To help us enter the Season of the Glorious Birth of Our Lord more deeply, the Couples Ministry of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, NY and Bishop Gregory Mansour intend to host a Zoom discussion on the “Announcements Leading to Christmas” on Tuesday, December 3rd from 8:00PM - 9:00PM.
I welcome you to discover the remarkable journey of the Maronite Church—from its monastic roots along the Orontes River in the 5th century to becoming a profound cultural and spiritual bridge between the East and the West. Through centuries of resilience and faith, the Maronites have left an indelible mark on the world, fostering intellectual and cultural exchanges that shaped civilizations.
Subdeacon Nadim Khalid and several choirs from throughout the Eparchy of Saint Maron have collaborated to publish examples of English Maronite Music on YouTube. The hymns were taken from the work of Fr Geoffrey Abdallah and his work with the inter eparchial music commission.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
and
+ Gregory
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:
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
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, 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.
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.”
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
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.
The Catholic school managed by the Missionaries of the Most Blessed Sacrament at Beit Hebbak, Lebanon, is having a difficult time financing their ministry given the current crisis.
From the Vatican News web site: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2021-12/christian-organizations-supporting-catholic-schools-in-lebanon.html
Without the financial support of generous benefactors and small donors, Catholic schools in Lebanon would be forced to close. The crisis has made it impossible for the majority of families to pay for their children's schooling. Vatican News has visited a school in Beit Hebbak, a small town in the center of the country.
To help the Missionary Sisters of the Most blessed sacrament go to their web site, https://www.stmaron.org/how-you-can-help
or mail a check payable to "The Eparchy of Saint Maron" to
109 Remsen street,
Brooklyn New York 11201
Dear Friends in Christ,
Please find attached a FAQ to share with our people regarding the 2022 Lebanese Election.
Below please find the link to a video I made to promote registration. Time is of the essence, the last day to register is November 20, 2021. Please remind those who can, to register to ensure their participation.
With sincere best wishes and prayers, I remain
Yours in Christ
+ Gregory
Circ. 21.46 Dear Brother Priests, Deacon/ Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women, Lay Faithful
Attached please find some Pro-Life helps for each of you.
First, is the flyer for the upcoming Pro-Life Vigil and March for January 21, 2022. Please post this on your social media. I hope as many as possible will join us for this important work to reverence life.
Second, is a video and accompanying booklet produced by the Diocese of Providence on end-of-life issues. I hope you will find this as helpful as I have. We face this challenge more and more these days.
May God give us the grace to hold sacred every human life from the moment of conception to natural death.
+ Gregory
Reprinted with permission from IMPRINT Magazine, Fall 2021 Issue: Who Am I?, by the Sisters of Life. www.sistersoflife.org.
Dear Friends in Christ:
Below is an excerpt from a Catholic News Service report on Bishop Gregory's reflection at the recent Inter-Faith and Ecumenical Prayer Service on the occasion of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly.
In the face of widespread evidence of humanity’s dark side, speakers a prayer service Sept. 13 — on the eve of the opening of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly — identified unmistakable signs of hope.
Bishop Gregory J. Mansour of the Maronite Diocese of St. Maron of Brooklyn said there is a “great and edifying effort” by the United Nations to counter “totalitarian forms of government that trample the rights of the people they are called to serve.”
He also highlighted the “global work to alleviate human trafficking, assist refugees and people on the move, work on nuclear disarmament, combat climate change and so much more.”
The bishop referred to remarks made at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington this summer, which stressed that the right to religious freedom “is not conceded to us by any nation or by governments but is innate by virtue of being human.”
“Our relationship to God defines who we are as persons and must be understood and respected as even more important than our allegiance to any worldly power or government,” he told the congregation gathered at the Church of the Holy Family near U.N. headquarters.
The leader of a Maronite Catholic Diocese in New York said that greater protection of religious freedom is a buttress against attacks on the dignity of the human person by overreaching governments, groups and individuals.
He also urged the assembled ambassadors and diplomats to support Lebanon as an ongoing “inspiring sign of interreligious and political harmony.”
Although he said the ongoing pandemic is a deep concern he said it also serves as an invitation from a loving God to greater solidarity among people and has demonstrated the generosity of international humanitarian aid agencies and some developed nations.
Similarly inspiring, he said, is the growing resolve to use international cooperation to remedy human-caused harm to the Earth.
Bishop Mansour said Pope Francis’ recent visit to Iraq, where he met with Shiite and Sunni leaders, holds great promise for the future.
There is increasing respect for the dignity of the human person and his or her inalienable rights in the world today, the bishop said. More people work to honor the truth that human life in “all its stages is a sacred gift.”
“If we do not treat each person as an unrepeatable gift, we risk becoming transactional beings, simply a means to an end for governments or anyone else to use or exploit,” he said.
Religious leaders offer prayers before start of U.N. General Assembly
Bishop Gregory's reflection can be found here.
Please join Bishop Gregory Mansour for the Eparchy of Saint Maron's Virtual Benefit Event on October 7, 2021.
The Event will raise needed funds for the Eparchy, so that it can continue to serve Maronites in the United States and help in Lebanon.
The Event will also honor those institutions and individuals who have been dedicating their time and resources to help the people of Lebanon during these difficult times.
And please enjoy the following video from the Saint Vincent De Paul Society in Lebanon.
Christopher Hart-Moynihan, Director of the Unitas “Friends of Lebanon” Project, has written an article, "Friends of Lebanon: One Year Later", for the one year anniversary of the Beirut port explosion. The article includes an interview with Bishop Gregory.
Please see https://urbietorbicommunications.com/lebanon-update-2-2021-august-3-a-path-forward/ to read the article and learn how you can become a "Friend of Lebanon".
Christian leaders of Lebanon gathered around Pope Francis in the Vatican on Thursday for a Day of Prayer and Reflection for Lebanon. Vatican News
The Patriarch of the Maronite Church, Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï says the day of Prayer and Reflection for Lebanon is an important step to help Lebanon remain the home of Islamic-Christian dialogue, and a country of democracy, progress and civilisation. Vatican News
