By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh
The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light spent three
joy-filled days (Friday, October 27 – 29th) in attendance at the
pastoral visits of His Eminence and Beatitude, Bechara Peter Cardinal Rai, head
of the Maronite Church.
His Eminence came to visit Our Lady of the Cedars Church in
Boston on Friday, October 27, following his participation in Washington D.C in
the 4th Annual Summit of “In Defence of Christians (IDC)”. During
his homily on Friday’s Divine Liturgy in Boston, the Patriarch informed the
congregation of the progress and deliberations of the three-day IDC Summit.
His Eminence mentioned that the Church leaders are looking
to the U.S. for leadership to obtain peace in the Middle East, especially to
help Lebanon in its current humanitarian crisis. The small country of Lebanon
now holds 1.7 million Syrian refugees, almost half the size of its own
population, not to mention half a million Palestinian refugees, and many Iraqi
refugees, which are putting a severe strain on the country’s already unstable
economy and tenuous demographic balance. Patriarch Rai is calling for their
peaceful and dignified re-establishment back in those areas of their own homes
where peace now resides again.
On Saturday, October 28, a historic event took place at St.
Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
Patriarch Rai inaugurated, blessed and dedicated a new chapel in honor
of St. Charbel at the Cathedral, in the presence of His Eminence, Cardinal
Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, and many dignitaries, bishops, and
clergy. The chapel is the first of its kind outside of Lebanon, made with stunning
Italian mosaics, generously donated by the Shnaoui
family.
“St. Charbel is a sign of hope for Christianity and for
all the people of the Middle East who suffer in difficult circumstances,”
Cardinal Rai said in his homily during the prayer service at the
Cathedral.
The artistic mosaic sanctuary depicts St. Charbel wrapped in
a luminous halo in the Lebanese mountain, near the St. Maron monastery in
Annaya, Lebanon, where his tomb is located. The saint is surrounded by
flourishing cedars and crystalline waters of the Mediterranean.
We were blessed to participate in this event, and to pray
before this beautiful shrine with our Maronite faithful, who filled St.
Patrick’s Cathedral to the brim.
On Sunday, October 29, Patriarch Rai celebrated the Pontifical
Divine Liturgy at our Maronite Cathedral of Our Lady of Lebanon in Brooklyn,
after which he met and greeted the faithful (including the Maronite Servants)
at the Brooklyn Historical Museum.
In the afternoon, we were blessed to participate in a
historic meeting between, Patriarch Rai and His Beatitude, Patriarch John X,
head of the Orthodox Antiochene Church. This was a beautiful day of ecumenism
where Catholic East shared an unbelievable sense of camaraderie and fellowship
with Orthodox East. These two Patriarchs spoke before dignitaries, bishops,
clergy, and faithful of both Churches. They reaffirmed their commitment to work
together to bring about sustained peace in the Middle East.
The Patriarch, now back in Lebanon, his Patriarchal See, continues
his efforts on the home front, having voiced his approval and approbation of
all his pastoral visits in the U.S. God be with you Sayedna, our prayers are
with you!
