Helping the poor in Lebanon

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters in Lebanon who are enduring their greatest difficulties since the civil war.  The economic situation has deteriorated over the past year, the banking system is straining, and the COVID-19 crisis has pushed Lebanon to the brink. Please consider joining with me in helping some Catholic and other institutions doing important work in helping the poor in Lebanon.  I am personally familiar with each of these organizations, know their leadership and have observed their work in action over the last few years.  Generally speaking, they help the “poorest of the poor”, and the people who most need help.  The Eparchy can assist you if you wish to support one of these worthy causes.  You can send us a check and designate which agency you want to help.  We will be sure it gets there. Thank you for considering their needs, and responding generously.  May God bless you! + Gregory

Caritas Lebanon.  Founded in 1972, Caritas Lebanon is the official socio-pastoral arm of the Catholic Church and is under the authority of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon.  Caritas Lebanon assists both individuals and communities through direct assistance to the poor, sick, refugees, victims of sex abuse and trafficking, and others in need.  CaritasLebanon is a member of Caritas International, one of the largest humanitarian networks in the world.  www.Caritas.org.lb Tele-Lumiere/Noursat.  Tele-Lumiere/Noursat, the “Television of Light”, is the first established Christian Television network in Lebanon and the Middle East.  It was founded in 1991 by a group of committed lay people.  Tele-Lumiere/Noursat has become a daily bread and hope for the Christian minorities in the Middle East, as well as a source of peace for many viewers from different denominations.  www.noursat.tv Missionary Sisters of the Very Holy Sacrament.  The Missionary Sisters of the Very Holy Sacrament, founded in 1966, is an order of religious Sisters that operated several ministries: schools for poor children, orphanages, free health clinics for the poor in rural villages, and a retirement home for the aged, among others.  These people served by the Sisters would not receive help from anyone else.  www.smssacrement.org Oum El Nour.  Oum el Nour is a Lebanese not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization that is committed to serving individuals suffering from drug addiction.  Oum El Nour “Mother of the Light” provides a home for those who need shelter, help, understanding, and a place away to recover so that they can begin to live a full life, free of their past shackles.  www.oumelnour.org/ SESOBEL.  The name “SESOBEL” is an abbreviation from French – Service Social pour le Bienetre de L’Enfant au Liban – Social Service for the Well-Being of the Child in Lebanon. SESOBEL’s mission is to assist children suffering from mental and physical disabilities by improving their quality of life and supporting their families.  SESOBEL cares for over 400 children annually and has helped thousands of families.  With over 34 years of experience, SESOBEL has a shining reputation of service in the Middle East. sesobel.org Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.  Founded in 1833 by a group of young laymen, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is a lay Catholic organization of women and men who put their faith into action.  The Society is very close to the people.  Most parishes and villages have a Society that is active.  From the start, the Society has been under the patronage of Saint Vincent de Paul, a great saint, well-known for his works of charity. www.stvincent-lb.org/vincent/ Antonine Social Orientation School – Mrouj, Lebanon.  The school educates and cares for orphans and poor children living in difficult circumstances.  It also promotes intellectual, human, social and spiritual formation.  Due to the bad socio-economic situations in Lebanon, we need financial support in order to keep operating.  All donations must be sent to our Chancery to assist them. Oraunion.  Oraunion helps build communities and civil society in Lebanon through several initiatives:  Labora, which provides job training and employment to young people in order to stem emigration from Lebanon; Groact, which supports civil society associations in cities, towns and villages; Ucipliban, which supports the free press; and Aulib, which supports Lebanese universities.  http://www.oraunion.org/ Cénacle de La Lumière (“CDLL”).  CDLL works in the field of rehabilitation for people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.  It was founded in 2006 as a volunteer initiative when a group of concerned friends came together to help individuals who were losing their lives to drugs. https://www.cdll.org.lb/ Our three Maronite Catholic Eparchies (Dioceses) in Syria:   Archeparchy of Aleppo.  The Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo is an archeparchy of the Maronite Church currently governed by Archbishop Joseph Tobji.  All donations must be sent to our Chancery to forward to him.    Archeparchy of Damascus.  The Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Damascus is an archeparchy of the Maronite Church currently governed by Archbishop Samir Nassar.  All donations must be sent to our Chancery to forward to him.    Eparchy of Latakia.  The Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Latakia is an eparchy of the Maronite Catholic Church governed by Bishop Antoine Chbeir.  All donations must be sent to our Chancery to forward to him.   We pray that our effort will continue to bear good fruit for Lebanon and God’s people.  Thank you. +Gregory John Mansour Bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn 109 Remsen Street Brooklyn, NY  11201 718.237.9913 chancerystmaron@verizon.net

Catechists and Youth Advisor Enrichment

By God’s grace an eparchial team of people have been working on ways to enhance our catechists, youth leaders and family life volunteers. What you will read about below is an optional, but highly recommended, program to strengthen our competent and faithful laity to better carry out their roles in our parishes.  

I am pleased to launch this eparchial initiative for our catechists and MYO youth advisors, called Franciscan at Home. It has long been a desire of mine to assist our laity in their service. Franciscan at Home is an excellent opportunity to continue to train and deepen our spiritual journey.    

This is a free online program of workshop tracks through the Catechetical Institute  of Franciscan University, open to all of our parish volunteers. There are over 100 dioceses already partnering with Franciscan University and benefiting from the high-quality content offered.  

Catechists in our parish religious programs and our MYO youth advisors are invited to participate in these 12 one-hour workshops expertly filmed with a staff of professionals in the fields of catechesis and youth ministry. Also, two of these workshops will focus on our Maronite Tradition. The content is presented to inspire, educate, train, and enhance one’s knowledge and skills in presenting the Catholic faith.  

These workshops are available in the convenience of one’s own home according to one’s schedule and require some reading and writing.  Please see the attached flyers for the details of these programs. I have asked the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light to assist, and they are available by phone or email to help if there are any questions.  

It is my hope that as many as possible will join these programs, which will enhance one’s faith and in turn enhance the faith of the youth we serve. With parish meetings suspended for the time being, this might be a good opportunity for personal training. 

Our Office for Family and Pro-life has also created an excellent website, including seminars on Natural Family Planning. I highly encourage young people, engaged couples, and married couples with families, to strengthen their love for the sacred dignity of marriage and family life. Please also see the flyer attached.

Thank you for serving our youth and be assured of my prayers.  

+ Gregory

EWTN Streams Maronite Liturgy April 26

EWTN will live stream the Divine Liturgy with Father Mitch Pacwa on April 26 at noon eastern standard time 

Below is the link for the schedule 

https://www.ewtn.com/tv/schedule/united-states/2020-04-26

Wishing you a Glorious Resurrection

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Indifference, self-centredness, division and forgetfulness are not words we want to hear at this time. We want to ban these words for ever! They seem to prevail when fear and death overwhelm us, that is, when we do not let the Lord Jesus triumph in our hearts and lives. May Christ, who has already defeated death and opened for us the way to eternal salvation, dispel the darkness of our suffering humanity and lead us into the light of his glorious day, a day that knows no end.  Read the full text here.  (Pope Francis Urbi et Orbi message, Easter 2020)

Passion Week in the Maronite Church

Read about the most important week in the Maronite Calendar, Passion Week, at these links

Hosanna Sunday

The Arrival at the Harbour

Monday of Passion Week

Tuesday of Passion Week

Wednesday of Passion Week

Thursday of the Mysteries

Great Friday of the Crucifixion

Saturday of the Light