The IRF Summit 2022 held in Washington D.C., from June 28 to 30, featured 106 plenary speakers from 26 countries representing every major faith, and 40 unique traditions.
Here you can see Bishop Gregory's speech.
Steadfast Wonder: The Liturgical Spirituality of Jacob of Serugh
Our seminarian Vincent Michael has written an inspiring essay about the spirituality, letters and homilies of Jacob of Serugh. The beliefs we hold today and the melodies we sing at Divine Liturgy each Sunday were in a large part informed by Jacob. By studying the spirituality of Jacob, we can deepen and grow our own spirituality.
Jacob of Serugh (451-521) is one of the most important Patristic authors for the West Syriac tradition, contributing to their liturgies through his poetry. In addition to these works, well known to those in the pews even if they do not know their author, he also wrote about the liturgy in his many homilies which he gave in his career. Given his importance to these traditions, it is worthwhile to examine his thought on what can be called liturgical spirituality. This liturgical spirituality is based on inspiring single-minded wonder, drawing from Jacob’s commitment to keeping theology the handmaiden of awe, particularly in regards to his views on Christology and the return to Paradise.
Read more of his article at the Hidden Pearl
Vincent Michael is subdeacon and seminarian at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminarian in Washington DC for the Maronite Eparchy of St Maron of Brooklyn. Hailing from Center Township Pennsylvania, Vincent studied History at Grove City College and is currently studying Theology at the Catholic University of America.
American Freedom: Gift and Task
Brothers and Sisters, I’d like to call your attention to Fr. Richard Landry’s recent message on American Freedom.
Holy Spirit Activate! Subdeacon Christian Hbaiter appears on A Message of Hope
Seminarian Subdeacon Christian Hbaiter discusses his personal relationship and experiences with the Holy Spirit on the “A Message of Hope” youtube channel. Click below to watch.
A Message of Hope was founded to encourage and inspire high school and college young adults to live out their Catholic faith in a secular world. We are dedicated to providing useful tools and sharing wisdom and insight from real experiences to aid young adults in taking ownership of their faith, upholding their morals, and grounding their identity in the Truth.
p.s. Here is a clip from Christian’s ordination to the Subdeaconate, August 14, 2021 at the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon.
Help build the new Ave Maria on-campus Maronite chapel
Ave Maria University is building a Maronite Chapel that truly will be a home away from home for Eastern Catholic students. At the same time, this small jewel of a chapel will help to educate western Latin Catholic students about the Church’s rich heritage from the east.
The Maronite Chapel will be constructed of stones in many shades of cream and tan, reminiscent of the colors found at the Cave of the Monks where Saint Maron took refuge and at the Monastery in Annaya where Saint Sharbel lived as a hermit.
Please see the donor brochure, below, for more information. Or go to the Chapel Project web page to help them in this endeavor.
The beatification of Leonardo Melki and Thomas Saleh, Lebanese Capuchin Martyrs
Two Lebanese priests will be beatified today in Beirut.
Capuchin Fathers Leonardo Melki (1881-1915, pictured right) and Thomas Saleh (1879-1917, pictured left), both born in Baabdath, Lebanon, outside of Beirut, were martyred in Turkey during World War I, defending their faith and fellow Christians. Please see news articles and web pages such as these to learn more about their lives:
Photo from Fides.org
Father Leonard Melki ofm. cap. during his last visit to his native village Baabdath (Lebanon) where he came to rest for a few months in 1911.
Image By CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Toward a Pro-Life Future in the Empire State
A message to Catechists
Beloved Catechists,
This is Bishop Gregory.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of your role in the parish.
Even if you connect with two, one, twenty of the children — you are building a future of the church and you are passing on the faith. Thank you!
Prepare yourself as well as possible. Give a little bit of your human touch, and let them know that God loves them and so do you. And I appreciate you and I love you.
Thank you.
Vote for Lebanon
Brothers and Sisters,
I wish you, all of you, who are able to, to go to the polls — here, wherever you are, and vote.
Vote for a Lebanon;
- a Lebanon renewed;
- a Lebanon that is truly an image of her people.
May God Bless the Beloved Lebanon and May God Bless You.
