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Virtual Pentecost Retreat for Young Women - May 31

Ladies Retreat Weekend in April

Thirsting For More… and need some time to get away, rest and pray? We invite young adult ladies (ages 18-35) to join us for a retreat weekend of rejuvenation, inspiring talks, nature walks, prayer and fellowship during the weekend of April 24-26, 2020. The suggested donation is $100 to help with meals and accommodation. Register by April 13, 2020. To register for the weekend or to find out more information please contact Sr. Therese Maria at srtherese2010@gmail.com. The retreat will be hosted by the Maronite Servant Sisters at their Mother of the Light Convent, 856 Tucker Rd Dartmouth MA 02747. Visit their website www.maroniteservants.org 

MYO Adore Retreat 2019

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

The MYO Adore Retreat for northeast region of the Eparchy of St. Maron was on December 13–15 at the Wisdom House retreat facility in Litchfield, Connecticut. Sister Therese Maria, eparchial director for youth, the Maronite Servants' sisters,  and seminarians planned a dynamic weekend centered on the example of St. Joseph and how he can inspire us in preparing our hearts to welcome the birth of Jesus.

In attendance were 100 teens and advisors from several parishes: St. Maron’s in Philadelphia; Our Lady Star of the East in Pleasantville, NJ; St. Theresa’s in Brockton, MA; Our Lady of Purgatory in New Bedford, MA; St. Anthony’s in Lawrence, MA; St. Anthony’s in Danbury, CT; Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY, and St. John Paul II in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

We were especially blessed this year to have among us His Excellency, Bishop Gregory Mansour, who gave a talk to the teens on the silence, purity and prayerfulness of St. Joseph on Saturday morning. Also, Fr. Dany Abi-Akar, pastor at St. John Paul II in Sleepy Hollow, presented on the obedience of St. Joseph. 

Over the weekend, the teens participated in a variety of events, activities and prayer which included Eucharistic Adoration and confession. Sr. Therese Maria faciliated a Q&A panel of speakers which included Fr. Dany Abi-Akar, Seminarian Vincent Michael, Vivian Akel from the eparchial office of child protection, Mother Marla Marie and Bishop Gregory Mansour. The teens asked a variety of good questions including vocational and the teachings of our Catholic faith. 

Many of the youth expressed their joy at having made new friends, having an opportunity to bond with God and one another, and at being free to just be themselves and have fun. One of the icebreakers which generated much excitement was the “Santa Beard Relay”, where the youth were divided into 6 teams, and with Vaseline-smeared faces had to dunk them into a tray of cotton balls to see how many would stick.

Our retreat concluded on Sunday morning at the Divine Liturgy at St. Maron’s Church in Torrington, followed by brunch. A special thankyou to the entire team of advisors and volunteers who generously donated their time, talents and treasures in making this retreat such a special event. A special thank you as well to Fr. Tony Saab and the parish of St. Maron’s for their gracious hospitality.

Confirmation Retreat – New Bedford, MA

The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light facilitated a Confirmation Retreat on December 7, for 22 teens from the combined parishes of Holy Name, St. Lawrence, and St. Francis of Assisi at the invitation of the Pastor, Fr. Michael Racine.

The retreat consisted of prayer, reflections, group discussions, and games, centered around the theme of God’s “Everlasting Love” from Jeremiah 31:3.  The confirmands were asked to ponder life’s questions, such as “Who are you?”, “Why are you here?”, “What is the purpose of your life?” and “What gives meaning to your life?”.  Sr. Therese Maria led a beautiful Eucharistic Adoration which included the praying of the Psalms, and Praise and Worship music. They also focused on the significance of the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation as part of living out their great dignity as beloved children of the Father.

The day concluded with the Vigil Liturgy, and the promise of our prayers for the teens who will be confirmed in 2021.

MYA National Workshop 2019 – San Antonio, Texas

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

Sr. Therese Maria and myself returned this week from the National MYA Workshop, which was held in San Antonio, Texas from October 4-6, and gathered over 80 young adults from across the country. This year’s Workshop took place at an excellent retreat center, T Bar M, surrounded by the beauty and serenity of nature. 

