Devoted Lebanese members help Maronite church
grow
There is something very different about St. Maron's church.
One reason why the Minneapolis church is different is that it's
gaining membership, while other churches are losing membership. Its appeal could be in part because it is a Maronite Catholic
congregation, which means its loyal members are predominantly
Lebanese or of Lebanese descent. "They take Lebanon in their heart and part of that is
their faith," said the Rev. Sharbel Maroun, the congregation's
pastor. "They preserve their church. And they are living
all over the world. The sun never sets on the Lebanese." Maroun came to the United States from Lebanon when he was 22.
He had a degree in computer science, but soon after arriving he
felt called to the priesthood and entered a seminary to study
theology. For the past nine years, he has led St. Maron's during
its most significant period of growth. "The community has been growing by God's grace,"
Maroun said. "We have many people who come from overseas
because of the war in Lebanon. One half of the members are newcomers." The country has seen its share of bloodshed in recent years.
Israel invaded Lebanon in 1978 and again in 1982 to drive out
Palestinian guerrillas and it has occupied the border zone since
1985. Clashes flare up occasionally. Lebanon also suffered a devastating
civil war from 1975 to 1990. While the church's growth has been a blessing, it also has
created a challenge: The trim little church overflows on Sundays.
So Maroun appealed to the congregation, which responded. One man,
John Nasseff, donated two-thirds of the cost of a $3.5 million
expansion project and dedicated his gift to the memory of his
parents, Betros and Smeroud Nasseff. The congregation picked up
the rest. "Most of the Lebanese people come with very little,"
Maroun said. "They are hard-working people. The first five
years they work hard to establish themselves. They have to buy
a home and a car. In some cases their families, relatives help
them." It's not just the growth that makes St. Maron's different.
Maronite churches are Catholic and answer to the Pope. But they
also have their own patriarchs and bishops. St. Maron's patriarch
is Nessrallah Peter Sfeir, who lives in Lebanon, and its bishop
is the Rev. John Chedid, who lives in Los Angeles and oversees
churches in 34 states. There is one other Maronite Catholic church
in the Twin Cities, Holy Family, in St. Paul. But there are other twists that make the denomination unlike
any other. The liturgy is spoken in three languages: Aramaic,
Arabic and English. And when Maronites pass the peace during the
service, they hold their hands as if in prayer, enclose the next
person's hand and then gently slide away. "It's more than shaking hands," Maroun said. "It's
taking the peace of Christ and then giving it to others." Another difference is during the liturgy of the Eucharist.
The priest not only touches the elements of Holy Communion, he
also kisses the wine and wafer at the beginning of the Eucharistic
prayer. Then the elements are distributed by intinction, that
is, by dipping the wafer into the wine and then placing it on
the worshiper's tongue. Maronite priests bless the congregation with two fingers, to
represent Christ being truly human and divine. The blessing has
deep meaning for the denomination because 350 Maronite monks were
slaughtered in 541, just after the Council of Calcedon, for that
belief. Maronite worshipers also don't kneel during the service. They
stand and face East because they believe when Jesus returns he
will come from that direction. "We face East because Jesus could come at any time, and
we want to be ready to run and meet him," Maroun said. They celebrate All Souls Day three Sundays before the beginning
of Lent, rather than on the Sunday after Halloween as most churches
do. On All Souls Day, the deceased are remembered. Instead of Ash Wednesday, Maronite churches celebrate Ash Monday,
thereby making Lent two days longer than other denominations.
And during Lent, the focus is on the miracles of Jesus rather
than emphasizing his suffering and death, as most major denominations
have traditionally done. In preparation for the expansion of the congregation's building,
the church has purchased six houses on the same block of the present
building. Those houses will be torn down to make way for the building
and parking lots. Maroun believes with enough space inside the
church and parking outside, the church will grow and become even
more important to members. "Sunday worship is more than just going to church,"
Maroun said. "They come to church and then they go downstairs
and have coffee and doughnuts. And they talk. They don't see each
other during the week, so it's very important."
Clark D. Morphew
Posted For February 27, 1999