Lance, Krissie, Luke, and Deacon Ronnie Lastovica. D eacon Ronnie Lastovica recently received permission from Bishop Aymond of the Catholic Diocese of Austin and Bishop Shaheen of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon to work at Our Lady s Maronite Catholic Parish in Austin, Texas. Scholarships Available Jack G. Shaheen 2009 Mass Communications Scholarships Purpose: To honor Arab-American students who excel in media studies Amount: $1000 Eligibility College students classified as a junior, senior, or enrolled in graduate school for the academic year majoring in journalism, radio, television, and/or film Must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. citizen of Arab heritage Applicants please submit the following items to the ADC Research Institute: A one page statement explaining your goals and stating that: you are a U.S. citizen; you are of Arab heritage; and why you merit the scholarship. Two original signed letters of recommendation from mass communications professors. Copies of your articles, videos, films, etc. (The items will not be returned to you). Official academic transcripts including your GPA Permanent home address, phone number, address, phone number during the school year. Left to right: Noreen Burns, Lillian Nasser and Mizette Nasser. by Theresa Massoud S unday, November 23, 2008, from 9-4 p.m., St. Anthony of the Desert s Parish Hall in Fall River, Massachusetts, was transformed into a busy, happy, hive of activity as the Parish hosted its Annual Christmas Bazaar and Lebanese Food Sale. Offerings from the Lebanese Kitchen and Pastry table were enjoyed as well as the various items from the craft tables, country kitchen and enticing raffle baskets. From the CCD students who donated most of the raffle items, to our veteran cooks who organized the ethnic cooking, all generations participated. The following Sub- Chairpersons and their committees aided Chorbishop Joseph F. Kaddo and bazaar Chairman Rochelle Kieron: Terry Galib (Publicity); Dennis Abdow and Terri Massoud (Posters); Beverly Burke and Lynne Nasiff (Kitchen); J Lepage, Alice Hassoun, Fadia Youssef, Dora Peterson, Violet Howayeck and Annie Shaheen (Cooking Instructors); Evelyn Simon and Noreen Burns (Pastry); Mary Ann and Ron Santos (Coat Sales); James Burke and Peter Nasiff (Beverages); Jackie Duarte (Crafters); Diane Coriarty (Country Kitchen); Andrea Nasiff (Dishwashers); Cathy Assad (Cashiers); and Ann Turley (Treasurer). A heartfelt Thank you to all who helped make our annual bazaar a great success! The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 17 December 2008

