Portland to host Northwest's first Maronite ordination

Catholic Sentinel ^ | July 15, 2014 | Ed Langlois

[NYer]

Catholic News Service photo

Bishop Elias Zaidan visits Portland the weekend of July 19-20.

Catholic Sentinel photo by Ed Langlois

Abouna Jonathan Decker and Monk Anthony Joseph Alles at the Maronite monastery in Beaverton in 2011.

Ed Langlois
Of the Catholic Sentinel

The variety of Catholic tradition and the plight of Christians in the Middle East will be at the forefront this weekend in Portland.

The leader of Maronite Catholics in the western U.S. is visiting to ordain a Portland monk on the path to priesthood. Bishop Elias Zaidan of the St. Louis-based Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon will ordain Monk Anthony Joseph Alles as a transitional deacon during the Holy Mysteries — or Mass — starting at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 20, at St. Sharbel Church in Southeast Portland.

Maronites, who are loyal to the pope, trace their tradition to a fourth-century hermit in the mountains of Syria, St. Maron. The Maronites, who flourished in what is now Lebanon, are one of 22 Catholic Churches whose traditions developed in various regions in the eastern ancient world. The Latin rite developed in the west.

Sunday’s ordination is the first for Maronites in the Pacific Northwest. Archbishop Alexander Sample and Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith will attend. Monk Anthony Joseph, 29, recently professed solemn vows in the Maronite Monks of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Bishop Zaidan says the western U.S. is a place of growth for his tradition. There are nine Maronite churches in California and one each in Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Denver. He hopes for a church in Seattle soon.

The bishop says Maronites, especially those like Abouna (Father) Jonathan Decker of St. Sharbel, have a deep spiritual tradition to share with the Latin churches.  
A native of Lebanon who has been in the U.S. for 26 years, Bishop Zaidan is a spokesman for beleaguered Christians in the Middle East, the land where Jesus lived.  

“Christians need to remain there despite persecutions,” the bishop says. “I hope people here will lend them support and let them know they are not forgotten.”

The Oregon Maronite monks — four in all — live in a simple house on a Beaverton cul de sac. They begin the day with communal prayer at 3 a.m. and pray throughout the day, keeping silent for long periods. They break silence for spiritual direction and work at St. Sharbel.

Monk Anthony Joseph says making solemn vows was a moment of grace in which God affirmed his monastic vocation. Service is integral to monasticism and to the diaconate, says the bearded monk, a Portland native who studied philosophy at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

He has learned that his expectations don’t always fit what God allows, but that God will always do something in keeping with divine majesty.

“I know if I am open and docile like the Blessed Mother, it will be wonderful,” Monk Anthony Joseph says. “We just have to be faithful to what God puts in our life each step of the way.”

Monks keep silence, he explains, so they can be responsive to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

“We are listening,” he says.

[NYer]

Saint Sharbel Church

Address: 1804 SE 16th Ave, Portland, OR 97214

OFFICIAL WEB SITE

[NYer]

If you live in the area, consider attending this once in a lifetime ceremony. Ping!

[steve86]

This is good and I still hope to visit that parish.

Whether my family actually will depends on whether I can find out if the Maronite liturgy has changed materially since 1957 or so.

[showme_the_Glory]

What a Maron?

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

“is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome. It traces its heritage back to the community founded by Marun, a 4th Century Syriac-Aramean monk venerated as a saint. The first Maronite Patriarch, Saint John Maron, was elected in the late 7th century.”

Wikipedia.org

[showme_the_Glory]

Actually I meant it in the Buggs Bunny context. What a maroon.

[NYer]

Whether my family actually will depends on whether I can find out if the Maronite liturgy has changed materially since 1957 or so.

Don't know about the liturgy celebrated in 1957. I have been attending the Maronite Catholic Church for more than a decade. It is my understanding that all of the Eastern Catholic Churches benefited from VCII in that they were told to restore their ancient liturgies. In 2004, the Patriarch convened a synod. Among the issues discussed was the expansion of the church around the globe and the need to standardize and translate the liturgy, beginning with the most common: English, French, Spanish and Arabic. (Up until then, each eparchy had translated the liturgy into the local vernacular. As such, the English format differed in the US, Canada, Australia, So. Africa, Britain, etc.) Last year, the new English missals were issued and delivered to all English language countries. The English format of various hymns, was also standardized.

Hope this is helpful.

[NYer]

What a Maron?

The Maronite Church is the only Catholic Church named for a saint, in this case, St. Maron.

St. Maron (ca 345-410; his name also written St. Maroun) was from the ancient area of Cyrrhus (Cyrus) in what is now southern Turkey, not far from the Syrian city of Aleppo. He lived the life of an ascetic, at a hill top where an ancient temple to the Babylonian god Nabo stood, which he converted to a Christian church. His hermit lifestyle was characterized as living "in the open air." Where he resided, the summers were very hot and the winters very cold, but he was willing to be exposed to these extremes in order to focus on his spiritual goals and overcome concerns for his body.

