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May 2011
Ascension Thursday - Divine Separation
Why is it that Ascension is a joyous
occasion?
After all Jesus is gone - yet again!
When we lose our loved ones, the most
devastating part of our loss is the fact that we
can no longer see our loved ones.
As Catholics, we believe that the dead rest
with God and are embraced by His love, but
this comfort only goes so far.
Even Jesus wept for His friend Lazarus - even
though He knew Lazarus was not lost
forever.
It is the separation that is most devastating.
Can you imagine how hard it was for Jesus’
disciples and family?
They had to say goodbye not once, but twice.
First there was the gruesome, horrific death
on a dark Friday and then Jesus is taken away
from the people who love and need Him.
It sounds quite cruel - I mean what kind of God
would do this to someone twice and why would
Luke record that the disciples were joyous?
Since God became one of us in Jesus and
embraced us with His love and promise of
Eternal Life we know that Heaven is our
reality.
So why on earth were the disciples so
happy?
T h a t ’ s i t . . . W H AT O N E A R T H . . .
Leaving this earth to follow Jesus is reason for
joy.
Jesus did not abandon His disciples - Not only
did Jesus enter Heaven, but Heaven entered the
disciples - Jesus remained with them in spirit
His presence entered their hearts and souls.
Ascension challenges us to journey not only
towards the Heaven that will finally allow us
to meet God, but Ascension is about
celebrating Heaven that awaits us and
Heaven that already lives in us.
The revelation of God’s will for all creation is
not just about a reconciled relationship with the
Holy Trinity, it is also and equally about
community with one another and the beauty
within us.
If we miss or neglect to do the Will of God, we
miss or neglect the fullness of our faith and we
miss and neglect the message revealed on the
Feast of the Ascension.
May this feast enable us to embrace Heaven in
its fullness with all that we are and all that we
have.
Fr Maurice Chidiac
Vice Superior of the Maronite Catholic Mission
Divine Mercy Apostolate South Africa
Apostle +27(0)76 891 6354
Joe Nassif +27(0)82 411 9352
Jesus I trust in you
Our association in Johannesburg is involved with this great apostolic movement of the
Divine Mercy Apostolate of Our Lord Jesus, which undertakes the spiritual heritage and the Mission of St
Faustina.
It is conducted namely by the Congregation of the Sisters of T
Ohuery Lpalda yc eod f t M
n di s, bwahcikc h S a i n t
h ee rccr oy s isn uPp o nl a H
F a u s t i n a w a s f o r m e d a s t h e A p o s t l e f o r t h e D i v i n e M e r c y o f O u r L Ye
o r dt , Jneos ou ns e asnede mr ee dc et iov ec d
a r eh e r m i s s i o n .
The weight across His shoulders
T h e c o n g r e g a t i o n i n J o h a n n e s b u r g w h i c h i s l e d b y J o e N a s s i f aSnede maesds im
s toer de tbhya nt hH
e eDciovui nl de bMe ea r.
rcy Apostles,
d e s i r e t o s h a r e i t s s p i r i t u a l i t y a n d a p o s t o l i c m i s s i o n w i t h t h o sTeh ew shpoi kweiss hw et roe f dorl il o
v ewn hi e
n r Ht irsa ch ea ns disn b e c o m i n g a
Divine Mercy Apostle.
And pounded through His feet
The ones who had convicted Him
To learn more about this mission you are cordially invited to atten
d :r e c h e e r i n g i n t h e s t r e e t .
We
The Divine Mercy Seminar which is being held:
E v e r y T h u r s d a y f r o m t h e 1 9 t h M a y t o t h e 9 t h J u n e 2 0 1 1 a t 7T: h0 e0 pc m
r o.w n o f t h o r n s p l a c e d o n H i s h e a d
Brought blood upon His brow
T h e r e a f t e r y o u c a n j o i n J o e N a s s i f a n d t h e D i v i n e M e r c y A p o s t l eTsh ee vdea ryy oTf hpur rospdhae yc ya ht a7d: 0c0opmme , w h e r e t h e
p r a y e r g r o u p g e t s t o g e t h e r i n p r a i s e a n d w o r s h i p , t h e s h a r i n g o f t h eHDe i vh iandet oM fearccey iat nndo w.
Mass which is celebrated by Fr Fadi.
The sins of man were laid to rest
The Venue is:
He bore a heavy loss
Our Lady of Lebanon, Mulbarton
The agony He must have felt
As He hung there on the cross.
All are welcome
The innocent blood of Jesus Christ
Wa s s h e d f o r a l l t o s e e
For more information kindly contact one of the above numbers. The Son of God was crucified
And died for you and me.
