Cir. 22.79

Reverend and dear Monsignors and Fathers, Deacons and subdeacons, Brothers and Sisters;

Attached you will find our 2023 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 2023 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 American edition of this calendar in English, with the permission of the Maronite Synod of Bishops (June 2004), has added the commemoration of American Saints and Blesseds. We have also received the permission of the Holy See (August 9, 2004) with the prior approval of the Maronite Synod of Bishops that same year, to transfer the observance of the universal Holy Day of Saints Peter and Paul from June 29 to the last Sunday of June. Further, the Maronite Synod of Bishops (June 2004) has also approved the transfer of the Maronite Holy Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, form September 14 to the prior Sunday in order that the entire Maronite Church will continue to celebrate the First Sunday after the Holy Cross together. That same Synod also exempted the Maronites of the United States form the obligation to attend the Divine Liturgy on the certain Maronite Holy Days of Obligation such as: Saint Joseph (March 19), the Annunciation to the Virgin (March 25), and the Felicitations to the Virgin (December 26).

I would like to extend sincere thanks to Father Claude Franklin and to Subdeacon Norbert Vogl for their careful and professional work in making this calendar possible.

Please feel free to share this calendar with anyone who may be interested. For those who would like a hard-copy, simply print the attachment double-sided in color.

Hoping that this will be helpful to you, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Chorbishop Michael G. Thomas, JCD
Vicar General