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

Enjoy Highlights of our Visit to Lebanon

Our Visit to Lebanon 2018 

Maronite Servants on Mission in Lebanon

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light were on a three week visit to Lebanon which consisted of one week of mission and apostolic activities. The last full week of our visit was dedicated to our annual silent retreat. 

We arrived in Lebanon on October 17, and our week of mission began with a youth gathering on October 20, with Bishop Michel Aoun of Jbeil and the youth of the district. The day was hosted by the Rosary Sisters in their college in Blat, Jbeil and was attended by 400 youth. The theme, “Plant Your Fingerprint”, consisted of spiritual conferences, Divine Liturgy and adoration and testimonials. Sr. Therese Maria gave a testimonial on the Maronite youth of America and the challenges they face today. 

We also attended another youth gathering in Zahle on November 3 with Bishop Joseph Mouawad. The theme was “What is my Vocation?” Bishop Joseph spoke beautifully on the gift of vocation, and what it means to ‘discern’ one’s vocation in life. We had a fun evening with the youth, and enjoyed the awesome choir of Mission de Vie.   

We spent a day with the Missionary Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament in Jbeil. The sisters have a house of mercy for the elderly in Kfarmasshoun where spent the morning with the elderly, visiting and praying with them. In the afternoon, we went to the sisters’ school and orphanage in Beit Habbak, where we were also able to visit with the children and spend some time with the sisters there. 

On Wednesday, October 24, we visited the Sesobel Institute in Ain El Rehani, which takes care of 250 mentally and physically disabled children. We were with Mrs. Fadia Safi, manager of Sesobel. We experienced Sesobel first hand, from their physical therapy center and autism center to their textile workshop, just to name a few. It was a blessed day to spend with the children who taught so much about true happiness, and joy in the midst of their challenges.

The last couple of days of our mission week were spent with the team of Telelumiere. The sisters were able to film a number of short videos on various topics such as, vocations and our Maronite Servants’ congregation highlighting our tenth anniversary of foundation.  

On the day before we left, we visited with His Eminence and Beatitude, Cardinal Bishara Peter Rai, in Bkerke. In our conversations with the Patriarch, he touched upon the subject of vocations in Lebanon, and how vital it is for religious to be faithful and authentic witnesses of the Gospel. His Beatitude also spoke about his recent visit to Rome, where he participated in the Synod on Young People. He said it was a most fruitful Synod and highlighted how important it is for us to listen to the concerns of young people in our Church today.

Our visit to Lebanon and our apostolic activities were a great blessing to us, and filled us with so much joy. It was such a wonderful experience to meet and participate in the lives of so many people, to be able to touch their suffering and listen to and sympathize with their challenges in life. We thank God for these opportunities. 

World Maronite Youth Days - Lebanon

Sister Therese Maria and 40 of our USA young adult Maronites are in Lebanon for for World Maronite Youth days (WMYD) with the Patriarch. They will share and celebrate the unique beauty of our Maronite faith and roots. The theme for WMYD is: "Be Strong and Courageous."

Sister Therese presented to the English speaking participants sharing on the Maronite Liturgy.

During the WMYD, July 15 - 25, 2017, the dynamic activities planned in the program include daily catechesis, interactive discussions, sport and art activities, exhibitions, opportunity for adoration, quiet prayer and confession, social gatherings, and optional touring of various religious and historical sites throughout Lebanon.

World Maronite Youth Days, Lebanon

By Sr. Therese Maria Touma, Eparchial Coordinator for MYO/MYA

Together with His Beatitude Patriarch Beshara Peter Rai, thousands of Maronite Young adults will be gather from all over the world in Lebanon this summer to share and celebrate the unique beauty of our Maronite faith and roots. The theme for World Maronite Youth days (WMYD) is: “Be Strong and Courageous.”

The significant goals set by the Youth Pastoral Ministry in Lebanon for the WMYD are:

-        Deepening the young adult’s personal relationship with Christ

-        Learning about the history and spirituality of the Maronite Church

-      Developing their sense of pastoral and eparchial belonging and creating and deepening their relationship and friendship between the resident and non-resident Maronite youth.

During the WMYD, July 15-25, the dynamic activities planned in the program include daily catechesis, interactive discussions, sport and art activities, exhibitions, opportunity for adoration, quiet prayer and confession, social gatherings, and optional touring of various religious and historical sites throughout Lebanon, such as the Holy Valley, St. Hardini, St. Rafka, Harissa, Byblos, Jeita Grotto, Beyrouth Centre Ville, Deir el Kamar, Beit Dine, Maghdoushe, Zahle, Baalbek, Bekaa Valley and more…

We are delighted to share that we have nearly 40 participants representing the two Maronite Eparchies in the USA and attending WMYD. These individuals (including two of our seminarians Chris Nahra and Peter Zogbi) are coming from a number of our Maronite parishes in the following ten states: Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Ohio, Alabama, California, Michigan and Oregon.