We were blessed with the presence of both Bishops, Bishop Gregory Mansour from the Eparchy of St. Maron and Bishop Elias Zaidan from the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, Los Angeles. 

The theme for this year’s Workshop was “Leading by Example” and all the speakers touched upon the importance of having a servant-leadership heart following the example of Christ. 

We were honored to have a guest speaker, Mr. Joe Farris, a vibrant and authentic national Catholic speaker, from Cincinnati, Ohio. Joe’s message was a powerful one of how he encountered Christ in his life, and how we can encounter Christ in our lives. 

By the end of Joe’s first talk in the morning, he had me in tears, and many of the young adults were moved by his powerful personal testimony; his radical love for Christ; and how he was able to faithfully proclaim that Christ had never failed him in his life.

With the presence of both bishops among us for the whole weekend, including a number of clergy, we experienced the wonderful power of prayer and grace in the Divine Liturgies celebrated, in Eucharistic adoration and prayer, and in confession.

On a personal note, I have been to many MYA Workshops, but this one was the very best that I have attended. I truly felt that Jesus was so powerfully present among us, and that the young adults were serious about encountering the Lord, and they did. They came with open hearts and Christ did not disappoint.

During our small group sessions, the young adults opened up beautifully about their worries, doubts, fears, restlessness and yearnings. I was deeply moved by this. 

I heard great feedback from a number of young adults who said that they greatly appreciated the new format of the Workshop, that is, of having it in a retreat setting rather than a hotel as in times past. They said they appreciated the down time and getting away from the constant busyness of their everyday lives to be with the Lord and with one another. Great friendships were established and strong bonds were forged. Praise God!

A big thankyou to Fr. Tony Massad, Sr. Therese Maria and the entire MYA Board for putting together this truly wonderful event.        

MYO/MYA Regional Retreat – New Jersey

A MYO/MYA Regional Retreat  was held on March 16 at Our Lady Star of the East Church in Pleasantville, NJ.  The day was facilitated by the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light and a great team of volunteers who help the youth reflect on their call to holiness.

“Rejoice and Be Glad” was the theme, based on Pope Francis'  recent apostolic exhortation, reminding us all to seek holiness. We were blessed to have among us His Excellency, Bishop Gregory Mansour who was also one of the keynote speakers.

The retreat brought together 150 teens, young adults and chaperones from the following parishes: St. John Paul II, Sleepy Hollow, NY; Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY; St. Sharbel, Somerset, NJ; Our Lady Star of the East, Pleasantville, NJ; and St. Maron, Philadelphia, PA.  We also had the good help of several pastors:  Fr. Kamil El-Choufeiti, Fr. Simon El-Hajj, and Fr. Vincent Farhat. 

Throughout the day the youth enjoyed several activities, prayerful communion with God, and much fun. We had two different presentations for the MYO and MYA. Bishop Gregory spoke to both groups at separate times on discernment and the gift and obstacles of holiness. Fr. Simon El-Hajj spoke to the MYA on needs, gods and power in relation to our call to holiness. Fr. Vincent Farhat spoke to the MYO on what holiness looks like in real life. He showed a moving video of a young Iraqi girl who had lost her home to ISIS, forgiving her enemies and praying for them. She was a beautiful example of holiness. The morning and afternoon sessions included small group discussions, which focused on hearing God’s voice amidst the many voices of today; on our relationship with God the Holy Spirit; and the process of discernment in sifting through negativity or toxicity in our lives.  

In the afternoon, we had an hour of Eucharistic Adoration and Confession. We had priests stationed around the Church hearing confessions. It was uplifting to see these young people approach Jesus and adore Him at the foot of the Altar during the Exposition of the Sacred Mysteries.

The day concluded with Divine Liturgy, dinner and a dabke party.  We would like to thank Fr. Kamil El-Choufeiti, Camellia Nammour and the parish and volunteers of Our Lady Star of the East Church for hosting this spiritual event and for their outstanding service and hospitality. 