May God be glorified in His mercy
Divine
Mercy
Jesus I
Trust In You
The Mamluks or the Slaves in Power
From the book “History of Lebanon” by Fr Charbel Habchi
The Muqaddamin and their problems
During the
period in which there was relative autonomy the Muqaddamin represented the Patriarch more in
civil matters than in religious. They rendered
accounts to the
N a i b o r t h e g o v e r n o r o f Tr i p o l i i n r e g a r d t o t h e
taxes demanded by the
c e n t r a l p o w e r.
But at times the Muqaddamin were used by the Mamluks to limit the
temporal
power
of
the
Patriarchs.
The
Mamlukes
encouraged
and
strengthened
the
authority
of
the
M u q a d d a m i n o f t h e d i s t r i c t s w i t h a v i e w t o g e t t h e t a x e s g a t h e r e d a n d d e l i v e r e d m o r e q u i c k l y. T h i s a n n o y e d t h e P a t r i a r c h s .
The most famous of the Muqaddamin
w a s J a c o u b I b n Ay o u b .
He was nominated the Muqaddam of
Becharra in the year 1382 until his death in 1444.
He reached the highest position
ever for a
Muqaddamin; his authority extended to the whole of the North of Lebanon.
Rarely there was a serious difference
between the Muqaddamin and the religious authorities. Only once it did assume grave proportions. That was the case
i n v o l v i n g t h e M u q a d d a m i n A b d e l M o n h e m Ay u b .
H e w a s t h e g r a n d s o n o f t h e f a m o u s J a c o u b I b n Ay o u b m e n t i o n e d
above.
H e w a s t h e c a u s e o f s o m e d i s t u r b a n c e s i n t h e M a r o n i t e C h u r c h d u r i n g t h e s e c o n d h a l f o f t h e 1 5 t h c e n t u r y.
Ehden in the old days
E n c o u r a g e d b y t h e r u l e r s i n Tr i p o l i h e d e c l a r e d
himself in support of the MonophysiteJacobites (a
heretical group for they only believed in the divine
nature of Jesus) and he built a church for them
near his own home.
These Monophysites used this
opportunity
to
engage
in
proselytism.
They
recruited members from among the Maronites and
used every chance they got to extend their sphere of
influence.The Patriarch Boutros Joseph Ibn Hassan
of Haddeth (1468-1492) did not take this lying down
and move swiftly to remove the danger and bring back
those who had strayed out of the true fold. But his
attempts met with obstacles initiated by Abdel
M o n h e m Ay u b a n d h i s f o l l o w i n g . I n 1 4 8 8 l o s i n g p a t i e n c e
the Maronites of Ehden, in then north, wellknown for
their courage and bravery had recourse to a “belt of the
crosier”,
that
is
to
force.
They simply expelled the Monophysitesfrom the whole region. In the words of Pierre Dib, ‘they cleansed the area of these troublemakers’.
Abdel
Monem
Ay u b
died
in
1495
and
the
country
settled
downagain
under
the
authority of his son who remained faithful to the faithof his forefathers.
Among those who played a
d e c i s i v e r o l e i n t h e r e t u r n t o n o r m a l i t y d u r i n g t h i s a f f a i r , i t i s w o r t h m e n t i o n i n g G a b r i e l I b n A l Q e l a h y.
Gabriel Ibn Al Qelahy
G a b r i e l I b n A l Q e l a h y l i v e d a t t h e s a m e t i m e a s A b d e l M o n h e m Ay u b a n d h e w a s t h e t o t a l l y o p p o s e d t o h i m .
A s a t o w e r i n g f i g u r e h e d o m i n a t e d t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e M a r o n i t e s i n t h e 1 5 t h c e n t u r y. H e w a s b o r n i n t h e v i l l a g e o f
Lehfed in the region of Jbeil around the year 1450
Father Gryphon during the time of his mission in
L e b a n o n i n v i t e d t h e y o u n g G a b r i e l a l o n g w i t h t w o o t h e r y o u n g M a r o n i t e s t o j o i n t h e F r a n c i s c a n o r d e r. A f t e r t h e i r
religious profession in Jerusalem the three young men went to Rome to prepare themselves for their religious life.
Once their studies were completed they were ordained. Father
Gabriel returned to Lebanon in 1493 and began his missionary and
pastoral work. He fought forcefully against the Monophysites in his
sermons and written works. He wrote some 500 letters to expose their
e r r o r s . H e h a d t h e c o u r a g e t o p e r s o n a l l y c o n f r o n t A b d e l M o n h e m Ay u b
and reprehended him for being a traitor to the faith of his forefathers.