+ Gregory
Polling station locations:
To check online for the location of your polling station, on May 8, go to: https://www.dgcs.gov.lb/arabic/where-to-vote
For Lebanese Expatriate Citizens voting in New York and the northeastern United States
The parliamentary elections for Lebanese Expats living in New York and the northeastern United States will take place in the 5 polling stations listed below. Voting hours are from 7 am to 10 pm :
- Philadelphia, PA:
Saint Maron Hall,
1013 Ellsworth St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
- Somerset, NJ:
Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church,
7 Reeve St, Somerset, NJ 08873
- New York, NY:
Pashalian Hall, 221 East 27th St,
New York, NY 10016
- Danbury, CT:
Lebanon-American Club,
22 West St, Danbury, CT 06810
- Jamaica Plain, MA:
The Cedars Center,
65 Rockwood St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(source: https://nylebcons.org/)
Additional locations
Alabama
- Honorary Consulate
2119 3rd Avenue N, 2nd Floor
Birmingham, AL 35203
Arizona
- Honorary Consulate of Lebanon
9515 West Camelback Road, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85037
California
- House of Lebanon
4800 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90005
- Saint Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church
500 S Central Ave
Glendale, CA 91204
- Islamic Center of Anaheim
1136 N Brookhurst St
Anaheim, CA 92801
- Saint Joseph Maronite Catholic Church
3870 Castleman St
Riverside, CA 92503
- San Diego Saint Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church
750 Medford Street
El Cajon, CA 92020
- Honorary Consulate of Lebanon in San Francisco
262 Michelle Court South
San Francisco, CA 94080
Colorado
- Saint Rafka Maronite Church
2301 Wadsworth Blvd
Lakewood, CO 80214
Connecticut
- Lebanon-American Club
22 West St
Danbury, CT 06810
Florida
- Our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Church
2055 Coral Way
Miami, FL 33145
- Jacksonville Marriott
4670 Salisbury Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32256
- Honorary Consulate of Lebanon
7042 Benjamin Rd
Tampa, FL 33634
Georgia
- Honorary Consulate of Lebanon
1827 Powers Ferry Rd SE
Building 9, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30339
Illinois
- Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church
950 N Grace St
Lombard, IL 60148
Massachusetts
- The Cedars Center
65 Rockwood St
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Michigan
- Consulate General of Lebanon
1000 Town Center, Suite 2450
Southfield, MI 48075
- Bint Jbell Cultural Center
14201 Prospect St
Dearborn, MI 48123
- Saint Charbel Church
43888 Hayes Rd
Clinton Township, MI 48038
Minnesota
- Cedars Hall
602 University Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Nevada
- Honorary Consulate of Lebanon
8890 Spanish Ridge Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89148
New Jersey
- Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church
7 Reeve St
Somerset, NJ 08873
New York
- Pashalian Hall
221 East 27th St
New York, NY 10016
North Carolina
- Honorary Consulate of Lebanon
6208 Fayetteville Rd, Suite 103
Durham, NC 27713
Ohio
- Sultan Club
8959 Dorr St
Toledo, OH 43611
- Honorary Consulate of Lebanon
6607 Pearl Rd
Parma Heights, OH 44130
Oregon
- Saint Charbel Church Oregon
1804 S East 16th Ave
Portland, OR 97214
Pennsylvania
- Saint Maron Hall
1013 Ellsworth St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Texas
- Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria
2001 Post Oak Boulevard
Houston, TX 77056
- Austin Southpark Hotel
4140 Governors Row
Austin, TX, 78744
- Saint George Maronite Catholic Church
6070 Babcock Rd
San Antonio, TX 78240
- 222 Municipal Drive Suite 180
Richardson, TX 75080
Washington, D.C.
- Embassy Residence
2841 McGill Terrace NW
Washington, DC, 20008
Washington (state)
- Honorary Consulate of Lebanon in Seattle
17617 NE 65th St
Redmond, WA 98052
(source: http://www.lebanonembassyus.org/2022/04/14/parliamentary-elections-2022/)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information, see:
Monthly Online Rosary
Angry? Need a Weapon?
Pray the Rosary!
Join us as we pray the rosary every 2nd Monday of the month at 8pm ET. To build a culture of life & to overcome evil in the world.
Led by Bishop Elias Zaidan, Bishop Gregory Mansour or their representative.
Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/ofslmonthlyrosary
Aid to the Church in Need — Ukraine
Today’s world is beset by tragedy, from the difficult problems in Lebanon to chronic poverty in developing countries. Yet, one place that has been hit the hardest is the country of Ukraine, since the invasion by Russian troops on February 24th. Although most receiving this appeal (like me) do not have roots in Ukraine, they are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Thus, I ask for your help today.
Solemn Act of Consecration of humanity, and Russia and Ukraine in particular, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Dear Priests, Deacons and Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women, Lay Faithful:
Pope Francis asks us to join in a solemn Act of Consecration of humanity, and Russia and Ukraine in particular, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Holy Father himself will pray his solemn Act of Consecration in Rome at approximately 6:30pm (Rome), 12:30pm (Eastern time), March 25, 2022.
He asks us to join him in prayer in our churches, homes and places of prayer that day, Friday, March 25.