MYO Adore Retreat 2018 – Wise Men Still Seek Him

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

The MYO regional Christmas retreat for the Eparchy of St. Maron was on November 30 – December 2 at the Retreat Center of the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, MA. The theme of this was the adoration of the Magi (Wise Men) with a focus on how we can adore Jesus as they did.

The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light facilitated the dynamic group of over 100 teens and chaperones from several parishes which included, St. Maron’s in Philadelphia; Our Lady Star of the East in Pleasantville, NJ; St. Theresa’s in Brockton, MA; Our Lady of Purgatory in New Bedford, MA; St. Anthony of the Desert in Fall River, MA; St. Anthony’s in Lawrence, MA;  St. Anthony’s in Danbury, CT, and Our Lady of the Cedars, Boston.

Over the two days, the teens participated in a variety of different events and activities and prayer which included adoration and confession. God bless the Maronite priests who serve the above parishes that came to offer the Mystery of Penance to the youth. One of the icebreakers, which generated alot of excitement; was the “Christmas stations”. The chaperones from St. Anthony’s in Lawrence created six different stations at which the youth had to participate in different activities in as quick as time as possible. Some of the stations included putting on a Santa suit, eating Santa’s three oreos and drinking his milk, unwrapping presents with oven mitts and so forth. Friday night concluded on a festive note with a bonfire, roasting marshmallows and socializing, in the crisp air. The youth had fun after the bonfire by participating in a gingerbread house building competition, which the chaperones actually won for their creativity and effort.   

Fr. Joseph Daiif, Pastor of St. Theresa’s in Brockton, spoke to the youth on Friday night on the gift Jesus made of Himself in becoming man to save us. Sr. Therese Maria led the youth in adoration on Friday night, while Fr. Joseph gave benediction.

On Saturday morning, Msgr. James Root, Pastor of St. Anthony of the Desert in Fall River, spoke about the adoration of the Magi, and why their visit to Baby Jesus and their bringing of the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh were so special and important. In our small group discussions, following the talk, many of the youth commented that they learned a lot about the Magi themselves and the significance of their gifts. We encouraged the youth to think and reflect on their own personal gifts that they can place at the feet of Jesus this Christmas season.    

There was no better place to prepare for Christmas than the La Salette Shrine with their famous display of countless miniature lights and catechetical displays which switch on at 5pm everyday during the Christmas season. On Saturday evening, the teens made their way to the Shrine for the blessing of the Manger and the switching-on of the lights. They had some free time to explore the vast display of lights. The evening ended with lots of fun which included pizza and a dabke party.

Over the course of the weekend, many of the youth expressed their joy at having made so many new friends, at having this opportunity to bond with God and one another, and at being free to just be themselves and have fun. 

Reflection on the Maronite Liturgy – Waterville, Maine

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

On Saturday, September 29, the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light offered a day of recollection for the parishioners of St. Joseph’s Maronite Church in Waterville, Maine. The focus of the retreat was the living treasure of our Maronite Divine Liturgy.

The morning opened with the Divine Liturgy, the greatest of all prayers, celebrated by  Fr. James Doran, Pastor, which is really set the stage for our Day of Recollection on the greatest jewel of our Maronite Church.

Mother Marla Marie began our Day of Recollection by focusing on the Syriac music of our Maronite Liturgy, especially its hymns and imagery, whilst touching upon the works of St. Ephrem and the early Syriac Fathers. Mother Marla Marie explained the difference between Liturgical hymnody and religious music. Each retreat participant had the opportunity to reflect on a different hymn of the Maronite Liturgy.

Sr. Natalie Sayde facilitated the afternoon’s reflection on the prayer of the Hoosoyo in the Liturgy, also known in English as the “Prayer of Forgiveness”. Sr. Natalie explained the poetic richness of the four prayers that comprise the Hoosoyo – the Proemion, Sedro, Qolo and Etro, and also the Hoosoyo’s catechetical function in the Liturgy. Each of the retreat participants had the opportunity to reflect on a different Hoosoyo of the Liturgy and to share on how the Hoosoyo was touching them personally and what it was teaching them.     