Patriarch Stephen El Douaihy (1670-1704)
wearing the Pallium
H e w r o t e w o r k s o f t h e o l o g y a n d h i s t o r y, l e t t e r s a n d p o e t r y. H i s
poems were written in the common language of the people and he used
this medium to great effect as they were readily understood by the
masses. The Patriarch Stephen El Douaihy of Ehden (1670-1704) says:
“ I t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o d e s c r i b e t h e s a n c t i t y o f I b n A l Q e l a h y, h i s d e e p
and extensive knowledge, and the zeal with which he lifted the heart of
the nation, not only during his life but after his death by means of his
writings and books”. Many of his works and manuscripts are
p r e s e r v e d i n t h e g r e a t L i b r a r i e s , s u c h a s t h a t o f t h e Va t i c a n , t h a t o f D e i r
El-Kreim at Ghosta and that of Deir el-Banat at Jbeil. Boutros Daou
in his work “The History of the Maronites” cites 49 books by Gabriel as well as 500 poems. His most famous works are “the Blessed
Maronite” and the “Nomo-canons”. In addition he translated into Arabic
eight pontifical letters sent to the Maronites. The translation is found
i n t h e Va t i c a n L i b r a r y a n d t h e r e f e r e n c e i s c o d . Va t . A r a b . 6 4 0 , f o l .
26-37. In 1507 he was consecrated bishop of the Maronite Diocese of
Cyprus, with his See in Nicosia. There he stayed until he died in 1516.
He was the first historian of the Maronite Church and the first Maronite to have a profound knowledge of literature and acquaintance with European cultures. He was the first Maronite who was conversant with the Latin works which dealt with the
origins of his Church. In this way he was well able to defend the ancient orthodoxy of the Maronite Church. Another great
h i s t o r i a n , t h e P a t r i a r c h S t e p h e n E l D o u a i h y o w e d a g r e a t d e a l t o I b n A l Q e l a h y. H o w e v e r , i n s p i t e o f t h a t h e a c c o m p l i s h e d
and was considered as one of the main forerunners in the question of the latinization of the liturgy and discipline of the
M a r o n i t e C h u r c h . S p e a k i n g o f h i m , M i c h e l H a y e k s a y s : “ h e i s a p r o l i f i c a u t h o r, a n u n t i r i n g p r o t a g o n i s t , a p o p u l a r p o e t . H e
made available to the ordinary people the dogmatic, moral and ascetical theology which he learned in the European schools”.
Ibn Al Qelahy wrote in Arabic, but his choice of words clearly reveals the strong influence of the Syriac
language (new Aramaic), which the Maronite people continued to speak, mixing it with vernacular Arabic. In fact the
period in which the Mamluks were in power was a time of decline in all branches of science and knowledge. What
is most important in the works of this historian and poet Bishop is his history of Lebanon, his history of the
Maronite Church and the record of the relations of the Maronites with France and with the Holy See in Rome.
Maronite Relations with Rome
Relations between Rome and the Maronite Church were greatly weakened by the
departure of the Crusaders from the east. Due to the difficulties of communication and
the hardships caused by the Mamluks it was impossible for the Patriarchs to obtain the
Pallium when the need arose. Rome did what it could and understood the difficulties involved. It therefore charged the Franciscans of the Holy Land to keep a watching brief on the
c u l t u r a l a n d r e l i g i o u s n e e d s o f t h e M a r o n i t e C h u r c h . T h i s t h e y d i d t o t h e b e s t o f t h e i r a b i l i t y.
Peshitta is the standard Syriac
Bible, used by the Maronite Church
in the old days
It is neither possible nor necessary to go into details of the history of these relations
which occurred during this rather dismal and decadent period of the Mamluk regime. It
is sufficient to say that because of these already mentioned difficulties, the relations
with Rome were reduced to intermittent exchanges of letters carried to and fro by trusted
e m i s s a r i e s , u s u a l l y w i t h i n t h e F r a n c i s c a n o r d e r. T h e i r a p o s t o l i c c o m m i s s a r i a t g u a r a n t e e d
the continuity of this line of communication after it was established in Beirut in 1444. The
Franciscans “became the consolation of the Maronites until the end of the 15th century”.
One of the best known Franciscans was the Belgian Brother Gryphon. The account of his deeds will live long in the
memory of the Lebanese Christians. He was extremely intelligent and highly cultured. He was sent to work in the Holy
Land in 1442. Eight years later he was transferred to the Franciscan mission in Beirut and he left Jerusalem and came to
Beirut accompanied by Brother Francisco from Barcelona. They took up residence in the mountains of Lebanon. He
built many churches in that region and was deeply loved by all the people. He quickly adapted to the life style of the
mountain people because of his easy personality and because while in Jerusalem he had learned to speak both Arabic and Syriac.
