James
Maronite Catholic Church in Lebanon
From the Journal-Sentinel Online:
Easter message rings true as new Maronite church grows
The Maronite Catholic Mission of Milwaukee, which celebrates its first Easter season on Sunday, is among 10 fledgling congregations planted over the last five years by the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon in St. Louis.
Named for St. Maron, a Syriac monk whose followers founded the faith in the mountains of Lebanon in the 5th century, the Maronite Church is one of 22 Eastern Catholic rites in communion with Rome. The Maronites are among the oldest, tracing their roots to 1st Century Antioch, where the followers of Jesus were called Christians for the first time.
It has spread around the world as war and hardship sent Lebanese immigrants in search of better lives. Maronites have been in the United States since the late 1800s. And the church has grown significantly over the last half century as new waves of immigrants arrived, and successive generations — bound by the ties of faith and culture — move on to plant parishes in new communities.
“There is something unique, very special about the Maronite tradition,” said Maroun, a Minneapolis priest overseeing the mission, where he and three other clerics take turns celebrating Mass every other Sunday in Sturtevant.
“The liturgy, the hymns — people like Vera and (her husband) Joe and the other families here, they want to preserve it, for their children and their children’s children,” he said.
(Emphasis added.) Badger Catholic picked up on this. Thanks for the tip, Matt.
All the best to the Maronite Catholic community in Milwaukee!