18 Pope Wants Special Role for Lebanon O n November 17, 2008, in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Georges Chakib El Khoury, the new ambassador of Lebanon to the Holy See, to whom he expressed the hope that the Lebanese people "may courageously continue their efforts to build a united and solidary society." The millennial history of the country, and the place it occupies at the center of a complex region, give it a fundamental mission to contribute to peace and harmony among everyone," said the Holy Father. After highlighting how "because of its experience of life and of inter-community and inter-cultural collaboration, Lebanon is a 'treasure' that has been entrusted to all the Lebanese people," the Pope expressed the hope that "the international community may protect and value the country and, through real commitment, may contribute to preventing it [from] becoming a land in which regional and global conflicts are played out. Lebanon must, then, be a laboratory in which to seek effective solutions to the conflicts that have long troubled the Middle East. "The election of the President of the Republic, the formation of a government of national unity and the approval of a new electoral law", he said, "will favor national cohesion and contribute to the true coexistence of the various components of the nation... I hope that, leaving particular interests to one side and healing the wounds of the past, everyone will make an effective commitment to the path of dialogue and reconciliation so that the country may progress in stability. "The tensions that still exist demonstrate the need to continue down the path opened some months ago with the Doha Agreement, in order to build Lebanese institutions together," Pope Benedict noted. "In this commitment to the common good, people must be guided by an unshakeable certainty: each member of the Lebanese people must feel Lebanon as their home and know that their own concerns and legitimate expectations are effectively taken into consideration, while showing reciprocal respect for the rights of others. "To this end," the Holy Father went on, "it is necessary to promote and develop true education for peace, reconciliation and dialogue, directed above all at the young generations.... Lasting peace, which is the profound aspiration of all Lebanese, is possible only if everyone gives fundamental importance to the will to live together in the same land, and considers justice, reconciliation and dialogue as the appropriate context in which to resolve the problems of individuals and groups." On this subject, Pope Benedict XVI underlined how building a society "which ensures all its members a free and dignified life" calls for "increasingly tight cooperation between all sides of the nation, based on trusting relationships between individuals and communities. "The Holy See," he said, "always follows events in Lebanon very closely and pays particular attention to the efforts made to find a definitive solution to the problems facing the country. Particularly sensitive to the sufferings undergone for so long by the people of the Middle East, the Holy See continues with determination its commitment to peace and reconciliation in Lebanon and throughout that region so beloved to all believers." Finally the Holy Father, recalling the recent beatification of Fr. Jacques Haddad, "apostle of mercy," greeted the Catholic community in Lebanon, inviting its members to become "architects of unity and fraternity." Vatican Information Service (VIS), November 17, 2008 Pontiff Urges Practicing What You Preach P ope Benedict XVI says lay people are called to show the unity that should exist between faith and life, and urged Christian politicians to be coherent with the faith they profess. The Pope said this on Saturday, [November 15, rd 2008) when he received participants in the 23 plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The assembly was dedicated to a consideration of Pope John Paul II's apostolic exhortation "Christifideles Laici," some twenty years after its publication. As challenges for the future, the Holy Father stressed the need for greater and better formation, especially of young people, as well as greater "coherence of life." "Every realm, circumstance and activity in which it is to be hoped that the unity between faith and life can shine, is entrusted to the responsibility of the lay faithful, moved by a desire to communicate the gift of encountering Christ and the certainty of the dignity of the human person," he said. The Pontiff further contended that there is an urgent need for "evangelical formation and pastoral support of a new generation of committed Catholics in politics." Christian politicians must be "coherent with the faith they profess, have moral rigor, the capacity to make judgments regarding culture, professional competence and the passion to serve the common good," he affirmed. Women The Bishop of Rome also noted the particular role of women in ecclesial and social life. "Not enough will ever be said about how much the Church acknowledges, appreciates and values women's participation in their mission at the service of the spread of the Gospel," he said. Pope Benedict XVI exhorted Christian women to have the "courage to address demanding tasks," though he acknowledged that in doing this, they need "special sharpness in discerning the cultural currents of our time, and that special passion in caring for all that is human, which characterizes [women]." Finally, the Pope mentioned the importance of the witness of young people and their formation and contact with the tradition of the Church, as manifested in World Youth Days. "New generations," he said, "not only are the preferential recipients of the transmission and sharing of the Catholic tradition, but are also individuals who expect in their own heart proposals of truth and happiness, to be able to give Christian witness of them, as already occurs in an admirable way." (Zenit.org, November 17, 2008) The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 18 December 2008

19 The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 19 December 2008

20 The Maronite Voice St. Anthony s Maronite Catholic Church 4611 Sadler Road Glen Allen, Virginia NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO GLEN ALLEN, VIRGINIA Continued from Page 1 Christmas 2008 When you are faced with a decision, make it as wisely and prayerfully as possible, then forget it We will never have absolute certainty in this life. And above all, remember God helps those who help themselves... Act as if everything depends upon you and pray as if everything depends on God. Live each day to the fullest. Don t be so eager to judge your fellow man Give the benefit of a doubt. Get the most from each hour, each day, each age that the Lord gives you in life and if God is in your heart, you can always look forward with confidence and back without regrets. God Bless and keep you forever. Merry Christmas and Happy Blessed New Year to all. Sincerely yours in the Newborn Savior, + Most Reverend Robert J. Shaheen Bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. th Encyclical s 40 Anniversary Continued from Page 11 It is the Church s job to protect this plan of God by teaching us the truth, saying yes to His plan and passing it on to our children and grandchildren so they may experience the same fulfillment in their marriages, she said. Kelly Mast said conjugal love provides fulfillment in every way for married couples, but outside of marriage, sexual relations becomes only sex and leaves people wanting more. She said the focus today is on instant and repetitive gratification and has led to distortions of love as God intended, including the legalization of homosexual marriage. She said men and women can enjoy each other physically during marriage, but they should practice Natural Family Planning and abstain from sex during a woman s fertile days if having a child would be irresponsible at that point in their marriage. If we distort the relationship between procreation and intimacy, our love and spiritual life will die, Kelly Mast concluded. Declaration Of Human Rights Continued from Page 12 Without that grounding, the Human Rights Project will devolve into a simple list of special interests determined by consensus and subject to the power plays of pressure groups. The entire text of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Preamble and thirty articles) may be found online at The Maronite Voice Volume IV Issue No. XI Page 20 December 2008