On two occasions he left Lebanon and journeyed to Rome to deal with affairs involving the eastern Churches. His first
trip was during the papacy of Pope Callixtus III, between 1455 and 1458. The second trip was in 1469. On this occasion one of his aims was to request the Pallium for the new Patriarch Boutros Ibn Hassan. This time the Pope was
Pope Paul II (1464-1471) and he sent a letter dated August 5th 1469 to the Patriarch along with the Pallium.
In 1494 Ibn Al Qelahy wrote to Patriarch Simeon of
Hadeth (1492-1524) and the letter shows
that by the end of the 15th century
relations with France and Rome were fully restored for all practical purposes. In the
letter
he
encouraged
the
Patriarch
to
request
the
Pallium,
a
sacerdotal
vestment
decorated
with
white
wool
band
and
black
crosses,
according to the ancient Maronite tradition.
Franciscan Brother Gryphon
Church of the Holy Sepulchre (also of Resurrection) & Chapel of
the Agony of the Virgin in Jerusalem
“In
the
time
of
Queen
Constance,
The
Maronites
began to ring bronze bells just like in the
western Latin Church. Up to that time they
had simply used wood bells like the Greeks
t o c a l l t h e p e o p l e t o p r a y e r. A n d w h e n
the same Queen bought the churches of
Jerusalem
namely
the
Church
of
the
R e s u r r e c t i o n , t h e c h u r c h o f t h e To m b o f M a r y,
the church on the Mount of Olives and in Bethlehem for 80.000 dinars, she donated to the Maronites the cave of the Cross and reserved altars
for them in the other churches of Jerusalem. She
allowed them to celebrate Mass on the altars
of the French with their vestments. As well as
that, she succeeded in arranging for them the
confirmation of these gifts from the Holy See. In
Jerusalem,
the
Maronites
swore
and
affirmed
in
writing
their
submission
and allegiance to the faith of Rome”.
The Decline of the Mamluks and the Arab language
A t i m e o f g e n e r a l d e c l i n e i n t h e N e a r E a s t b e g a n w i t h t h e p e r i o d i n w h i c h t h e M a m l u k s w e r e i n p o w e r. T h i s
p e r i o d o f d e c l i n e l a s t e d u n t i l t h e 1 9 t h c e n t u r y. Wa r , a n a r c h y, d i s e a s e , f a m i n e a n d l o s s o f f r e e d o m a r e t h e o p
posite of the conditions which are necessary for development and progress at all levels. Added to that was the
isolation in which the Mamluks and later the Ottomans and the Arabs found themselves, which prevented any real
exchange of scientific or spiritual culture. The Mamluks Sultans, apart from being tyrants and simply criminals, were
in general an uneducated people. Among them there were some who were actually illiterate. For example, Al-Ashraf
Sayf ad-Din Enal (1453) was completely illiterate and Az-Zahir Sayf ad-Din Belbay (1467) was illiterate and half mad.
Wi t h r e g a r d t o t h e A r a b i c l a n g u a g e , e v e n t h o u g h t h e r e i g n o f t h e M a m l u k s w a s a t i m e o f c u l t u r a l d e c l i n e , A r a b i c l a n g u a g e
dominated in the Middle East, except for some isolated pockets where they were clusters of Christians, Monophysites, Nestorians or Maronites. During the whole of the millennium starting with the fall of Antioch in 638 until the coming of
the Ottomans in 1516, the Maronites never looked on the Arabs or Mamluks as Arabs or Mamluks. For the Maronites they
were simply all Muslims. They learned little of their language and only the Bishops and Patriarchs knew how to write it.
During the total period of the Mamluk reign no written work of any real worth was produced. This added to the
l a c k o f i n t e r e s t i n t h e A r a b i c l a n g u a g e o n t h e p a r t o f t h e M a r o n i t e s . A c c o r d i n g t o t h e t e s t i m o n y o f D i Vi t r y, t h e
Maronites made use of the Chaldean alphabet (Syriac) for writing while at the same time speaking the Arab language.
In 1356 when the Crusaders attacked Alexandria with the help of the Maronites of Cyprus, the Mamluk Sultan in
an act of revenge put a number of Maronite bishops in jail. The Bishop of Ehden in the north of Lebanon managed to
flee in time and while in hiding he copied the Gospels into Syriac and into Arabic using Syriac or Chaldean letters.
In addition there are documents extant of the Maronite Synods of the 16th and 17th centuries. They show a
poor level of Arabic mixed with many Syriac words. This points to the fact that even the Bishops themselves,
s u p p o s e d l y t h e e l i t e a n d w e l l e d u c a t e d o f t h e c o m m u n i t y, d i d n o t k n o w h o w t o w r i t e c o r r e c t , e l e g a n t a n d l i t e r a r y A r a b i c .
