The Most Reverend Bishop Gregory J. Mansour presided at the joyful dedication of the Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center on April 13, 2024. He was joined by Bishop David A. Zubik of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and more than 200 invited guests, including numerous clergy members, religious and lay visitors from near and far.
In recent years there has been a great deal of profound reflection on the spirituality of women, but less on the vocation and mission of men. Coupled with some worrisome trends in our culture to undermine masculinity under the guise of remedying past chauvinism or over-reliance on patriarchal structures, not to mention the absence of dads in far too many homes in our country and the need for inspiring male role models, many young men are growing up without effective guidance about how to be live out their male identity.
Attached you will find our 2024 Eparchial liturgical desk calendar. The Sunday and Holy Day observances, as well as the commemoration of Feast Days of the Saints, are faithfully taken from the official 2024 Maronite liturgical calendar prepared each year by the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission in Lebanon which we received last week. We have included the Old Testament readings as presented by Bkerke.
The Most Reverend Bishop Gregory J. Mansour presided at the joyful dedication of the Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center on April 13, 2024. He was joined by Bishop David A. Zubik of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and more than 200 invited guests, including numerous clergy members, religious and lay visitors from near and far.
Cir.23.58
Dear Brother Priests, Deacons and Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women.
Attached and below please find a message from Father Albert Constantine, Chancellor for the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. We are grateful to Fr Michael Shami for his work on the Ordo of the Divine Office.
+ Gregory
Begin forwarded message:
From: Albert Constantine
Date: October 27, 2023 at 6:48:13 PM EDT
Subject: Office Ordo
Dear Monsignors and Fathers,
I pray you are all well.
With gratitude to Father Michael Shami, Director of the Office of Liturgy, please find attached the Office Ordo for the remainder of 2023 and 2024.
If you need more information, please let me know.
Thank you for all you do.
Sincerely,
Fr. Albert Constantine
Chancellor
Circular #23.53
Dear Brother Priests, Deacons and Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women, Lay Faithful,
Please join me in a day of prayer and fasting for the good people in harm’s way in the Middle East.
Please forward the attached letter on your social media platforms, and may Our Lady of Peace intercede for us.
+ Gregory
We join Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and all the Ordinaries of the Holy Land in calling for a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer on October 17th. Read Cardinal Pizzaballa's statement at: ow.ly/GJaM50PW4Ea pic.twitter.com/a1rR08w795
In recent years there has been a great deal of profound reflection on the spirituality of women, but less on the vocation and mission of men. Coupled with some worrisome trends in our culture to undermine masculinity under the guise of remedying past chauvinism or over-reliance on patriarchal structures, not to mention the absence of dads in far too many homes in our country and the need for inspiring male role models, many young men are growing up without effective guidance about how to be live out their male identity.
Lebanon has been suffering through economic hardships, government instability, and social unrest which has left many people having a hard time obtaining the most basic needs. Throughout these hard times, Caritas Lebanon has been at the forefront and worked diligently to provide those in need with critical assistance and support.
In order to raise awareness and continue their much-needed work, Caritas Lebanon will hold a fundraising Telethon Event on Sunday, October 22, 2023 from 10 AM to 11 PM Lebanese Time on MTV Lebanon.
Attached you will find our 2024 Eparchial liturgical desk calendar. The Sunday and Holy Day observances, as well as the commemoration of Feast Days of the Saints, are faithfully taken from the official 2024 Maronite liturgical calendar prepared each year by the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission in Lebanon which we received last week. We have included the Old Testament readings as presented by Bkerke.
The Maronite Church claims as one of her most beloved and well-known saints, and whom Pope Paul VI pointed to as a model for personal renewal, Saint Sharbel Makhlouf, a hermit priest and intercessor. The Eparchy of Saint Maron, comprised of 46 parishes and missions, a Seminary, Convent, and Monastery, would be even more well equipped for its God given mission if we had a Spiritual Life Center to help form our interior lives according to the great longing for holiness that Saint Sharbel exemplified. We now have that possibility in the sale of the Epiphany Center in Pittsburgh, adjacent to our parish, Our Lady of Victory.