The Christian tradition of the area where he lived dates back to St. Peter, who established a church in Antioch and visited there several times, approximately during the period 35-55 A.D., before moving on to Rome, where he was martyred around 67 A.D.

St. John Chrysostom wrote him a letter of acknowledgement and respect. St. Maron became so popular that his numerous followers were known as Maronites. After his death, a Maronite monastery (Beth-Maroun) was built around 452 near Saint Maron's tomb; Theodoret also described the profound devotion which the monks of the monastery had to their departed spiritual father. The monastery engendered a larger community where men and women, under the guidance of the monks, could find material and spiritual happiness. The monastery, situated not far from Mount Lebanon, belonged to the patriarchy of the Church of Antioch. As the hardships of the early Christian church continued, the faithful set their hopes on the Maronite community where, in spite of persecutions and devastating wars, the spiritual leaders provided guidance and protection. For centuries the spiritual leaders of the Maronites have kept watch over the political and social rights of their people.

[Salvation]

Transitional deacon means he will be a priest next year, is that correct?

[Salvation]

Unfotinately I have another commitment, otherwise I would attend.

[Salvation]

If you would like more information about what's happening in Oregon, please FReepmail me. I lost my Oregon list when my computer crashed recently, so please send me your name by FReepmail if you were on the previous list.

[steve86]

It is my understanding that all of the Eastern Catholic Churches benefited from VCII in that they were told to restore their ancient liturgies.

That's certainly an outcome of VII I hadn't previously been privy to!

Thanks for the info. No gas money for this weekend or I might attend also.

[NYer]

I believe so.

[vladimir998]

“Whether my family actually will depends on whether I can find out if the Maronite liturgy has changed materially since 1957 or so.”

So you’re going to impose your particular Latin Mass views on the Maronit liturgy as if they are connected? How much sense does that make?

By the way, the Maronite liturgy in the U.S.A. was revised in the 60s and 70s to strip it of latinzations (but that’s not all). Does that bother your Uber Latin Mass sensibilities? You can read about this in Matti Moosa’s book, The Maronites in History (2005), pages 277-78.

I should point out that I attend the Latin Mass, and I respect the right of the sui juris Churches to do what they think best with their liturgies.

If you pass up the chance to attend that liturgy, you’re making a mistake.

[steve86]

I prefer to go with an open mind rather than listening to your unsolicited opinions.

I’ve been comfortable with the Byzantine Rite in the past.

In reply to your boorish rhetoric in the second paragraph: It makes perfect sense to ask about the impact of Vatican II on other rites.

Your question about imposing Latin anything in this context is outlandishly inapplicable. I suggested nothing of the sort. My main interest is in keeping traditional rites free of modernistic/progressive/protestant influences.

Please don’t post to me in the future.

I’ve had PMs from others on this thread infinitely more useful to me.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“I prefer to go with an open mind rather than listening to your unsolicited opinions.”

So this sounds like an open mind to you?: “Whether my family actually will depends on whether I can find out if the Maronite liturgy has changed materially since 1957 or so.”

If you say your attendance depends on the liturgy not having changed since 1957, how open minded could you possibly be?

“I’ve been comfortable with the Byzantine Rite in the past.”

Does this sound “comfortable”?: “Whether my family actually will depends on whether I can find out if the Maronite liturgy has changed materially since 1957 or so.”

“Your question about imposing Latin anything in this context is outlandishly inapplicable.”

Nope. You know how I know it’s perfectly applicable? These two comments from you:

1) “...if the Maronite liturgy has changed materially since 1957 or so.” -—— Let’s face it, why 1957? Because of Vatican II. And that is very much about the Latin Mass and what happened to it.

2) “It makes perfect sense to ask about the impact of Vatican II on other rites.” -—— Again, that’s clearly about changes that would be similar to changes to the Latin Mass.

Thus, nothing I said is outlandish and anyone reading this thread would know it.

“I suggested nothing of the sort.”

1957. Impact of Vatican II on other rites.

“My main interest is in keeping traditional rites free of modernistic/progressive/protestant influences.”

Well, then your interest won’t be met according to many. Some believe the changes are modernistic or progressive (and that means “Protestant” to many). And one could easily argue that removing “latinizations” is in itself a “modernistic/progressive” tendency.

“Please don’t post to me in the future.”

I will post anyone I want, however often I want, as long as it is within the board rules. You don’t have to read the posts.

“I’ve had PMs from others on this thread infinitely more useful to me.”

Great. Then you have no excuse not to go. Have a good time. Go with that “open mind”.

[NKP_Vet]

These Maronites have their work cut out for them. Portland, Oregon is the Sodom of the NW. Gomorrah being Seattle.