Chorbishop Alfred Badawi

 City Beat, Detroit

St. Laba Hasroun Society honors Fr. Roby Zibara

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(STERLING HEIGHTS, MI) — St. Laba Hasroun Society members gathered at Ike’s Restaurant to welcome Father Roby Zibara from Hasroun, Lebanon on Sunday.

“Father Roby, whom I personally know from when I was a little kid in Hasroun, has been on a special assignment to serve our parish for the last 4 weeks,” said Maurice Farah, president of the organization.

Father Zibara was ordained in 2008 from Hasroun. He was most recently in Rome, working on his PhD in fundamental theology.

“It was a great pleasure having him in our community. We are looking forward having him over again in the future. He can count on this society to be his extended family here in the US,” Farah said.

Chorbishop Alfred Badawi and Father Roby Zibara with St. Laba Hasroun Society leaders.
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PHOTOS: Lebanese-American Christians celebrate Easter

(WARREN, MI) Millions of Christians worldwide are celebrating Easter this Sunday, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Several hundred parishioners attended Michigan’s largest Maronite church, Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church in Warren, for a traditional midnight mass.

Christians celebrate Easter to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. The resurrection symbolizes his victory over sin and death.

“Easter always means renewing our faith. This season is very important to us. A new person is being born inside of us,” said Samia Deban, a longtime and active St. Sharbel parishioner. “Look a how Jesus suffered for us. During this season, we forgive each other, we repent if we did something wrong, and we always look for a better life with Jesus.”

Chorbishop Alfred Badawi thanked the bishops, clergy, church staff, volunteers, and parishioners for their tireless efforts during Holy Week.

“This is your home. May this parish continue to grow with love, peace, and unity,” Chorbishop Badawi said.

Each year, St. Sharbel expects to serve almost 1,500 parishioners from across the state.

“It was a full house tonight. We’re getting a large crowd who are seeing this church as their home. This is what we’re here for,” said Eli Bassil. “This is the most important holiday for us. Christmas is commercialized by the media, but the value of Christ is still strong in Easter.”

Easter Sunday is a day for Lebanese believers to spend with their families and carry out rituals, including exchanging colored eggs and cracking them open.

Festive celebrations are preceded by a long period of Lent, which this year started on March 3. From that date until April 19, believers abstained from meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products while spending time in prayer.

“The faith is continuous – it’s through the whole year. It’s not only through Easter or Palm Sunday. We have to keep Jesus in our heart for as long as our heart beats,” said Deban.

Check out the gallery of photos from our Facebook page below.

Post by Lebanese Examiner.
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PHOTOS: Lebanese-Americans observe Good Friday

The Lebanese-American community observed Good Friday, which marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, with prayers and a Lenten dinner on March 18.

Worshippers gathered at churches around the country to commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross. In Michigan, hundreds of Lebanese-Americans packed local churches for a traditional evening liturgy and dinner.

Close to 200 parishioners attended Our Lady of Redemption Melkite Catholic Church in Warren led by Rev. Michel Cheble.

At St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church in Warren, close to 1,000 people packed all corners of the church. An overflow room with a projector and screen was set up to accommodate for the large crowds.

“The church was packed with people from all over the state. This is a perfect lead-in to Easter Sunday and it signifies just how much this community continues to grow,” Maurice Farah, secretary of the Lebanese-American Club of Michigan said.

Farah is also a leader of the St. Laba Hasroun Society, which sponsored the Lenten dinner, which was catered by Ike’s Restaurant in Sterling Heights.

Bishop Robert Joseph Shaheen and Chorbishop Alfred Badawi led the Good Friday liturgy. Bishop Shaheen is visiting Michigan for a special Holy Week outreach trip.

Check out the gallery of photos from our Facebook page below.

Post by Lebanese Examiner.
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PHOTOS: Bishop Zaidan departs from Detroit after 11-day trip

Bishop Abdullah Elias Zaidan was honored with a dinner at La Saj Lebanese Bistro before departing from Michigan. Bishop Zaidan was in Metro Detroit on an outreach mission to better understand the needs of the Michigan Maronite community.

KEY QUOTES – Bishop A. Elias Zaidan

“I want each one of you to try to get 5 extra names minimum; that’s from a practical point-of-view,” Bishop Zaidan began. “Tell them, we need you to become part of our community, we love you. We’re there to express our love to them. If you want to bring someone to church, love them.”

 

“We always neglect a very important element: prayer. Listen to God’s voice in your life and see what God wants from me, tonight, tomorrow, and every night. I’ll tell you personally, whenever I don’t pray, I feel like my life is not balanced,” Bishop Zaidan continued.

KEY QUOTES – Chorbishop Alfred Badawi

 “Besides our friendship, we are your priests. We are your children and you are our father. You can call us anytime and we’ll be there for you. For the past 11 days, we ate together, we drove together, we prayed together, we spoke together, and we planned for the future, for this beautiful community of the Maronites in Detroit,” Chorbishop Alfred Badawi said.

 

“Your words of wisdom, inspiration, and guidance will always be in our hearts. And I assure you that every word you said to us, it will be fulfilled.”

 

“You’re still next to me and have supported me all the way. For that, I’m thankful.”

Check out the gallery of photographs above.

 

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St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church celebrates Palm Sunday

Hundreds of parishioners packed St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church in Warren on Sunday to celebrate Palm Sunday. For Christians, Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion, where palm leaves and clothing were laid in his path.

The tight-knit Detroit Maronite community packed the church, making for a standing-room-only service. Chorbishop Alfred Badawi led the Palm Sunday mass, which included a traditional outdoor procession.

“From a religious point of view, we’re receiving Jesus Christ to our home, to our hearts. This is a revival, the way I look at it. We get closer to God. And for the community, to bring everyone together at this holiday and we’re here for the kids, this represents the love and respect of the Maronite community in Detroit,” said Abdou Deban, a longtime and active Maronite parishioner.

Meanwhile, Bishop Abdullah Elias Zaidan led the mass at St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church on Kercheval Avenue in Detroit. This is the Bishop Zaidan’s first visit to Michigan since succeeding Bishop Robert Shaheen.

For St. Sharbel, welcoming the Bishop to Michigan and celebrating Holy Week is a perfect commencement to what is widely considered to be the most important season of the Christian year.

“We’re getting unified around the church, getting focused on what’s important in life. Through church, through Christ and through family, we strengthen this community all together,” Deban said.

Check out the gallery of photos below.

 

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American Foundation for Auxilia meets with Bishop Zaidan

(WARREN, MI) The American Foundation for Auxilia, a non-profit organization that assists needy children in Lebanon, met with Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan on Friday. Bishop Zaidan is in Michigan for an outreach trip, hoping to learn more about Maronite Catholics in the state.

Led by Samar Malouf, the group of 7 leaders and board members joined Chorbishop Alfred Badawi for the private meeting.

They discussed the economic and social situation in Lebanon, emphasizing a need for non-profit assistance. Bishop Zaidan expressed his full support for their cause. He also promised to send a memo addressed to Maronite priests nationwide, promoting Auxilia’s message and encouraging individual parish support.

Bishop Zaidan leaves Michigan on Monday.

LebaneseExaminer.com will continue to bring you full coverage of the Bishop’s visit.

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