Merry Christmas

Wishing you a happy Christmas
and a blessed new year 2022
from Saint Maron's Church in Minneapolis

Message from Chorbishop sharbel Maroun

December 2021

Beloved Parishioners and Friends of St. Maron,

Peace and blessings to you in the Lord Jesus with the hope that you are well and in good health.

As we walk this beautiful journey toward Christmas we petition the Holy Spirit to help us in our preparation for the Birth of our Savior and Lord. I send you heartful wishes and love and wish you the joy and the peace that this beautiful season brings. In Jesus God willed to take flesh from the Virgin Mary to save us and open for us the gates of heaven. He came as a Light in darkness and called us all to be the same.

Take time this Season to listen to the beautiful announcements that God made known through his Angels, assuring us that He is "Emmanuel God with us," at all the time and we will be with Him for eternity. I urge all of you to take time daily to spend it with the Lord in silence and reflection, to pray together as a family, read your Bible and get to know God better and love Him more so you may feel His abundant love in every single moment.

With you I welcome into our community Father Jean Maroun El Helou who will be with us for a few months of service in preparation for his future ministry in our Eparchy. We are blessed to have him among us. I have no doubt that you will make him feel at home.

I urged you all to be a part of the Capital Campaign for our Eparchy as we re-launch it in our community on January 8 and 9 when our shepherd Bishop Elias Zaidan will visit us. In thanksgiving for my 33 years as a priest and 60th birthday on January 6, I would like to dedicate this event toward the support of our Eparchy’s capital campaign. I invite you and encourage you to be a part of this event and journey. Please read the information included inside this Bulletin.

I encourage you to join us for the Christmas novenas that will begin on the December 15th at 6:00pm and every weekday at 6 pm as we prepare ourselves for the Birth of our Savior.

May the Lord continue to give you health of spirit and body and protect you from Covid and other diseases. Enjoy your daily life and ask the Lord to cast away any fear from you. Practice caution and then go about doing your daily activities trusting in God and keep his love shining in season and out of season.

I thank you for your amazing commitment and love to your home of St. Maron and ask you to call upon if I can be of any help at any time.

I wish you and your loved ones God’s choicest blessings and assure you of my prayers and love,

Chorbishop sharbel Maroun

Electronic Bulletin starting Early 2022

Starting early in 2022 we will be sending the bulletin by email to our parishioners. This way you will receive the bulletin early before the end of the month and no post office delays. We will be saving on paper, trees, postage, money and hard work. Please submit to us your email address as soon as possible so you will be included in this emailing. There will be some printed copies of the bulletin in the back of the church for those who would like to have it in a hard copy.

To ask to receive the bulletin electronically, please email us at Secretary@stmaron.com

Pray for Lebanon

Pray for Lebanon We stand in solidarity and prayer with our brothers and sisters in Lebanon as they are still suffering much from the catastrophic explosion that destroyed much of the city on August 4, 2020.

We pray that the Lord may heal their emotional and physical wounds and save them from the internal and external persecution and bring to justice all those who prepared, neglected and acted to cause this human tragedy.

We are people of hope and once again this city will rise like the phoenix as it always did.

Year-End Gift to Your Parish

Please remember your spiritual home of St. Maron at the end of this year. Please, consider giving a year-end tax-deductible gift to your parish of St. Maron.

We all need to give and the Church is one of the best places to give an offering. Check with your accountant to find out what tax-deductible gift you can give before December 31st. Please, note that we also accept stock donations. For more details, please contact our administrator John Stein at the parish office.

Thanks in advance for your kind generosity!

St. Joseph Team

We are looking for a few generous volunteers of all ages to be part of a maintenance team in our parish. This team will gather on the third Saturday of the month from 9 to noon to perform some basic maintenance of our building. Tasks will range from tightening screws to cutting bushes, to fix a shelf...etc.

If you are interested, please contact Henry Estephan or the parish office at 612-379-2758 to volunteer.

Let us be like St. Joseph, the worker, who always maintained the needs around the house. This is your home, please use your talents to make a difference.

Save the Date for our St. Maron Feast Day/Hafli

Don’t miss the Dinner and Hafli of Saint Maron on
Saturday, February 12, 2022.

A Lebanese dinner and entertainment will be served. Tickets will be available soon.