It was only with the coming of Jacob Dibsy (+1695) and his disciple Bishop Germanus Farhat (+1732) that a
writer of correct and elegant Arabic appeared among the Maronites. In the 19th century the decline in the
Arabic language came to a halt and the Maronites became the best and most fervent craftsmen of the Arabic Revival.
F i n a l l y, t o s u m u p , o n e c a n s a y t h a t t h e t i m e o f t h e M a m l u k s g o t t h e r e p u t a t i o n i t d e s e r v e d ; a t i m e o f
d e c l i n e i n a l l s e n s e s o f t h e w o r d , o f a n a r c h y a n d c o r r u p t i o n i n t h e r a c e f o r p o w e r. I n e v e r y c o u n t r y w h e r e t h e M a m l u k s r u l e d , w h o e v e r p a i d t h e m o s t c a m e t o p o s i t i o n s o f p o w e r. T h e i r s u c c e s s o r s , t h e O t t o m a n s w e r e t o f o l l o w, w i t h l i t t l e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e m , t h e s a m e p a r t o f d e c a d e n c e , a n a r c h y a n d c o r r u p t i o n .
Archangel, Gabriel
Mamluk Gold dinar of the
Sultan Baybars (1260 – 1277)
Gabriel Rei Dos Santos
Son of Andre and Lauren (Bakos) Dos Santos
Born - 06 May 2011
Prayer To Saint Gabriel
Glorious Prince of the Court of Heaven and most
excellent Saint Gabriel, first minister of God, friend of
Jesus Christ, and favored by the Holy Mother, Defender
of the church and lawyer of man. You favor our devotions
and help me to love and serve you. Grant me what I desire
and ask for with this prayer, for the honor, glory and
fulfillment of my soul.
A Mamluk cavalryman, drawn in 1810
Amen.
O u r L a d y o f L e b a n o n M a r o n i t e C a t h ol i c S c h ool
Celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Lebanon
Mothers Day
Why do you love your mom?
... because she is very, very special!
Jada Gr R
... because she loves me, baths me
and smacks me alot. She thinks im
cute!
Paloma Gr R
... because she gives me chocolate & I
love her!
Paulo Gr R
... because she kisses me!
Kristen Gr 00
... because she does nice things for
me and makes me food. I like her
breakfasts!
Ricardo Gr R
Why did God make moms?
... to have babies & little brother and
sisters!
Rorisang Gr R
... because He has a mother and
wanted to give us all one!
Charell Gr R
... because God also wanted a mother!
Edward Gr 00
... to help kids sleep!
Giancarlo Gr 00
... to give us the things we need!
Te b o g o G r R
... to love us
Ts h e g o G r 1
Term 2 - Extra Murals
Dancing
Girls Soccer
Active Kids
Speech & Drama
Boys Soccer
Choir
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic School
Church Activity - 22 May 2011
CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
Whitney Houston’s remarkable song “The Greatest Love Of All”,
epitomizes the belief that ‘children are the future, teach them
well and lead them lead the way. Show them all the beauty that
exists in inside...” On Sunday, 22 May 2011, the congregation
at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church, in Mulbarton
was, privileged to have shared a special moment, after Father
Maurice Chidiac’s incredible homily concerning ‘Love’,
especially taking cognizance that, “the true nature of God... Is
Love”. The children from Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite
Catholic School, attired in beautiful tracksuits (navy with red,
green and white, symbolising the colours of Lebanon), shared
some harmonious songs with the congregation. The
innocence expressed in their lovely characters and the sweet
sound of their angelic voices, brought tears to my eyes. I would
just like to express my personal appreciation and praise for our
principal, the teacher body and the administration staff, at our
new school, whom had prepared these children to give us an
unforgettable, performance of what they had learned, thus far.
The quality of obedience in their faith, discipline and
expression of passionate love, left me in awe. Thank you so
much for sharing this unique moment with us. I am most
positive that many, who were present, will share in such,
sentiment. I hope that we will have the opportunity in the
future, to experience other, such awesome moments. In
closing, “children learn what they live and then go on through
life to live what they have learned.”
God Bless
Anthony S Farah - Author of ‘Crack in the Cedar’
Entertaining our Senior Citizens
Our trip to TLC home
By Bronwen Azar
On the 16th April 2011, The Maronite Youth Committee went on a missionary excursion to TLC. It was
our first missionary excursion together and it was a great success.
Two weeks before our excursion we were given a list of 43 children whom we were going to spend the day
with, feelings of excitement and worry had crossed our minds - excited, as we were going to make these
children happy and give them a day that they will remember, and worried, as there were so many children of
different ages and so little of us.
