FOCUS Leadership Conference 2020 - Phoenix AZ

By Sister Therese Maria Touma, MSCL

Sr. Therese Maria along with a few  Maronites attended the SLS20 Leadership Conference in Phoenix Arizona, December 30 to January 3. There were more than 8,500 Catholics from across the world present at this conference hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, (FOCUS). The SLS20 conference which brings out amazing speakers to talk on discipleship, mission and evangelization is geared to college students, FOCUS missionaries and catholic leaders from parishes. Training and small group sessions are provided throughout the conference to impart tools and formation in discipleship and accompaniment. 

Our Maronite group participated in the Making Missionary Disciples track. As I reflect over my notes my ten biggest take aways are: 

• Getting the fire and zeal to share the faith for the salvation of souls and the glory of God. 
• The importance of cultivating a daily relationship with God in prayer and in frequenting the sacraments. 
• Knowing your core identity as a beloved son and daughter of God and sharing your testimony with others. 
• We are all made for mission. To give of oneself like Jesus without holding anything back. 
• The importance of caring for others and intercessory prayer, and being present to the moment in discipleship. 
• Developing good and virtuous friendships that help one to live out their faith. 
• Not being afraid to go out and share Jesus‘s hope and mercy by getting involved in people’s lives in order to earn their trust.
• Praying in small groups the Scriptures and allowing the Word of God to transform and inspire your journey of faith. 
• In sharing the Gospel we need two vital convictions:
• The Gospel is my story and part of my life. 
• The Gospel is everyone’s story. We are made for life-giving relationship with the Trinity. We break that relationship in sin. Jesus comes to restore us through his life, death and resurrection, and invites us into a relationship with Him. He wants each one of us to participate in sharing this good news. 

• Being spirit-filled evangelizers in sharing Jesus and not ourselves... this is our mission! 

We were so blessed to have participated in this awesome FOCUS conference. Next year’s SEEK conference will be from December 30- January 3 in St. Louis MO. For those who are interested you can see some of the live talks from this past conference at this link: https://sls20.org/
I pray that more of our Maronite Young adults and leaders from our parishes can experience this week of transformation and training. 

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.

Annual NAM Convention 2019 – Miami, Florida

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

We attended the National Apostolate of Maronites (NAM) Convention in Miami, Florida from June 26^th to June 30th, 2019 and were blessed to be with over 1,000 of our Maronites who attended from across the US. We had an evangelization table in the exhibitors area which gave us the opportunity to share the faith and meet with many of the people.  

Some highlights: we attended a Theology on Tap, hosted by Fr. Tony Massad and Sister Therese Maria. An outdoor venue was also booked where the young adults had a BBQ and a vocation panel. 

We also attended the Bishops’ Panel Commission on the affairs of Lebanon in its current political and economic state, we listened to the many concerns and issues currently affecting Lebanon. The evangelical concert of Lebanon’s Christian singer, Carla Ramia, who moved the audience to tears by her strong faith, radiant joy and sweet angelic voice.

Bishops Elias and Gregory also made themselves available for all the conventioneers in a Q&A discussion, where they could be asked on any matter of faith. The Bishops were very engaging, and at times quite humorous, as they also fielded personal questions relating to their lives as Bishops.    

 

In addition to the activities, the sisters enjoyed praying with the clergy and the faithful every morning and evening, and each day’s Divine Liturgy, with included a unique message from each of the Bishops. 

May God bless the efforts and work of all those involved in this year’s Convention. It was a great success. We look forward to attending next year in Cincinnati, Ohio, God willing.  

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. 

World Youth Day Panama 2019: Fiat & Encounter

 by Sr. Therese Maria Touma, MSCL

“You, dear young people, are not the future 
but the now of God.”

— Pope Francis at WYD Closing Mass

On the flight back to Boston after a memorable week at World Youth Day (WYD) in Panama, I was recalling some of the special graces, encounters and transformations that took place in my heart and in the group of Maronite young adults I travelled with. WYD is a powerful reminder that we as “pilgrims” are all on a journey together to heaven. We each have a unique story to share. It was inspiring to see each person, with their diverse backgrounds and culture, celebrating their faith and being open to the other.

Our MYA group from the USA included young adults from across the country. 