The young adults including myself (Sister Therese Maria, MSCL) are counting down the days and are very excited to be participating! Here is a complete list of those attending: Gabriel Rizk, Amanuel Rizk, George Rizk, Theresa Rizk, Zachariah Rizk, Christy Bouhaidar, Sandra Matar, Stephanie Matar, Mark El-Hallal, Christophe Chedid, Gabrielle Chedid, Maya Khoury, James Salamy, Eleni Carali, Michael Hyland, Mariette Franjieh, Stephanie Khoury, Lisa Wyrsch, Layal Chaoul, Eliana Francis, Hana Chemaly, Chris Nahra, Maria Harika, Clara Karam, Racquel Fakhouri, George-Sharbel Fakhouri, Anthony Fakhouri, Christina Khamis, Andrew Samaan, Ashley Samaan, Antoine Zogbi, Peter Zogbi, Christine Abi-Abdallah, James Abi-Abdallah, Sami Younes and Joyce Eid.

Please join me in praying for our energetic group, for the generous organizers in Lebanon, and all those attending… May WMYD be a spiritually uplifting and life-changing encounter with the Lord, and each person we meet along our way. Come Holy Spirit!

Our Lady of the Maronites

By Sister Marla Marie
The icon pictured here is of Our Lady of Ilige (ileej), also known as Our Lady of the Maronites and the Patriarchcal icon. In more recent times, our Maronite Churches have displayed replicas of this icon in their sanctuaries. Why? Where did it come from? On my recent trip to Lebanon, I went on a pilgrimage to pray at the original site of this treasured icon and while there, discovered its interesting history.

The Church of Our Lady of Ilige is located in the village of Mayfouq in the district of Jbeil. It was built at the site of a former pagan temple, and parts of that structure are still visible in the Church building.
The word Ilige is derived from the name of the temple which was to honor the god of depth. It is claimed that Christians made the site a Church back in Apostolic times, dedicating it to the Mother of God as Our Lady of Ilige. From the the 12th to the mid- 15th century this Church was the refuge, shelter and home of our Maronite Patriarchs.

I arrived at the Church of Our Lady of Ilige on Holy Saturday, anticipating with great excitement my visit to this former residence of the Patriarchs and the sanctuary of the icon. As you can see from these photos, the church is quite small, old, and a typical stone structure of the mountain villages.

The second floor housed the residence of the patriarchs, comprised of a couple of small rooms which tell of the simplicity and austerity of their life.

As I stood facing the altar, I noticed a large painting of the Mother of God, but it was in the style of late 18thcentury Italian art with hints of Syriac Maronite symbols. There was no resemblance to the icon I was looking for.

The original icon of Our Lady of Ilige was actually buried under ten layers of paint in subsequent attempts to fix, improve, or adjust the icon over the centuries. As a result, the icon was covered over, only to be discovered in the restoration undertaken in the 1980’s. To the surprise of the Carmelite nuns assigned to the restoration, layer after layer was uncovered to reveal the original, an icon of Syriac Maronite art dating to the 10th century.
This explains why this icon has only recently appeared in our Maronite Churches. It is new to us, but one of our oldest preserved icons which belonged to the Patriarchs. Let us treasure it.
By the way, the picture I saw in the Church of Our Lady of Ilige was a reproduction of what the painting looked like before restoration. I later found out that the original icon is securely displayed at a nearby Monastery.
We do not have many pieces of our art from the early centuries due to wars, persecutions and the destruction of Churches over time. The discovery of this icon is a blessing and gift to the Maronites, as it preserves the unique style of Syriac Maronite art form.
An explanation of the significance of symbols and colors of this icon can be found on the NAM website.

Our Patriarch

On my recent trip to Lebanon I was blessed to meet with our Maronite Patriarch in Bkerke. His Eminence offered me good wishes and blessings on the mission of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light.

