S a i n t S t e p h e n

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1 S a i n t S t e p h e n M a r o n i t e C a t h o l i c C h u r c h A m e m b e r o f t h e E p a r c h y O f S t M a r o n O f B r o o k l y n P a r i s h M i s s i o n : The Mission of Saint Stephen Maronite Catholic Church is to grow a faithful, hospitable Maronite Community striving to live by the truth and charity of the Gospel. Weekly Bulletin February 04, 2018 Sunday of The Faithful Departed Administrator Rev. Elias KHALIL Divine Liturgy Schedule Sunday pm Location 4116 Waxhaw -Marvin Rd Waxhaw, NC Mission Office Hours Tuesday Friday 9 am-4 PM saintstephenmaronitechurch@gmail.com Tel: (704) ext.# 1043 P.O.BOX Charlotte, NC SACRAMENTS BAPTISM & CHRISMATIONS: Preparation is required. We encourage this to begin at least one month before the Baptism. MARRIAGES: Arrangements six (6) months in advance. CONFESSIONS: Sunday PM & by appointment NEW PARISHIONERS: Welcome to our parish family. Please be sure to register with our parish by calling the Parish office. SICK CALLS : If someone is hospitalized or sick please let us know by calling the Parish House office. WEBSITE:

2 M a s s I n t e n t i o n s Feb 04, 2018 Sunday of the Faithful Departed Intentions For all the deceased members from our Mission. Feb 11, 2018 Sunday of entrance into Great Lent Intentions The people of the parish by the Pastor. If you would like to request an intention please remember to submit your intentions for Liturgy ASAP. The norm is to have One Intention per Liturgy but since we are having only one Liturgy per week and for pastoral reasons. We may have up to Three intentions per Liturgy. Readings of the week February 04 February 11, 2018 Is God Calling You? Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary will be holding a discernment weekend from Friday April 13 to Sunday April 15 in Washington DC. If you know of anyone discerning a vocation to the priesthood, or would like to know more, please call Fr. Dominique Hanna ( ) or speak directly to your pastor. Sunday Monday Sunday of the Faithful Departed 1 Thes 5: 1-11 / Lk 16: St Agatha 1 Thes 4: / Lk 12: 1-7 Tuesday 2 Thes 1: 1-12 / Lk 12: 8-12 Wednesday 2 Thes 2: 1-12 / Lk 12: Thursday 2 Thes 2: 13-3:5 / Lk 12: Friday St Maron (Holy Day of Obligation) 2 Tim 3: / Jn 12: Saturday 1 Cor 15: Sunday Sunday of the Entrance into Lent Miracle at Cana in Galilee Rom 14: / Jn 2: 1-11 For the daily bible readings visit Or download the daily readings app EVANGELIZO from the app store on your phone and read the daily readings of the Divine Liturgy from the Maronite Catholic calendar.

3 Financial corner 2nd collections Honor The Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruit of all thine increase. - Prov. 3: 9 Sunday Jan 28, 2018 Weekly Offering $ Online Giving $ nd Collection USCCB Capital Campaign Feb 04 Feb 11 Feb 18 Feb 25 Fe b r u a r y Parish Programs Building Fund Support for Bishop s Appeal Support For Bishop s Appeal $80.00 $ T O T A L $ Today we begin our Capital Campaign. We come to you, asking your help to build a home for St Stephen. Please consider making a tax-deductible and generous donation to our church building fund over the next 3 years. We have a goal of $ 300, for the Capital Campaign. Any amount you donate is appreciated today and generations to come. For More information Call: (704) ext Or visit Your weekly donation will maintain our mission in it s journey and keep our doors open. Please remember our Mission by maintaining your donation through our Online Service by visiting our Website and clicking on the following link: donate/ Total Pledged $101, Remaining to Raise $ 198, YTD received $5, Number of Donors 16 Donors $300 K Thank you in advance for your generosity YTD $5,350.00

4 P a r i s h M i n i s t r i e s Feast of St Maron. On February 9th, the Maronite Church celebrates the feast of her patron and father, Saint Maron. Therefore we shall celebrate the Divine Liturgy in celebration of the feast of St Maron on Sunday February 11, We encourage each one of you to invite at least one friend to join us in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and introduce him to the richness of our Church and tradition. Our celebration will be followed by a luncheon. Suggested Donation is $10.00 / plate Lent & Ash Monday. On Ash Monday, 12 February 2018 the Maronite Church begins the season of Great Lent. Therefore, we shall celebrate the Divine Liturgy and distribute blessed ashes on Ash Monday Feb 12, 2018 at 7 pm in the South Campus. During lent this year, we shall pray as well the Stations of the Cross every Friday at 7 pm from February 16 March 23, The Stations of the Cross will be celebrated at the daily mass chapel at St Matthew in Ballantyne Maronite Calendars. Our Liturgical Calendars will be available at the Church starting this Sunday February 04, Suggested Donation $5.00/ Calendar. First Holy Communion. The First Holy Communion this year will be celebrated on Sunday May 27, Families who are interested please contact abouna ASAP. On other note, if anyone of you is interested in helping abouna prepare the children for their first communion contact abouna as well. Maronite Youth. We will be having the St. Stephen Youth Group meeting the first Sunday of every month, after mass. The first meeting will be held on February 4 th, 2018, and then on first Sunday of the subsequent months. Parish Council. Our next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday February 01, 2018 at 7 pm at the main Campus in Ballantyne Room NLC 104. Financial Committee. Our Financial Committee will be meeting this coming Sunday February 04, 2018 right after the Divine Liturgy in Waxhaw. Hafli Committee. We are seeking volunteers to join our Hafli Committee and help plan for our 6th Annual Hafli on May 05, our Second meeting will be held on Sunday Feb 25, 2018 right after the Divine Liturgy. S a c r a m e n t s The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at St Matthew Catholic Church. The reconciliation rooms are located in the main church building directly near the entrance to the Daily Mass Chapel. Both the face-toface and discreet methods are offered: Wednesdays: 6:30-7:15 p.m. Saturday: 4 to 5 p.m. or by request. Or Sunday Before and after Mass with Fr. Elias in the south Campus.

