Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus our Lord,    

The month of August looks like a break, relax and vacation month, and that’s true and we wish all families joyful vacations and breaks during this month.

Our MYO leaders have again organized a children summer camp activity for all church children age 9 to 17, including Faith Formation, altar servers and MYO, Thursday through Saturday, August 12, 13 and 14, at both the Church campus and a half day at Lebanon Hills. The camp will include a beautiful variety of activities: spiritual, games, swimming, canoeing, hiking, heritage, culture etc. Parents are invited to encourage their children participate in this annual event.

The annual church Festival will be held Saturday, September 12. Our crews are preparing food for sandwiches and dishes filled with delicious Lebanese items. You can contact Gloria Deeb-Reyes or Carolyn Marker for more information.

The church continues to celebrate the legacy and memories of the fathers and mothers and grandparents and ancestors of the community, as expressed in the following Syriac Aramaic Maronite hymn verse: "On your altar o Lord, are remembered our departed fathers and brothers and teachers. They will rise again at your right hand on the day when your majestic power appears, our Lord Christ and King" and Syriac Aramaic phonetics are the following: "al madebhokh Mor netdakhroun, abohain w ahain w rabonain, wanqoomoun men yaminokh, byawmo ddonho raboutokh, malko Mshiho. Halleluia." On this occasion, there are more ways to remember the departed, such as offering Masses and prayers in their memory, or donating for a cause to support church services and mission, or remembering the church in your will and in memory of a deceased dear parent or family or church member. This way the deceased are being remembered and their memory will make a great difference in the life of your community and its future generations.

Our flourishing MYA group remains very active. They continue their monthly gatherings and participation in the NAM Convention and their attachment to the faith and traditions of the Maronite and Lebanese faith and culture.

We encourage you to continue to pray for the deceased, the sick and the suffering members of our parish. We also encourage you to pray for all those suffering around the world, children and adults alike, especially in Lebanon and the Middle East. Your prayers will always make difference.

To our generous donors we extend a big thank you for your generosity. It is always appreciated and even more so now as we prepare to start our expansion project this September. I wish you a great and blessed month of August.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Father Emmanuel, Pastor +