Dear brothers and sisters,
During this month of July, we ask the Lord to keep you and your families healthy and safe from all sicknesses and illnesses. You are all in our prayers and thoughts at every Mass celebrated (and quite often broadcast on the Church’s Website and Facebook). We continue the broadcasting in an attempt to continue to serve the sick, the elderly and the distant. Please note that the live streaming at this point in time is done in order to allow the sick, elderly, out of town, or high risk people, to attend liturgy remotely. Parishioners who are healthy and able to attend Mass physically, are expected to do so on a weekly basis, following the Bible’s commandment to respect the day of the Lord.
We thank the wonderful Faith Formation directors, Nikki Abbott and Michele Kloncz, who worked with dedication and commitment, to maintain and strengthen the children group of the parish. The Church was so blessed to continue to have such dedicated and committed directors. Regarding this coming year, we will keep posted about our programs. In the meanwhile, parents with children age 6 and up are encouraged and expected to enroll their children at Holy Family for Faith Formation Classes that will start in mid-September. This is especially important for those children starting second grade 2 or are seven years old, as they must register for the First Communion Classes and ceremony. Children who are eleven years of age must complete their Confirmation Course and receive or renew their Confirmation Sacrament at Holy Family by June of next year. Please contact the Church office for registration information. This is a must and the responsibility of the parents to register their children. This is very important and necessary for the Maronite and Catholic children of today who face confusing threats against their faith and values in the media and society.
On Sunday, June 29, we celebrated the Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul. A solemn Mass was celebrated at Saint Paul Cathedral by Archbishop Bernard Hebda and concelebrated by Archbishop Samir Nassar of the Maronite Eparchy of Damascus of Syria, where Saint Paul was converted to Christianity..
The Men’s Club Annual Church picnic was held Sunday, June 22, after liturgy. The picnic was an opportunity for our community to enjoy time together in a family atmosphere and delicious food. The Men’s Club, with its president, Jim Abbott, sponsor scholarships to five of our college age youth all of whom are committed and dedicated to the church.
This year, our MYO youth group is replacing attendance at the annual national retreat with other activities closer to home. Good job, John Corey and team for always motivating our MYO. The church MYO group (age 12 to 17) will be joined by our Faith Formation and altar serving children who will come of age this fall and winter. This is an indication that the church MYO and MYA groups will be growing, maybe slowly but in a steady and secure rhythm. Please encourage your children to enroll in Faith Formation and MYO and altar serving. Encourage them also to participate in the Annual Youth Summer Camp at Church in August. It is a once a year event for 2 days. Don’t let your children miss it. It is another opportunity for your kids to live moments of joy and blessings together, building a legacy of community participation. The camp will include half a day at Lebanon Hills State Park, with hiking, swimming and portaging, canoeing, and games, prayers, delicious food and heritage lessons. I will be participating in the activities along with Deacon George, who will then be Father George, and Father Tony. Chorbishop Sharbel will also join us and will bless the group.
We pray this month for the peace and security of the United States of America on its Independence Day, July 4. May this country be a country of peace, security and safety with the true Christian values of the Gospel. On this occasion, I would like to invite you to pray for our country of origin, Lebanon, and the Middle East, the land visited by the Lord Jesus, which is still going through difficult moments of economic depression and crisis. We encourage each of you to support Caritas Lebanon, the major Catholic Charity of the country and the Middle East, or even directly for any beloved ones you know in the country. Thank you for your support. And thank you for your prayers.
The NAM Convention will be held this year in Raleigh North Carolina, with clergy conferences starting Monday June 30, and the full scale Convention from Thursday, July 3, to Saturday, July 6. I will represent Holy Family with three of our MYA members who thankfully offered to participate on behalf of the church.
July is a summer break month. We wish all of our families beautiful days of family life and relaxation time and don’t forget to thank God at weekend Liturgy for all of the gifts He has bestowed on you all. We especially hold these thoughts and prayers of gratitude in mind the weekend of July 19 and 20, during which we will celebrate the feast days of Saint Elias the Prophet and Saint Sharbel.
Thank you again for your trust and for treating the church as being your own home in your generosity and care.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Father Emmanuel Nakhlé-Ghorr, Pastor +
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