5 Lenten Observances 2018 The Most Reverend Bishops Gregory Mansour and A. Elias Zaidan have issued the following The Lenten guidelines for the Maronites of the U.S.: 1. All Maronites who are physically capable are to abstain from meat on Ash Monday (February 12, 2018) and all Fridays of Lent. 1. Ash Monday and the Great Friday of the Crucifixion are also days of fasting. Fasting in the Maronite Church involves eating and drinking nothing at all (except water and medicine) from midnight until noon. The rest of the day normal meals can be taken, but without meat. All Maronites who are physically capable are to fast on these two days. Distribution of Ashes All parish priests are to bless and distribute ashes on Ash Monday during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy as indicated in our liturgical books. This ceremony may not be celebrated on the vigil of Ash Monday (Cana Sunday). For the convenience of some faithful of the Latin Church who may come to Mass at a Maronite Church on their Ash Wednesday, ashes that were blessed on Monday may be given to them after the Mass. However, ashes are not to be blessed again on this day. Devotion of Lenten Fridays We congratulate Mr. Walid & Hanaa Nassar on the opening of their new shop at Kings Court Shopping Center. We thank them and their business for the continuous support for our church and community and may God bless their business. Phone: (704) Website: Address: 901 S Kings Dr, Charlotte, NC All parish priests are to celebrate the Benediction with the Cross every Friday of Lent except for the Great Friday of the Crucifixion. This service may be preceded by other popular devotions such as Evening Prayer (Ramsho), Stations of the Cross or even the Divine Liturgy. Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament should not take place on Fridays of Lent. Personal Devotion Clergy, religious and laity who wish to observe the more traditional Maronite practice of fasting and abstinence are encouraged to do so. That practice is summarized in the following, taken from the Synod of Mt. Lebanon (1736): Every weekday of Lent (Monday through Friday) is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat and dairy products (eggs, butter, milk, etc.) Fasting involves eating and drinking nothing at all (except water and medicine) from midnight until noon. The rest of the day normal meals can be taken, but without meat or dairy products. Dairy products are excluded because they are animal byproducts. Saturdays and Sundays are exempt from fasting and abstaining, as are the following four feast days: St. Maron February 9, The 40 Martyrs March 9, St. Joseph March 19, and the Annunciation March 25. We congratulate Mrs. Sue Francis on the opening of her new business A+ Accounting & Tax services. We thank Sue for the accounting service that she is providing for our Mission for years. And we wish her the best of luck in her business. Phone: (704) suefranciscpa@gmail.com Website:

6 EPARCHY OF SAINT MARON OF BROOKLYN Office of the Bishop 109 Remsen Street Brooklyn, New York Tel: (718) Fax: (718) Lent 2018 Prot. No. 100/1/18 S Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Eparchy of Saint Maron exists to serve you, the Maronite faithful, and to preach the Gospel to all people. We can only do this effectively with your financial support. Today, I ask you to make a sacrificial gift to the Eparchy s Annual Lenten Appeal. The proceeds of this year s Appeal will go for the following needs of the Eparchy: Seminarians: Our seminarians are our future. We need your help so we can invest in their education and formation. We currently have four seminarians and three men in discernment. Each seminarian costs about $40,000 per year, in the form of tuition, books, room, board and insurance. 40% of your contribution to this year s Annual Appeal will go for Seminarian Expenses. Retired Priests: Collectively, the 15 retired priests of the Eparchy served the faithful for over 500 years. Now, we help them with a modest pension of $1,800 per month. 20% of your contribution will go to support Retired Priests. Helping in Lebanon and the Middle East: The Eparchy assists Lebanon and Syria in countless ways, for example: by applying for grants to American foundations and donors, advocating for them with the U.S. government, and channeling and providing direct financial assistance. 10% of your contribution will go to support Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East. Endowment: The Eparchy s Endowment Fund provides a source of income each year for the needs of the Eparchy and ensures that the Eparchy will have solid resources in the future. It also provides a rainy day fund in case of disaster. 30% of your contribution will be deposited into the Eparchy s Endowment. Please open your heart once again to help with these critical needs. Your gift makes a positive difference in the lives of so many throughout the 16 states of the Eparchy, stretching from Maine to Florida. Any gift you make will have a positive effect. Thank you very much. May God bless you for your generosity! I wish you a holy Lent and a blessed Easter. Gratefully yours in Christ, + Gregory J. Mansour PS: Please also consider remembering the Eparchy and your parish in your estate plan, or as the beneficiary of an insurance policy, retirement plan or charitable gift annuity. Thank you.

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