The world needs our help! Please support this year’s Annual Lenten Appeal for the Eparchy of Saint Maron. There are so many challenges here and around the world (especially in Lebanon). This Lent we can offer our prayers, fasting and almsgiving for those suffering more than us. The Eparchy can be a part of your Lenten sacrifice, as we rely upon your generosity to serve the faithful throughout the Eparchy and in the Middle East.
Protocol # 052-1-23, Circular #23.10
Dear Brother Priests, Deacons and Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women, Catechists, and Lay Faithful,
Please find attached the updated MYO Eparchial Handbook. Please use this as an excellent compilation of best practices and solid guidelines for our parishes and eparchial MYO.
I am grateful for Fr. Boutros El Hachem, Director, Deacon Christian Hbaiter, Assistant Director, and Sister Therese Maria, Past Director, as well as for the Team they have assembled and the MYO Advisors who have worked so hard to put this Handbook together. With gratitude, I remain,
+ Gregory
Thanksgiving Day, we gather together as a family to give thanks to the Lord.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday we focus on the needs and wants for ourselves as well as our families and friends.
This Giving Tuesday, join us in giving to help fellow Maronites of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn and throughout the world.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The United States Bishops have invited us to reflect, over the next three years, on the great Mystery of the Eucharist. Thus, I would ask all our parishes, missions and institutions to enter even more fully into the joy and spirit of this time and to deepen our amazement, love and devotion to our Eucharistic Lord.
1 June 2022
Prot. No. 484/2/22
Circ. No. 22.44
Reverend and Dear Monsignors and Fathers, Deacons and Subdeacons, Brothers and Sisters;
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, including all of its Eastern Catholic Bishop Members, have launched an initiative to foster a greater awareness of the true presence of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Eucharist.
They have chosen to call this effort a National Eucharistic Revival, which has as its official kickoff date June 19, 2022, the Feast of the Body of Christ (in the Latin Church in the USA). The general idea is to re-catechize the faithful in the essence of the Eucharist, not as a medieval magical source, and not as a mere symbolic sign, but as a real gift given to us by Jesus, ensuring his actual physical presence among us on this earth until the end of time.
This Eucharistic Revival will come to its culmination two years from now, with the celebration of a National Eucharistic Congress, which will take place in Indianapolis, IN, from July 17-21, 2024.
The national office of the USCCB, which is coordinating this Revival, has asked that every parish/mission participate in this kickoff by having a Eucharistic Procession on the Feast of the Body of Christ. In our Maronite Church, this feast is celebrated this year on Thursday, June 16. Bishop Gregory is strongly encouraging each parish/mission to join in these efforts by having a Eucharistic Procession either before or after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Thursday evening, June 16, or on Sunday June 19.
During these two years, you are being asked to gear several Sunday homilies toward the true meaning of the Eucharist, and to share with the faithful the many writings of the early Church Fathers on this matter. Also, in a special way during these two years, continue to make exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament available to the faithful at least once per month.
Should you like more information on this Revival or would like more resources, please contact me, as I am the liaison of our Eparchy to this committee.
I will conclude this letter with an excerpt of one of Saint Ephrem's Homilies which may be of some assistance to you (Lamy, Vol 1, pp. 399-566: Sermones in hebdomadam sanctam, diem resurrectionis et dominicam novam):
Our Lord Jesus took in his hands what in the beginning was only bread; and he blessed it and signed it, and made it holy in the name ofthe Father and in the name ofthe Spirit... He called the bread his living Body... He gave them (his disciples) the bread which his right hand had made holy: " ... Do not now regard as bread that which I have given you; but take, eat this bread, and do not scatter the crumbs; for what I have called my Body, that it is indeed. One particle from its crumbs is able to sanctify thousands and thousands, and is sufficient to afford life to those who eat of it.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Chorbishop Michael G. Thomas, JCD
Vicar General