We put our thinking caps on and started brain storming ideas on how to make this fun filled day for the kids,
by the end of the meeting, we were confident that this day was going to be a day that will touch our hearts
and fill us with warmth.
During those 2 weeks everything fell into place and a very big thank you goes out to our
Parishioners and other people in the community who donated hot dogs, juice, purity, cerelac, chips and milo this was a huge help as all the food costs were covered and we were able to give the children a
delicious lunch and there was still food left over for them to keep at the home.
So, Saturday morning arrived and it was freezing, but this did not dampen our spirits. We all got to the
Church early and Fr Fadi, the MYC and some of the youth started making the food
that we were going to give the children at lunch time. When that was done we packed the car and we were
ready to have good old fun.
We arrived at TLC at approximately 10:30 and as soon as we stepped foot into the house we saw
beaming smiles and recieved the warmest welcome we could have ever imagined.
It was not time to let the games begin, first Talar read the kids a story from the Bible, then after the story
we asked them questions about what happened in the story, and if they
answered right they got a little prize - bangles! After the story we played limbo, the room was filled with
laughter, it was so much fun and the top 3 children won teddy bears. Then we played musical chairs.. not nice
though, but twice! As a child went out so they got a prize
Jude and Jarod were wonderful with the babies, and lets not forget Mbali, the little girl who had a crush on
Jarod’s brother, it was too adorable!
The children did not know there were little surprises for them hidden all around the house, we had hidden all
the Easter eggs we brought with us, so as the day unfolded the kids were
trying to find all the eggs that they could. So you can just imagine how hyperactive they all became, all but
worth it to see the smiles on their faces.
What surprised us the most is how these children look out for each other and how incredibly smart they are.
The one little boy was deaf, but he was able to play musical chairs because the others were helping him.
Spending the day with the children has made us realise how lucky we are to have the family we have, to have
been brought up in an environment where we have been loved and are still loved unconditionally. It has also
made us realise how special these children are - to have been through so much in their young lives and to still
have a heart of gold that is not afraid to show endless love, kindness and affection.
This day could not have been possible without the strong bond that is forming between the MYC members
and Fr Fadi and most importantly it could not have been possible without God’s hand over us, protecting and
guiding us to do His work.
The MYC is happening and at a rapid pace - watch this space, because there is more to come.
Our Easter Pilgrimage to Lebanon
By William Karam
On 20th April 2011 our small but vibrant group (organised by Maureen Karam and Natalie Collins) eager to
experience the “high Holy Days” of Easter in our beloved motherland, departed on Etihad Airlines for the Lebanon.
Initially we stayed at Hotel Bethania, next to the Shrine of our Lady of Lebanon. We were fortunate to have a chapel
in our hotel for personal reflection and prayer. We attended the Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter midnight
masses at the Basilica - these were awesome experiences! Some 8000 people attended each televised service which
concluded with processions through the town! Theses services were concelebrated by many priests, the main celebrant
being Fr Elie Madi - a little older but still the great orator.
A highlight was our gruelling descent on foot into the Quadisha Valley on Easter Sunday - and meeting the Hermit,
Padre Dario Escabar, a Colombian Maronite Priest who only accepts pilgrims three days a year. What a privilege to
spend time with this remarkable man of God.
Equally unforgettable experiences were our visits to the various Shrines of Our Lady, including Our Lady of
Mantara, and the various Maronite Saints. This served to increase, strengthen and enrich our Maronite faith and
spirituality. Significantly, we are aware that various of the petitions prayed for on our pilgrimage, have already been
granted.
Our subsequent stay was at the Coral Beach Hotel in Beirut, where we enjoyed 5 star luxury.
Having nourished our souls, we took full advantage of nourishing our minds by visiting every major tourist attraction
that Lebanon is famous for - and our testators, by wickedly indulging in the finest foods and sweets that Lebanon has
to offer.
Our evenings were at leisure and those who could still muster the energy after a full day touring enjoyed the bustling
nightlife of Beirut, whilst others preferred to dine at various restaurants.
We enjoyed our farewell dinner and celebration of Aunt Theresa’s 82nd birthday at the famed Manuella’s restaurant
in Jounieh.
Prior to our departure, a farewell mass concelebrated by Fathers Charbel and Ehab, was held in a specially provided
reception area at the hotel.
Our Pilgrimage had now come to an end and it was with some reluctance that we proceeded to Rafic Hariri
International Airport for our flight home. This was truly a wonderful and enriching trip, never to be forgotten.
CEDAR LEAF
by Ken Hanna
Eid Chedrawi wins Lebanese hearts and minds in South Africa
T h e P r e s i d e n t o f t h e Wo r l d L e b a n e s e C u l t u r a l U n i o n , M r E i d C h e d r a w i c o n t i n u e s t o g a i n s u p p o r t i n S o u t h A f r i c a .