The WYD theme centered on Mary’s fiat, “I am the Servant of the Lord let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) As Mary said, “yes” to being the Mother of God, she was able to encounter and carry our Lord for nine months in her pure womb. In our personal “yes” to this WYD pilgrimage, we were making room in our lives to intimately encounter the goodness and beauty of Jesus in the Catholic Church: in each person, in the sacraments, catechesis, joyful fellowship, Liturgies, papal events, praise and worship, and in the bond of love we share. 

One of those precious “God moment” encounters for me was on our flight to Panama where I met a young pilgrim from Paris, Marie-Caroline, who was paralyzed and sitting in her electronic wheel chair as a result of her rare and debilitating disease. Despite her numerous health setbacks and dependency on others to eat, shower, work and travel to WYD, she exuded tremendous joy and a vibrant passion for the gift of life. Her calm presence and confidence in God’s love and providence in her life was a powerful testimony, which moved my heart to gratitude. In listening to her story of love, courage and struggle, I encountered the merciful face of Jesus. 

The graces of WYD are still being unpacked. During our pilgrimage there were so many opportunities to be connected with other pilgrims (and Maronites!) from across the world; to pray for and be in solidarity with those suffering especially during the Way of the Cross, to be nourished with the Word of God and the Eucharist; to be cleansed and renewed in the gift of confession; and to be spiritually fed especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and in unity with our Holy Father, Pope Francis, during the Vigil and Closing Mass. 

A view of the Opening Mass. 

There were a variety of awesome speakers and Bishops that came to Panama from across the globe to speak to the energetic youth. In the Catechesis sessions, two Bishops that spoke to my heart were Bishop Robert Barron and Bishop Edward Burns from the USA. In particular, I appreciated how Bishop Barron was encouraging us to allow Jesus into our “boats” (our hearts and lives) in order take us deeper, and not to just stay in the shallow. He invited us to dive into the deep like Mary, who trusted and said, “yes” to God’s will. 

The two ideas that I took from Bishop Burns were not to give up on Jesus because of Judas (this was in relation to the scandals the Church is facing), and the importance of silence and listening in trying to prayerfully understand and discern the Lord’s will. The proper disposition for a disciple should be “speak Lord, for your servant is listening” and not “listen Lord, for your servant is speaking.”

Joining with our Australian Maronites for Divine Liturgy.

It was a tremendous blessing for me to be part of this Panama WYD and to see our Maronite group from the USA bond so beautifully. My prayer is that we can keep this fire of love burning, and strive to be open to God’s will in each moment, by faithfully renewing our “yes” to him, in order for our lives to bear fruit like Mary. “I am the Servant of the Lord!” May our “yes” lead us to encounter and share the Hidden One with all those we meet along the way. 

The next WYD will be in Lisbon Portugal in January 2022. Who is in?

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. 

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. 

Maronite Young Adult Workshop 2018 – Washington D.C.

Maronite Young Adult (MYA) Workshop 2018 – Washington D.C.

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh

We had a successful National Maronite Young Adult (MYA) workshop in Washington, D.C. this past weekend on October 5 – 7. The theme of this year’s Workshop was Maronite Identity and Spirituality.

Father Tony Massad, Pastor of St. Rafka Church in Livonia, MI, and Sister Therese Maria, Eparchial Coordinator of the Maronite Young Adults and the MYA National Executive Board diligently worked together to offer an awesome weekend of spirituality, fun and fellowship for the 225 young adults who attended from across the country.

We were blessed to have His Excellency Bishop Gregory Mansour, of the Eparchy of St. Maron, with us for the weekend. Bishop Gregory offered a presentation on the meaning of true love within the context of dating and marriage. One of the guest speakers was Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, former Rector of the Maronite Seminary in D.C.. On Friday evening, during Divine Liturgy, Chorbishop Beggiani explained each component of the Maronite Liturgy as it unfolded, which many found very enlightening. On Saturday, Chorbishop Beggiani offered a presentation on different aspects of the Maronite Tradition, drawing on the imagery of our early Syriac fathers. We also had a presentation from Kate Fowler of the Catholic Apostolate Center on the impact of social media on our everyday lives.