Click here for the text of the act. Other translations, including Arabic, can be found at the Vatican News Site.
Bishop Gregory's message on the eve of the Feast of Saint Joseph
Brothers and sisters in Christ, Bishop Gregory, last week I was with the Armenian Orthodox Clergy, what a beautiful retreat we had. I had a change to know first hand the beauty and glory and the suffering of their church. This week I will ordain a priest, tomorrow, in fact, tomorrow is the Feast of Saint Joseph and so we dedicate all our prayers to our priests and to all of our fathers. And lastly, I ask everyone, to follow the news in Ukraine -- especially the consecration of our Holy Father of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Virgin Mary and let's pray. Let's pray for a better world, for the beauty of priests and fatherhood and for the church throughout the world.
Welcome Remarks for the 2022 Priest Retreat
Brother Priests,
Christ Jesus asks us to "come away to a quiet place and rest a while", and this we do, grateful to be with him and to rest our souls. In another place our Lord said, "Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will give you rest".
Yes, it is the Lord himself who has invited us - disguised under the form of Bread and Wine, he bids us to come. This is the King of Kings, who was crucified, yet raised up, who calls us to live according to the logic of his Kingdom, where "being" and "loving" are just as important as "doing" and "working", where "who we are" is just as important as "what we do".
Although true pastoral care includes doing and serving, there is also a place for just being, for taking stock in our priestly life, for standing before the only true judge in Eucharistic adoration, and making time for fellowship with Christ's brothers, our fellow priests.
Today, with joy I welcome a few new brothers: Father Samir Chebli, Father Peter Frangie, Father Elias Adwan and Father Fadi El Khawand, and their wife and family, and I ask your prayers for them. Likewise, Father Adib Salemeh, Father George Arrouk, Father Gary George, Father Andrawos El Tabchi and Father Boutros El Hachem. Soon we will also welcome Deacon Michael Charchaflian, who will be ordained a priest March 19, 2022, in Lawrence.
I also ask your prayers for our retired priests: Joseph Amar, Dominic Ashkar, Assad Awad, William Bartoul, Kevin Beaton, Leonard Basinow, Seely Beggiani, Paul Boackle, David George, Larry Jensen, Joseph Kaddo, Joseph Lahoud, Francis Marini, Lawrence Michael, Jack Morrison, Paul Mouawad, Samuel Najjar and Edward Nedder. May God bless them with good health and continued priestly service.
I thank Father Sam Najjar, Chorbishop Michael Thomas and Father Fadi Rouhana who helped to organize this priestly gathering. I am grateful to Father Gerry Blaszczak who graciously accepted to preach this retreat.
Lastly, I ask your prayers for the priests and bishops who have served before us: Archbishop Zayek, Bishops Doueihi, Chedid and Shaheen, and all the priests who have died. May they rest in peace and may they inherit the reward of the good and faithful servant. I ask your prayers for our Deacons, Subdeacons, Monks and Nuns, Catechists, Choir members, and all our lay faithful in the service of our parishes, and all who lovingly volunteer and serve. I also ask your prayers for our seminarians, Christian, Vincent Michael, Vincent Paul, Pierre, Nadim and Jakob, along with the Rector and Vice Rector who serve them. I ask you to pray for vocations to priestly, diaconate and religious life.
Lastly, I ask you brothers to overlook one another's faults, at least for this week, to forgive one another from the heart, to welcome and build new and better friendships with one another. If there is something bothering you, don't keep it to yourself. In charity, tell this to a confessor, to a brother priest or to me.
Let your burden be light and your yoke be easy, as Christ invites us. Use this time wisely, dear brothers, to pray before Christ, and to do God's will as best as you can.
May the prayer of the Mother of God, Saint Maron and all the Saints be with us.
+ Gregory
The International Day of Human Fraternity
Dear Friends in Christ,
Today is the third anniversary of the signing of the document on human fraternity by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam Al Tayyeb. See the Vatican News web pages for Human Fraternity to learn more.
I have written a few articles that may contribute to Muslim Christian dialogue.
Reflections on the Islamic tradition
- The Contribution of Al-Ghazali in the Study of Religion
- “Adunis” -- A Social Critic and Truth Seeker
- Mirror for Princes
- Mariam of the Qur’an, Mary of the New Testament, Mary of non-canonical writings
and
+ Gregory
Natural Family Planning
Cir. 22.09Dear Brother Priests, Deacons/ Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women, Lay Faithful,
In order to provide a foundational knowledge of Natural Family Planning (NFP) for our couples, we want to promote this healthy and faithful practice any way possible. In fact, our Eparchial Statutes (no. 71) lists NFP as one of four requirements for marriage preparation. This requirement can be fulfilled in one of the three following ways:
- Couples can attend an on-line session on Natural Family Planning with Father Peter and Marise Frangie and place the certificate in their file. To initiate this, the Pastor need only to send an email, like the one drafted below, to the couple and cc Marise Frangie at sanctityoflife@live.com. Marise will reach out to the couple and schedule an online meeting with them and give them a certificate afterwards for the file.