He was on a ten day visit to the heartland of the Lebanese on the African Continent.
Accompanied by his wife, Haifa and a delegation of 6 members from Brazil, representing over 8 million persons of
Lebanese descent.
E i d ’s t o u r o f S o u t h A f r i c a s t a r t e d i n t h e s m a l l t o w n o f K l e r k s d o r p s o m e 2 h o u r s d r i v e f r o m J o h a n n e s b u r g . T h i s i s
E i d ’s p o w e r b a s e i n S o u t h A f r i c a . I t i s t h e h o m e t o w n o f m a n y f r o m H a d d i t E l J o u b e , h i s a n c e s t r a l v i l l a g e i n t h e
north of Lebanon.
A convoy of several dozen accompanied Mr Chedrawi.
A Gala Banquet in his honour drew Lebanese from all parts of that area, including Lebanese from Bloemfontein
who travelled hundreds of miles to be with Eid.
Eid stressed the importance of Lebanese Citizenship when members wanted to know how they can legitimately
obtain their Lebanese passport.
This is very important to the Lebanese in the diaspora, including, Africa and particularly South African.
CEDAR LEAF
F r i d a y, 6 t h M a y w a s a b u s y d a y f o r t h e Wo r l d P r e s i d e n t . A G a l a l u n c h e o n i n h i s h o n o u r a t t e n d e d b y m e m b e r s o f
J o h a n n e s b u r g ’s n o r t h e r n s u b u r b s a n d t h e h e a d o f t h e M a r o n i t e L e b a n e s e M i s s i o n a r i e s i n S o u t h A f r i c a , F r B a d a o u i
Habib and his team, a visit to a hospital to visit a sick member of the community and a private banquet at the
prestigious Michelangelo Hotel.
S a t u r d a y, 7 t h M a y w a s a n e v e n t f u l d a y a s h e t o u r e d t h e L e b a n e s e C h u r c h i n t h e S o u t h e r n s e c t i o n o f J o h a n n e s b u r g
which has the highest concentration of Lebanese. He visited school which teaches English, Lebanese and
Portuguese. It is potentially the finest institution of learning in the area.
The Brazilian delegation was particularly impressed. They loved the Church and mountain in the background,
reminding them of Lebanon.
The evening was graced by a cocktail party at the Liban Convention Centre. The entertainment was supplied by
renowned Lebanese concert pianist, Mr Anis Kairouz.
The Lebanese in South Africa want to tell Lebanon that they support the President of Lebanon, Michel Sleiman
fully and remain faithful in his service.
CEDAR LEAF
by Ken Hanna
E i d C h e d r a w i a n d h i s s u p p o r t e r s e n d e d t h e i r t o u r w i t h a G a l a B a n q u e t o n 1 1 M a y a t t h e S h e i k h ’s P a l a c e i n
J o h a n n e s b u r g . Te n a w a r d s w e r e p r e s e n t e d b y t h e Wo r l d P r e s i d e n t t o L e b a n e s e a s a t o k e n o f a p p r e c i a t i o n .
These people have displayed leadership, dedication and commitment to the Lebanese community in South Africa.
N a m e s t o b e m e n t i o n e d w e r e B a d w e A b r o s i e , D e b b i e A u b y, Vi n c e n t L e i c h e r , J o e Ta r r y, R a y m o n d L e i c h e r , J a s o n
M a z a h a m , A n i s K a i r o u z , M i c h a e l S a d i e , N e r o K a l i l a n d C a r o l e F a h r y.
Lebanese have been urged to prepare themselves for the 2013 elections and South Africa accepts the challenge.
M r E i d C h i d r a w i , P R E S I D E N T O F W L C U v i s i t s O u r L a d y o f L e b a n o n ’s C h u r c h
O u r L a d y o f L e b a n o n H O S T E D T H E M E E T I N G O F T H E L I T U R G Y D E PA RT M E N T O F J H B D I O C E S E 1 4 M AY 2 0 1 1
T h e P re s i d e n t ’s C h a m p i o n s ’ C h a l l e n g e d a y a t T u r f f o n t e i n R a c e C o u r s e
S a t u r d a y, 3 0 t h A p r i l 2 0 1 1
A Charity race took place on the day and St Charbel Helping Hand was a benefactor of this
Charity race day!