We had various breakout sessions and small group discussions throughout the day focusing on different topics such as prayer and discernment, marriage, mental health, dating and friendship, and social media. 

It was a beautiful weekend of blessings and a dynamic program of prayer, presentations, confession, Liturgy and ice breakers. 

LoL Bible Camp - 2018 in Fall River

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

The LOL Club (Light of Life) began on July 23^rd, the Feast of St. Sharbel, with five days of learning about the life and spirituality of St. Sharbel in engaging video, crafts, bible sharing, games, prayer, choir practice, dabke rehearsal, and snacks. Our theme this year was “In the Footsteps of St. Sharbel”, and each day focused on his four great loves: prayer, the Holy Eucharist, our Blessed Mother, and his loving service.

Day one centered on St. Sharbel’s deep devotion to prayer. The children learned all about the importance of prayer in their lives, especially the prayer of the ‘Our Father’. Day two was on St. Sharbel’s great devotion to the Liturgy and especially to the Holy Eucharist, where he spent many hours of the day in adoration. The children learned how to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Day three focused on St. Sharbel’s tender love for our holy Mother, Mary, and how we can show her great love, like Sharbel, by praying the Rosary everyday. Day four focused on St. Sharbel’s loving service toward others, especially the sick and those in need.   

LOL Club Maronite summer camp concluded July 27^th with Divine Liturgy celebrated at St. Anthony of the Desert Maronite Church by Monsignor James Root, pastor, and  attended by LOL members, volunteers, and parents. 

After the closing Liturgy, all those in attendance enjoyed a performance by their children in the Church Hall, which included skits, sing-a-longs and the dabke, along with lunch. After lunch, all children, volunteers and parents enjoyed an afternoon of arcade games, bumper cars and boats at Grand Prix in Seekonk. The children enjoyed our time together, and it was great to hear that affirmed by the parents who mentioned to us that their kids were learning, having fun, and making so many new friends.

MYA Liturgy & Cookout - Dartmouth

On Sunday July 8, the Maronite Servant Sisters hosted a young adult Liturgy and cookout at our Mother of the Light Convent in Dartmouth. We had about 20 young adults join us from Boston, Brockton and Fall River MA. Fr. Joseph Daiif from Saint Theresa’s parish in Brockton offered the Liturgy in our chapel and gave an inspiring homily on intentional discipleship and opening our hearts to God’s transforming power in our lives. Fr. Tony Youssef from Our Lady of Purgatory Church in New Bedford also attended. After the 6pm Liturgy we enjoyed great fellowship, fun and food. Thanking God for this opportunity to come together to pray and deepen our relationship with God and one another. 

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. 

Mission at St. Ann’s– Watervliet, NY

By Sr. Natalie Sayde Salameh, MSCL

On the Weekend of March 9 – 11, 2018, the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light facilitated a parish-wide mission at St. Ann’s Maronite Catholic Church in Watervliet, New York.  At the invitation of  Fr. Alaa Issa, administrator,  the theme of the weekend’s retreat was “Give and Forgive”, focusing especially on the loving embrace of the merciful Father who is always waiting to welcome us home back into His compassionate heart.

On Saturday, March 10, Mother Marla Marie facilitated a morning of recollection with the ladies of the parish, who appreciated the silence and space they needed to allow God to speak more intimately to their hearts.

Sr. Therese Maria and Sr. Natalie Sayde spent Saturday morning with the children of the parish, with a number of the teens helping us facilitate a morning of catechesis, prayer, fun, games, crafts, and activities. In the afternoon, Sr. Therese Maria led a beautiful hour of adoration where all the teens present experienced Jesus in the Mystery of Penance and praying before the Holy Mysteries.

 

Following Sunday’s Divine Liturgy, the sisters had a chance to meet and mingle with the parishioners at a special pancake breakfast and coffee hour. Sr. Therese Maria met again with the teens of the parish and facilitated a Q & A  on those issues that were affecting the teens the most.

On Sunday afternoon, the sisters accompanied Fr. Alaa on a number of home visits to the sick and homebound of the parish.

We thank God for the opportunity to spend a beautiful weekend with the parish family of St. Ann’s. We thank Fr. Alaa and his beautiful parish for their warm welcome and hospitality and for all those who opened their hearts and homes to us.