Here are some facts about the Patriarch:

His Eminence and Beatitude, Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir
See: Antioch and the Whole East
Title: Patriarch of Antioch and All of the East

Period in office: 1986 to present
Created cardinal: November 26, 1994 Rank: Cardinal Bishop
Date of birth: May 15, 1920 Place of birth: Rayfoun, Lebanon

(Here is an excerpt from an Introduction given by Bishop Gregory J. Mansour on the occasion of Patriarch’s visit to the US in 2006)
"The past 20 years our Maronite Catholic Church has been lead by an extra ordinary man. Before becoming Patriarch, he spent another twenty years behind the scenes assisting Patriarchs Meouchi and Khorieche. Patriarch Sfeir is basically a monk and Bkerke has been his monastery. He lives, prays, serves and leads as a monk. He is steady, practical, intelligent, faithful, relying totally on God. He represents the best of what the Maronite Church, her prayer and way of life is all about.
He is not a political man; nonetheless he is unafraid of speaking the truth, to ruffle feathers, to speak out for the cause of justice. He has stood before the most powerful, and been a friend to the lowly. He is strong with the strong, humble with the meek, astute with the crooked.
Where he lives in today’s Lebanon, is deeply troubled. It is also deeply divided. It is not easy to explain these divisions as Christian-Muslim, Shiite-Sunni, Political party against political party, Israel and Arabs. The problem facing Lebanon today, and the region as a whole, is the same everywhere: “every man for himself.” This is the sin of selfishness. No one can think of the other. Patriarch Sfeir has repeatedly warned against this kind of a world and has suffered because of it. Lebanon suffers, the world suffers. Patriarch Sfeir suffers. We hope, pray and pledge to redouble our efforts to work for a just solution to Lebanon and our world’s many problems.
…
His visit here has not disappointed us. Like Peter and Paul, the Apostles before him, our Patriarch has strengthened, challenged and encouraged us. For this we thank him and thank God. I hope and pray that the Maronite Church throughout the world, as well as every citizen and friend of Lebanon, will come to respect and love the priest, monk, bishop,Cardinal, and Patriarch who is Nasrallah Peter Sfeir and follow his wise guidance. Many say we respect the Patriarch, but when he says something they do not like, they reject his wisdom.
Let us pray for him and for his mission for Lebanon and the Church throughout the world, and let us pledge anew our obedience and willingness to serve the Church and our world under his leadership."

Land of Saints

By Sister Marla Marie
From the pictures below, you will see that I prayed for you at the tombs of our recent Maronite Saints:

St. Charbel Makhloof canonized in 1977, his shrine is at St. Maron Monastery in Annaya;

St. Rafka al-Rayes canonized in 2001, her shrine is at St. Joseph's Monastery in Jrabta;

St. Nimatullah Hardini canonized in 2004, his shrine is at Sts. Cyprian and Justine Monastery, Kfifane;

Blessed Yacoub Haddad beatified in 2008, his shrine is at the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross of Lebanon, Jall-Eddib.

Read about these maronite saints.

Retreat - part III

During Passion Week, I am staying at Bethania
retreat house in Harissa. A few minutes walk and I am at the famed Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon which is on a pine hill overlooking the Port of Jounieh. At each Liturgy and devotion, I keep you close in prayer.

Sister Marla Marie

Visiting Lebanon part II

"You are going to love Lebanon," was the most common remark I would hear in the States when telling folks about my plans to visit. They are right. What a beautiful country and people. My first week of travels have taken me to meet many people and places. Below is a slide show of some of the visits I have made, including scenes of family and friends. I would like to write the details of the 101 things I have accomplished so far, but time and computer access are both limited. However, I have been very capable to include you in my prayers at all the holy sites.

I was blessed to meet with the Patriarch of Antioch and All of the East, Nasrallah Peter Sfeir in Bkerke. His Eminence offered me good wishes and blessings on the mission of the Maronite Servants.

Monsignor Mansour Labaky hosted me for a couple of days which included travels to Monasteries, Shrines and the villiages of my father's family. Abouna Labaky's hospitality, company, and conversation was a blessing.

My friend Louis Ragy and his family have gone to great efforts to show me some of the treasures of Lebanon. Their generosity, hospitality and deep faith are an inspiration.

A true hightlight and blessing was to be reunited with my family, including visits to my Mother's village of Masser El Chouf and my Dad's family in Mahmerch.

by Sister Marla Marie

some photos

Visiting Lebanon

By Sister Marla MarieAfter 40 years, I was blessed to return to Lebanon for a mixed visit of pilgrimage, of sharing with my relatives, and spending time with the different Maronite foundations of religious.
March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, was an appropriate date to land in beloved Lebanon. This feast is the biblical image and inspiration for the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light.
Above are pictured various scenes from my first day of visiting from the sea to the snow covered mountians, to the Maronite Monastery to family and friends. I will be posting details and photos of this visit in the coming days and weeks. You are with me in my prayers.