Welcome, Heart of Jesus Maronite Catholic Church

Heart of Jesus Church, center window"The Catholic Church values highly the institutions of the eastern churches, their liturgical rites, ecclesiastical traditions and their ordering of Christian life. For in those churches, which are distinguished by their venerable antiquity, there is clearly evident the tradition which as come from the apostles through the Fathers and which is part of the divinely revealed, undivided heritage of the universal church...the Mystical Body of Christ, made up of the faithful who are organically united in the Holy Spirit by the same faith, the same government, and who, coming together in various hierarchically linked different groups, thus form particular churches or rites. Between those churches there is such a wonderful communion that this variety, so far from diminishing the Church's unity serves to emphasize it."Decree on the Catholic Eastern Churches (Orientalium Ecclesiarum). 21 November, 1964, Second Vatican Council. 

From ordinary to extraordinary

Last Saturday morning, I took a quick run to the YMCA in New Bedford for a furnace workout before leaving with my husband for a weekend away. Destination: Fort Lauderdale, FL. After my usual full body blast, I felt ready for the three hour flight. As I prepared to leave the gym, I encountered one of the weekend trainers who stopped to chat for few minutes.

"Have a great weekend," he said. "Are you doing anything in particular?"

"We are," I replied. "We're flying to Florida for the weekend for an event."

"Good for you - leaving the cold behind for a few days! What's the event?"

Chorbishop Michael Thomas, pastor of Heart of Jesus I explained that our friend Chorbishop Michael Thomas established a new Maronite Catholic parish in Fort Lauderdale, FL. On Sunday, January 6, 2012, Bishop Gregory Mansour, the Ordinary of Saint Maron of Brooklyn would consecrate Heart of Jesus Church at the 11:00 AM Mass.

“The consecration of a Catholic church is a magnificent and very moving rite,” I told the trainer. We’re thrilled to participate.”

Over the course of the year, we visited with Chorbishop Thomas at Heart of Jesus Church throughout its deep renovations. Set on Florida's Intercoastal, we watched an ordinary property become sacred terrain, where a seedling of faith continues to grow and draw more and more people, creating a new community of Catholic faith. 

Heart of Jesus, rear church view During the conversation, the trainer's genuine interest and replies took me by surprise.

"Wow, that's fantastic! I’ve never heard about that religious denomination. Who are they?”

I explained that the Maronite Church can be traced to the time of the early Christians of Antioch in Syria, where a mixed group of Greeks, Jews and Gentiles received the good news of the Gospel and grew into a vibrant faith community. Barnabus and Saul (later, Paul) stayed with the group for an entire year and "met with the church and instructed great numbers. It was in Antioch that the disciples were called Christians for the first time.” (Acts11: 26)

“But they’re Catholic, right?” the trainer asked respestfully but looked simultaneously puzzled.

 Sometimes there's just nothing like a teachable moment, even when you're dripping sweat all over the gym floor from a workout blast. 

“That's a great question! Yes, the Maronite Church is Catholic and in union with the Roman Catholic Church and very distinct in in its use of linguistic and cultural tradition, “I answered. “You don’t have to go to Florida to experience it,” I added, chuckling. “Our Lady of Purgatory in New Bedford has been a very vibrant and active local parish for many years. Bishop Thomas grew up in that church with a wonderful pastor, Fr. George Saad. I’ve never met a more welcoming community and always think of them when I hear the Olive Garden slogan, “When you’re here, you’re family,” because that's how they make you feel." The trainer laughed in appreciation. His next comment really caught me off guard. 

"They're Catholic and they're opening a parish?" the trainer asked.

I understood. In this day and age of church closures and mergers, this trainer spotted a success story with deft perception.

Side garden, Heart of Jesus "Remarkable, isn't it?" I smiled. "This parish will create a new Catholic community that's growing very quickly. The people are so grateful that they don't need to travel 50 miles to worship on a Sunday morning. That's what prompted the establishment of this new parish. The distance between parishes didn’t accommodate a growing need for people who live in the Fort Lauderdale area. They had to travel long distances to worship on Sunday morning. And there's an increasing number of Maronite Catholics coming from South America to live in that part of Florida. This parish will be a place of sacramental worship and magnificent hospitality." 

"The liturgy for the consecration of a church is really quite magnificent and very moving," I added. "We feel fortunate to attend and celebrate with the Heart of Jesus community." The trainer stunned me with his next statement.

"Well, I am a man of God. I believe that God's spirit lives in all of us. I wish you and your husband a safe journey and wish that the Spirit of God lives this new community of faith. God bless them. Have a wonderful time."

I've talked to this trainer for over a year. We've talked about the weather, furnace resistance workouts and he’s even spotted me a few times when I lift heavy metal, just to insure my safety. I would never in a million years expect this trainer to display an obvious desire to learn about religion, let alone perceive or anticipate his intelligent curiosity about such an obsure topic such as the consecration of a Catholic church. 