Mother Marla Marie spoke at both the Vigil Liturgy on Saturday and the morning’s Liturgy on Sunday about the apostolate of the Maronite Servants and the need for vocations in our Maronite Church. 

A big thankyou to all retreat participants for their efforts and contribution on the day, especially to Fr. Doran for his warm welcome and hospitality. We truly felt at home.

For those interested in holding a similar retreat for their parishes, please contact the Maronite Servants of Christ: sister@maroniteservants.org.  

MYO Regional Retreat – Fall River, MA

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

The MYO Regional Retreat “Maronite Identity and Spirituality” was held at St. Anthony of the Desert Church in Fall River, MA on Saturday, April 28^th, facilitated by the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light. The two presentations for the day included Msgr. David George, on what it means to be Maronite, and Jacques Barbour, a psychotherapist, on the power of claiming our identity in Christ and the dangers social media pose. 

Over 40 teens including a team of dedicated volunteers attended from: St. Anthony, Fall River; Our Lady of Purgatory, New Bedford; St. Anthony, Lawrence; St. Theresa, Brockton; St. George, Cranston, RI; and St. Anthony, Danbury, CT. Also, the pastors and deacons attending were:  Msgr. Joseph Kaddo, Fr. Joseph Daiff, Fr. Herbert Nichols, Fr. Edward Correia, and Deacons Brian Dunn and Donald Massoud, and Subdeacon James Demers. 

This retreat day was filled with activity, prayerful communion with God, and with much laughter and fun.  The morning and afternoon included small group discussions, which focused on how we pray as Maronites and how we see Christ as depicted in our Divine Liturgy. The afternoon small group discussion focused on some of the ways that social media is trying to distort our true identity as children of God, and the pressure that social media is putting on teens these days to project a certain image. 

Also, we had vocation testimonies by Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh and Br. Marwan El-Khoury, a Monk from the Order of St. Basil, and a Q & A discussion.

The day concluded with Divine Liturgy, dinner and a dabke party.  Thank you to Msgr. Joseph Kaddo and the parish and volunteers of St. Anthony for hosting this event and for their outstanding hospitality. 

Please Keep Retreat In Prayer

Discernment Weekend - Speak Lord, Your Servant is Listening

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

A Discernment Retreat weekend was offered by the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light at the Mother of Light Convent on April 6 – 8. The theme, Speak Lord, Your servant is Listening, guided the young women to break down the process of vocational discernment whether to marriage or religious life, equipping them with tools to guide a discernment journey. 

Through a series of presentations, reflections, group sharing, and prayer the sisters explained how to be attuned to God’s voice. As one of the retreatants remarked, “thank you sisters for a beautiful and peaceful retreat. I’m so blessed and thankful to be able to spend this weekend in your presence.” 

 A guest speaker, Debbie Perry, shared her witness as a married woman, including the moments of joy and difficulty, insisting with the women that God must be number one in any marriage. The Maronite Servants shared on their own experiences as consecrated religious and what helped them in making their vocational decision. Specifically, Mother Marla Marie, who celebrates her 35^th anniversary of religious life, explained how God is more than enough and has deeply fulfilled her.

The Divine Liturgy was offered each day in our Chapel, celebrated by our chaplain Father Nichols, in addition to Eucharistic Adoration. On the last day, the retreatants participated in the Mystery of Penance, receiving God’s mercy on the Feast of New Sunday/Divine Mercy.

The retreatants were given the space they needed to de-compress from their busy lives and just “be” for the Lord. They each commented that they enjoyed getting to know each other and spending time with like-minded young women who are seeking fulfillment and happiness in God’s will for their lives.

If you are seeking resources for discernment, contact the Sisters at sister@maroniteservants.org. For more information about the mission of the Maronite Servants visit their website: maroniteservants.org.