Dear Engaged Couple:
Our marriage preparation program in the Eparchy requires you to learn the basics about Natural Family Planning. To do that you need to sign up for one online session with Father Peter and his wife Marise Frangie. They will walk you through an overview and the science behind different morally acceptable methods to help you plan you family. Marise is copied on this email to get in touch with you.
Another way to fulfil this important requirement is to ask engaged couples to attend a Marriage Preparation program in the Latin Diocese, which offers Natural Family Planning, and to request the certificate for their file.
A third way is to ask the couple to view some good videos related to Natural Family Planning. For a selection, please click here. These videos, viewed with some input from a person of their choice trained in NFP, can also be a good way to fulfil this requirement.
Thank you for promoting this important practice for the couples entrusted to your care.
+ Gregory
2022 Pro-Life Vigil March and Mass at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Archbishop Lori’s Homily: A Salute to Pro-Life Ministries
More than a few times in my nearly 45 years of priesthood, I have met with women and couples who were contemplating an abortion. Almost without exception, these women and couples were deeply conflicted. Most experienced a very deep and real anguish. With the help of God’s grace, I tried to walk with them, to connect them with helpful pro-life medical services and ministries, and never to assume that I fully understood what they were going through. Some couples with whom I met received troubling pre-natal diagnoses. Others, especially unmarried women, were often victims of poverty and abuse. In almost every case, family members, friends, and medical professionals urged them to get an abortion as the “solution” to a “problem” child … a child who was likely to be born with an abnormality, or conversely, a perfectly healthy child who would be born into poverty and lack of equity. To many of them, it seemed that their only option was to have an abortion, but deep within, they knew it was a tragic choice with lasting consequences. What is needed so badly in all such situations is a witness to love and to life! ...
Catholic intellectual Alice von Hildebrand 'defended all that is worth defending'
Funeral Mass homily by Fr. Gerald Murray
Catholic intellectual Alice von Hildebrand, whose husband was the late Catholic philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand, died Jan. 14 at the age of 98. Revered as a "tigress" in defense of objective Truth and the Catholic Church, von Hildebrand appeared more than 80 times on EWTN and contributed many outstanding essays over the years to Catholic News Agency.
Reminder -- Make Reservation for the Hotel for March for Life before January 12
Dear Brother Priests, Deacons, Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women, and Lay Faithful, Cir. 22.01
Wishing you a Blessed Epiphany.
Please join us as we gather with fellow Maronites from across the United States to march for the sanctity and dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death. The 2022 March for Life will take place on Friday January 21st in Washington, DC.
To encourage more of our people to attend we have reserved a block of rooms at a discounted rate at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC. The hotel has extended the deadline for us to January 12, 2022. Please see the information below. More details and a schedule for the weekend have been attached to this email along with a google sign-up sheet for those interested in attending with our Maronite group.
Please share this information in the next few days so that a good number of our youth and young adults, children and families can join us as we pray and walk together as “Maronites for Life.”
Hotel Details
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC 20036
202-347-3000
To reserve a room: $159 Standard King Bed/$169 Double Beds: https://book.passkey.com/e/50270086
If you prefer to call the Hotel, mention March for Life Block and you will get the discounted rate.
Please note:
Rooms need to be booked by January 12. The blocked room rates will no longer be available past this date. Each person booking a room is responsible for their own room fees and is responsible for canceling, if necessary, within the Hotel’s allowable time period to avoid charges.
Likewise, please sign up with the google form below, and we will contact everyone attending the Vigil and March, a few weeks before with any updates. Contact information is found below for any additional questions.
Click here to sign up: March for Life Sign Up
Contact Information:
Maya Khoury (MYA) 804-559-1454
Linda DiNardo George 540-520-1679
Email: familyandsanctityoflife777@gmail.com
Thank you for your support especially for the unborn.
+Gregory
St. Joseph’s displays Bethlehem-sized Nativity scene
From the Olean Time's Herald comes an article about Fr. Claude Franklin's extensive nativity set.
OLEAN — They say it takes a village to raise a child, and it looks like all of Bethlehem is present for the birth of Christ in the Nativity scene at St. Joseph’s Maronite Catholic Church.
What began as the personal collection of Father Claude Franklin, pastor at St. Joseph’s, with the primary manger figures has expanded to more than 40 humans, several dozen animals and a small town’s worth of buildings and structures.