I hope that this letter reaches your hands and find you in good health of spirit and body.

I am so happy to see many of the beautiful faces returning to their spiritual home from their Summer vacations. Hopefully it was wonderful!

Thirty-six years ago on the afternoon of September 13th I arrived to my new assignment as the Pastor of this beautiful parish of Saint Maron. I had in mind that I might be here for a couple or a few short years, but the Lord had a different plan than mine.

On my 20 hours of driving here from Connecticut, I was wondering about the people that I will meet, and about the city and the church that I will serve. I felt like Abraham who was called to leave his country and family to go into a new land that God has pointed out to him, although I had already left Lebanon to the USA six years prior. Well! I am glad that the Lord had inspired Archbishop Zayek to send me to Minnesota which was described to me as "Siberia." Soon after, I discovered the warmth of the hearts of people and found myself among loving, kind and friendly people, and the rest of the story is history that most of you already know.

God has been in action, blessing my ministry among you and giving me the grace to use myself in serving others. I ask God daily to make me worthy to serve him and his people and to increase his grace in the people that come my way. As you may know, besides serving this wonderful busy parish, I carry many other responsibilities on a national and international level. I always thought that the Lord will take me somewhere else, but His plan is different than mine.

Without the abundant grace of God, I wouldn’t have been able to a fraction of what I do. I am so thankful to have so many capable and dedicated parishioners that care for the altar and the church and go above and beyond just attending the Liturgy. They take the extra mile to work hard to build up our community. The church is not for the priest who is here today and gone tomorrow, but the church is for the parishioners and for their future offspring who form the body of the Church in unity.

It is true, that the parish needs a good leader, but the good leader needs good dedicated people that work for God and serve others. To the extra dedicated people in our parish, thank you for using yourself for God’s glory.

Our Annual Festival is coming up. I urge you to roll up your sleeves and to come help. Believe me, it is a great blessing to work with each other. We need you, please don’t shy away. Come give us a hand for an hour or a day or a week.

Parents please enroll your children in the religious education program and be prepared to come with them every Sunday starting September 28th. This is the best gift you can give to your children, faith and grace that will last forever.

I take the opportunity of my 36th Anniversary among you to beg your pardon and forgiveness for any wrong or omission that I might have done, knowingly or unknowingly. I ask you to keep me in your prayers as I keep you in mine.

Thanks for your love!

Devotedly yours,