I marvel at the encounters that God places at our disposal every minute of every day. Availability can change ordinary moments into an extraordinary opportunities for dialogue, a chance to touch the Holy in a holy exchange. I wonder how many times such moments forever elude us because we fail to employ God's grace, which is always at our disposal. Do we presume disinterest on someone's part based on our own bias, our subjective and preconceived opinions? Consistent examen, like persistent workouts may alter some of our conjecture. I admit that I have my spiritual workouts cut out for me and need to attend to them as diligently as I do to workouts in the gym. 

No one seems to be stretched beyond God's reach but our arms must do the reaching. With a sense of urgency, our lips must relay the message that Christ is alive and well and living among us, as evidenced by a new Catholic parish born from a seedling and growing into a cedar of Lebanon. Our assumptions that people remain disinterested and apathetic about God must cease on behalf of people who long for the burning platform of Gospel passion to emit from all Christians who profess and proclaim that by his death and resurrection, Christ has set us free to speak up on behalf of God. 

Waiting 

An unadorned altar and empty tabernacle await ChristMusicians prepare to pray the sung liturgyBefore any liturgy, certain details and preparations occur. Musicians arrive, warm up and tweak out a few rough edges before people arrive. Well rehearsed liturgical ministers arrive early to review their parts one last time. Plant managers survey Parish hall and workers prepare the banquet hall and feast the church with keen eyes to insure safety and cleanliness. Environmental teams lend their artistic expertise to offer beauty to the eye. Hospitality ministers work behind the scenes to prepare food and drink for post-liturgical celebration.The details triple for a solemn consecration of a new Catholic church. Everything in the church must be blessed. Invited concelebrants arrive from all over the country and must be housed for the weekend. The parish staff must attend to family, friends and parishioners who will attend the liturgy that will welcome Christ to dwell in their midst. If you've even worked behind the scenes and planned a large event, you'll understand how much work goes into this, in addition to a year's worth of building up a new community while renovating a property. You can imagine the joy when the day finally arrives. On Sunday, the elation could have filled the world. Isn't that what the good news of the Gospel is supposed to do? 

Worship

Chorbishop Thomas incenses the peopleMaronite sung liturgy sways between Arabic, Syriac (a version of Aramaic), English and Greek. The music modes are Middle Eastern and repeat often enough so that even neophytes like me who usually worship in the Roman rite can eventually participate in the sung responses throughout worship. The worship aid created for the liturgy contained rubric, ritual and musical dialogue between concelebrants, choir and assembly. 

Bishop Mansour consecrates the altar 

I provided a small video segment taken with my Android as Bishop Mansour consecrates the altar with sacred chrism. (Please forgive my amateur attempts; I am NOT a professional videographer!) 

Images evoke prayer

Some of my favorite Old Testament scripture passages can be found in Kings and Chronicles and describe the building, dedication and re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. When the musicians and the people express their gratitude to God for their permanent place of worship, they sing "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever" and "the building of the Lord's temple was filled with a cloud." (2 Chronicles 5: 13) That 'cloud,' called the Shekinah literally means the settling, the dwelling of the presence of God amongst the people. God comes to reside with them.

Throughout Sunday's liturgy as all of the sacred symbols were incensed often and generously, the density of incense evoked the image of the Shekinah coming to dwell within a new church and community. The palm tree seen directly behind the altar through the center window at Heart of Jesus added timely and prayerful imagery as it danced and swayed to the mesmerizing Syriac chants and eastern modes that transcend centuries of time. Imaginative prayer seeks the truth of the heart, an encounter with Jesus. If we engage the images and symbols at our disposal, we can return to them often to savor and experience their sensory persuasion again and again in our encounters with Jesus. Engaging the senses heightens the mysteries of faith. On Sunday, I drowned in rich symbols and imagery that I will return to and reflect upon often in prayer.  

Fellowship

One of the best treaures that I know of in life is to share and celebrate a friend's success. On Sunday, we celebrated with our dear friend Chorbishop Thomas who continues to be a deep blessing and gift in our lives and extend our deepest gratitude to him and to Heart of Jesus Catholic Church for including us in this magnificent event. May Heart of Jesus parish welcome many who will seek and find the Lord Jesus within this beautiful new Maronite Catholic parish of faith and fellowship. Mabrouk "مبروك"! Ad multos annos! 

Here are a just few more pictures from the liturgical celebration. I admit that I was too busy having a great time at the party to think about taking pictures! 

from left:Bishops Caggiano, Favalora, Mansour, Coleman, Thomas

Rev. Samuel Najjar, Msgr. Stephen Avila, Bishop Frank Caggiano, Chorbishop Michael Thomas

Fully adorned main altar. Welcome, Lord Jesus Christ!