Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus our Lord,    

As we start the month October, the month of the Holy Rosary, we ask the most blessed Virgin Mary that through her intercessions, the Lord Jesus may bless our community and families, and grant peace and security to the countries that are in urgent need for it, especially our beloved biblical land of the cedars: Lebanon. Thank you for your prayers and support for peace and security in Lebanon and the Middle East. Especially since the Vatican has announced the upcoming visit of the Holy Father, Pope Leo the XIV, to Lebanon at the end of November with everything this visit will mean on international political and religious levels as support for the Church of Lebanon, the Holy Land and the Middle East.

As always, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our Holy Family families, individuals, friends, sponsors and supporters who continue to show their constant support with great dedication, care and love for our church and community. Thank you to all council members, groups and individuals who keep searching for new ways to support the church. This is a way of Evangelization and you are doing it. Thank you.

Evangelization is practiced in every activity, in every event, even in the annual Fall Festival that was held on Saturday September 6. The food was delicious. The raffle was a success and the children games were great. All this was despite the rainy and windy weather that day. Our goal was to attract and pull as many people as possible back to our community, our faith and our heritage. Thank you to all of those dedicated, energetic, committed, and determined volunteers and organizers, who are loyal, faithful, kind, ready to serve and assist, from generation to generation for their hard work and constant effort for the church sake.

Our Faith Formation director, Nikki Abbott, who is a great teacher with years of Faith Formation teaching in the past, will be leading the program for this year with Michelle Kloncz. Parents who have children ages 6 to 12, and have no Faith Formation or religion classes at their schools, should contact Nikki to enroll their children and ensure they participate in the classes, especially for First Holy Communion ages 7 to 8 or grade 2. This is also an essential part of evangelization. The children’s participation will form the generation of the future for the families and for the church. In the same way, let us make the Sunday Divine Liturgy a priority in our children’s Christian life and faith, where all generations unite around the Lord Jesus.

Most of our MYO youth group reached the age of the MYA young adults. The MYO and director John Corey welcome new members, aged 12 to 17, to join their meetings and activities. This group enjoys wonderful outdoor and indoor gatherings at the Church and local parks; participate in the Church youth summer camps and in various church events and fundraisings, like Lenten dinners, Christmas wreaths, Easter eggs coloring and other events. All youth, from ages 12 to 17, are invited and encouraged to join and enjoy great times together. Committed MYO Youth members will be prioritized for college studies scholarships supported by the Church and the Men’s Club.

Our MYA young adults group is flourishing and getting more active. The members get involved in many community activities and various church active councils and groups. All church young adults age 18 to 35 are welcome to join. Three members of group attended the 2025 NAM convention in North Carolina last July. The MYA this year also was represented by one of the members, Ben Mansur, in the Maronite Foundation Young Adults, in a 2-week trip to Lebanon with young adults from around the world.

We thank everyone who continues to support those suffering in Lebanon. Caritas Lebanon U.S., sends donations on a regular basis from the Eparchy in Saint Louis to Beirut where Caritas is dealing with the direct distribution channels to the displaced families in the areas affected. Caritas U.S. makes sure that these donations get to the allocated destinations and we are always informed by the assisted parishes and individuals about receiving the help.

lee year Holy Family pilgrimage trip to Rome and Italy from September 28 to October 7. The group of 23 participants will visit many religious and tourist sites in Rome, St. Rita of Cascia, St. Francis of Assisi, Florence, Bologna, Venice, St. Anthony of Padua before making their return from Milano. Wishing the group a blessed and safe trip.

The second event is the visit of Bishop Elias Zaidan of our Maronite Eparchy of Los Angeles to Holy Family on Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19. We thank Bishop Elias for his guidance and instructions and the Eparchy assistance and support to Holy Family. Bishop Elias will bless the church groups and projects, and will bless new members of the Order of Saint Sharbel. Let us gather around our bishop in this visit. As you know, the eparchy of Los Angeles has over 60 parishes and missions in over 35 states stretching from Ohio to California. Holy Family is one of the three oldest Maronite Churches of the Eparchy .

Just to mention that this month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary, begins with two principle feasts. Saint Therese of Lisieux, is patroness of the converted atheists through constant daily prayers and sacrifice. On behalf of my family, I thank you all again for all of your prayers for my mom, Marie-Therese. You honored her during her visits to the parish and you prayed for the repose of her soul. With your prayers and the prayers of the Saints, may the Lord grant her and all the departed mothers, eternal peace and joy.

This month includes also the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, who changed the face of the Church and focused on the assistance of the poor, the hungry and the needy and inspired thousands of vocations in the Church throughout the last nine centuries.

The month of October ends on October 31, Halloween. Just to clarify: Halloween originally had Catholic roots and meanings. It is the Eve of the All Saints Solemnity of November 1. The meaning of Halloween itself means the feast of the Hallows or the Saints. But in some Western European cultures the use of somewhat scary masks was to cast out and scare demons and evil spirits. Today Catholic Halloween practices include making children and youth wear Saints and angels costumes while celebrating Halloween, the Feast of All Saints. May their prayers be with us. Amen.

Concluding my letter, I wish you and your families a great month of October, which is a month dedicated to the Holy Rosary and a happy and glorious Holy Family Church anniversary of 106 years!

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Father Emmanuel, Pastor +

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