Yo u t h S o c c e r D a y
25th June 2011
North Vs South
Ve n u e : O u r L a d y o f L e b a n o n
Mulbarton
Time: 10:00 - 15:00
Cost: R200 per team
(7 a side)
A ge G ro u p s :
U14
U16
U19
Opens
Fo o d a n d d r i n ks
will be on sale
Fo r m o re i n fo c o n t a c t
Jonathon - 0795668814
Baklava Roll-Ups
Ingredients
Butter-flavored cooking
spray
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup pistachios
1 tablespoon butter, room
temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup honey, divided
12 sheets phyllo dough
Senior Citizen Masses
10:00 am
Our Lady of the Cedars
Woodmead
08th June 2011
Our Lady of Lebanon
Mulbarton
30th June 2011
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Spray a cookie sheet with butter
flavored spray.
2. In a food processor, combine
almonds and pistachios. Pulse to
coarsely chop. Add butter, cinnamon,
and sugar and pulse to combine.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a flat work
surface, short side facing you. Spray
with butter flavored spray. Repeat with
second layer. Spread 1/3 of nut mixture
over the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin
at the top and bottom.
4. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey.
5. Cover with a layer of phyllo, spray
with butter-flavored spray. Repeat with
second layer of phyllo. Spray with
butter-flavored spray.
6. Starting from the bottom, roll up into
a thin cylinder (like a cigar) to the top.
7. Seam-side down, cut crossways into
5 sections. Transfer to baking sheet,
seam side down. Spray with butterflavored spray.
8. Repeat with second and third batch.
9. Bake until crust is evenly golden, 25
to 30 minutes. Remove from oven,
drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey and
serve.
The Wedding of
Lawrence & Jessamy
Rahme
(Bechus)
The Wedding of
Tony & Nicole
Da Costa
(Rocha)
The Wedding of
Chad & Monique
Sam
(Leisher)
The Wedding of
Robert & Jackie
Toweel
(Karam)
The Wedding of
Mitchell and Sam Arntzen (Simaan)
The Wedding of
Matthew & Jenny Sanan (Anderson)
Baptisms & Weddings
Congratulations and blessings to the following members who were baptised or married:
Our Lady of Lebanon - Mulbar ton
Baptised
Parents
Our Lady of Lebanon - Mulbarton
Alexander Fernandes
Mikayla Moss
Liam Fagan
Michaela Conlin
Connor Lantz
Kayla Nassif
Dakota-Lee Layloo
Maddox Marques
John Ifeanyi
Germano & Sharon Fernandes
Kegan & Angelique Moss
John Fagan & Jaki Sabistan
Peter & Janine Conlin
Richard Lantz & Geryle Robertson
George & Cindi Nassif
Nazeen Layloo & Annalicia Singh
Rui Marques & Bernadette Ferreira
Cornelius & Chinyeaka
Obituaries †
Our Lady
of
The Cedars
† Lenora Barthelle Mottram
19 September 1946 – 9 M ay 2011
† Jimmy Zackey
17 M arch 1927 – 22 M ay 2011
Weddings
Our Lady of Lebanon - Mulbarton
M atthew Sanan & Jenny A nderson - 1 M ay 2011
Tony Da C osta & Nicole Rocha - 07 M ay 2011
L awrence R ahme & Jessamy B echus - 14 M ay 2011
Tony A ruajo & Vanessa Da S ilva - 15 M ay 2011
The Baptism of Alexander Gabriel Fernandes
Baptisms & Weddings
Congratulations and blessings to the following members who were baptised or married:
O u r L a d y o f T h e C e d a r s - Wo o d m e a d
Baptisms
Our Lady of the Cedars - Woodmead
Lesandro Fernandes
Thoya Ndwalane
Mateo Antonio Els
Gabriella Prasti
Vuyo Mtembu
Amadeu & Suzanne Fernandes
Thabo Ndwalane & Melody Mathe
Shaun & Nicola Els
Michael & Angela Prasti
Windy & Galaletsang Mtembu
Obituaries †
Our Lady
of
The Cedars
† R ichard Thomas
09 O ctober 1924 - 03 M ay 2011
† Sylvia H addad
27 November 1933 - 07 M ay 2011
† Emily R isk
26 January 1928 - 23 M ay 2011
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Our Lady of Medugorje
Message
2 5 M ay 2 011
“ D e a r c h i l d r e n ! M y p r ay e r t o d ay i s f o r a l l o f
y o u w h o s e e k t h e g r a c e o f c o n v e r s i o n . Yo u
knock on the door of m y heart, but
w i t h o u t h o p e a n d p r ay e r , i n s i n , a n d w i t h o u t
the Sacrament of Reconciliation with God.
L e av e s i n a n d d e c i d e , l i t t l e c h i l d r e n , f o r
h o l i n e s s . O n ly i n t h i s w ay c a n I h e l p y o u , h e a r
y o u r p r ay e r s a n d s e e k i n t e r c e s s i o n b e f o r e
the Most High.
T h a n k y o u f o r h av i n g r e s p o n d e d t o m y c a l l . ”