Please reserve this date on your calendar and we hope that you will join us.

Maronite Christian Formation

We are looking forward to starting school in person starting Sunday, October 3rd. Religious Education for all children preschool thru high school will start the first Sunday in October. Parishioners who have in their homes unused or gently-used MCF books, please return them to church. Register your children for Sunday school - papers are in back of church on information table.

For more information please contact our MCF Directors Joannie Moses or Carla Bedros.

Welcome Father Jean Maroun

Please give a warm welcome to Father Jean Maroun El Helou who is going to be with us the next few months serving and assisting our community as well as gaining experience to serve in a parish in our Eparchy.
Father Jean was ordained in 2005 for the Archdiocese of Beirut and served 7 parishes in his 16 years after ordination, and his last parish was the Church of St. Rita & Our Lady in Sin-el Fil.

Father Jean is originally from the town of Kfar-Shelal in southern Lebanon. His parents live in Sin-el Fil, Lebanon and he has 3 brothers and 2 sisters.

Father Jean is also in need of improving his English language so please converse with him in English or take the time with a cup of coffee to converse with him to improve his English.

We will be having mass on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. during Father Jean’s stay with us. We hope to see you for Monday Mass along with all the other mass days.

We wish Abouna Jean Maroun and the blessings in his beautiful ministry.

Capital Campaign

"Vision for the Future, Mission for today."

Our Eparchy’s Capital Campaign is a vision to establish a foundation that will sustain and secure the future of our Eparchy. The goal is to raise $15 millions that will be locked and only the interest will be used to support the Ministry, Missions, and Ministers such as the education of seminarians, MYO, MYA, NAM, Order of St. Sharbel, Religious Education, Charity, and the many programs.

Each one of us is called to be a part of this milestone, according to your ability. Check if your company will match such a donation to charity.

The names of the parish’s ambassadors will be listed in the January Bulletin. Meanwhile if you have a question or wish to make a stock donation before the end of the year, please call our parish office. Together we can fulfil the mission of our vision.

Health News

We continue to review the directions from the CDC in regard to the corona virus and follow the practice of the local Latin Archdiocese. We continue to practice safety and protection to all our parishioners and visitors.

If you are sick or have any of the virus’ symptoms, please remain at home for your safety and for others.

Wearing a mask in church is optional. If possible, please reduce the usual embracing and kissing. May the Lord grant you health and joy.

NAM 2022

Our parish is excited to host the 2022 NAM Convention. Please mark on your calendar the week of July 11-17, 2022. Please consider Not to plan any out of town trips at that time. We need everyone’s help and support as we welcome hundreds of clergy and laity from throughout the United States.

We need to form 37 different committees and we need you to serve on one of them.

Please reach out to our capable Chairpersons Lisa Gleason and Elena ElKhoury.

Together we can make it a great convention.

Talitha Cumi

LOve Thy Neighbor Please bring unwrapped gifts and food for the needy.

Cherish your loved ones while you provide for the needs of the less fortunate.

Thank you for you generosity!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Adopting a family in Lebanon

Our Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles is aiming to sponsor 250 families in Lebanon. We have the names of 10 families that our parish is aiming to sponsor. The basic cost to support these families is $75 - $100 per family. We have a description of each family. If you are able, and would like to adopt one of these families for the year, please contact the parish office, or email Fr. Sharbel at abouna@stmaron.com
May the Lord God bless you to continue being a blessing to others, and may God help the people of Lebanon who are suffering on all levels in their country.

Our General Divine Liturgy Schedule

Please call office or view calendar in the bulletin for latest schedule

Day	Time
Sunday	10:10 am
Monday	6:00 pm
Tuesday	6:00 pm
Wednesday	6:00 pm
Thursday	9:30 am
Friday	9:30 am
Saturday	4:00 pm

Important Notice

Saint Maron’s church relies on proceeds from the weekly collection and other special events to support operating expenses and outreach in our community and across the world. Please consider making a donation online by clicking on this link (donate.stmaron.com). Your donation may be tax deductible and will be made securely and privately on Paypal. You don’t need to have a Paypal account. If you wish to donate for a particular purpose, you’ll be able to specify that in the comments area of your donation.

Thank you and may the Lord grant you faith and health.
~Chorbishop sharbel Maroun