Annual Assumption Pilgrimage

It looked like a sea of people gathered around the Blessed Virgin statue on the Assumption Feast at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. The wave of faith and prayer traveled throughout the crowd warming hearts and lifting spirits.                        We were happy to host our clergy and friends for lunch and welcome guests at our house as usual. We also thank God for the many spiritual graces that He showers on his faithful through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God.

New Evangelization

What is the New Evangelization?

"The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on 're-proposing' the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith.Pope Benedict XVI called for the re-proposing of the Gospel "to those regions awaiting the first evangelization and to those regions where the roots of Christianity are deep but who have experienced a serious crisis of faith due to secularization." The New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church." (http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/index.cfm).

On June 9, our community met with Father Tony Massad of Cleveland, OH for a morning of prayer and reflection in which we discussed our role as priests and consecrated religious in contributing to the new evangelization of our beloved Catholic Church. For this purpose, we chose to meet at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Euclid, OH. Our morning included a tour of the beautiful Shrine, the prayer of the Divine Office, a group discussion, and concluded with the celebration of the Maronite Divine Liturgy at the outdoor Grotto Chapel. We asked for God's blessings upon our Church, its clergy, religious and faithful, and upon all those who have left the Church that they may find their way back and realize their role and importance in the upbuilding and strengthening of the Church.  

Visit to Carey, OH

In the Maronite Church, the month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On Sunday May 20, we decided to go visit the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio. It was certainly a beautiful day as we attended liturgy, savored a good lunch then enjoyed walking out in the shrine's park, meditating on the stations of the cross. On the way back we prayed the rosary together asking the Mother of God for her intercession for us and for all those who are in need of prayers.                                   Click here for the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Visit to Our Lady of Victory Maronite Church

Invited by Father Rodolphe Wakim, pastor of Our Lady of Victory Maronite Church, we joined the Maronite community of Pittsburgh, PA for their Saturday evening celebration of Divine Liturgy, then attended their annual dinner in honor of Saint Maron's feastday, which was on February 9. It was a blessing to pray with our Maronite brothers and sisters there and to see many of our dear friends. In his homily focused on the gospel passage of Luke 8:40-56, Father Rodolphe explained that many illnesses we have may be invisible such as the hemorrhaging women's illness. Unlike the man with leprosy (Mark 1:35-43) whose healing we meditated on last week, the woman's pain was mostly concealed to the human eye. She must have been weak and exhausted, desperate for an end to her pain. She spent twelve years in agony and humiliation, rejected by those who knew her ailment considered shameful at the time. She had drained all her resources in hope for a cure but found none. Then she decided to go to Jesus. Instead of Him being her first resort, He was her last, Father Rodolphe remarked. In many ways, we are like the hemorrhaging woman. We know Jesus is the Healer of our body and soul and yet we seek help elsewhere, away from Him the source of light and life. We have recourse to things that drain us from within and have a meager ability to cure us. Our faith in Jesus is our only hope and cure, Father Rodolphe concluded. Fervently he asked God to shower His love and mercy on us so that we can reach out to Him in time of need and touch Him and delight in His peace. 

Patriarchal Visit

Our community traveled to Cleveland, Ohio on Monday October 10, 2011 to meet with our beloved Patriarch Bechara Peter El-Rai, during his pastoral visit to Saint Maron Church in Cleveland. This is the Patriarch's first visit to the United States of America since his enthronement as the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, on Friday March 25, 2011, in Lebanon. During this inaugural visit, the Patriarch is scheduled to visit several parishes and institutions within both Maronite Eparchies: the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon  and the Eparchy of Saint Maron. The Patriarch comes with a message of "love and communion" as he himself explains. In his homily during Divine Liturgy as well as his speech at the Banquet that followed, the Patriarch insisted that war and violence can never solve conflicts; only love and peace can build nations, strengthen people and ensure dignified living to all. He asked the faithful to seek unity amidst pluralism, be one in heart and mind, and keep their love for God and their nation above all other interests or personal gain. As he continues this historical visit, we pray that God may give him the strength to continue to lead with compassion and resolve.

Annual Assumption Pilgrimmage

Each year, we look forward to celebrating the Assumption Pilgrimmage at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. This year, even more people agreed that the ambiance was deeply spiritual and that God's presence was manifested in many ways. Throughout the three pilgrimage days (August 13, 14, 15), pilgrims and visitors participated in the talks, rosary prayers, prayer services and confessions planned for the event and each night the crowds gathered and prayed for Our Lady's intercession. May Her intercession remain with us as we pray: Our Lady of Lebanon, pray for us!

Religious Gathering

Our community joined several other religious for the Diocese of Youngstown Religious Jubilee Celebration last week. The afternoon started with an informal gathering for registration and refreshments followed by a presentation by Sister Rita Mary Harwood, SND. By sharing stories from her own religious life and experience, Sister Rita Mary stated that the life of each religious sings of the faithfulness of the Lord and that all that God requires is sufficient love and trust on our part to complete the journey. The celebration concluded with Divine Liturgy, with Bishop George Murry, S.J. presiding. Bishop Murry thanked all the jubilarians for their commitment to loving and serving our Lord and he invited all the faithful to increase their prayers for vocations to priesthood, religious life and the deaconate.

Antonine Feastday

January 17 is the Feastday of Saint Anthony the Great, the patron saint of the Antonine Order of religious women and men. Every year for this feast, the Antonine communities celebrate throughout the world by getting together for worship and fellowship. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated for the intentions of all the order's members and benefactors. During liturgy, a spiritual renewal of vows takes place where each member renews her personal commitment to God through the Antonine constitution.
Here in North Jackson, we celebrated on Saturday January 15, in unity with the majority of the members and the general council of our order who were celebrating at the Mother House in Roumieh, Lebanon. As usual, we started our day with the prayer of the Divine Office followed by a profound reflection on "Seeking the Face of God" by Father Nadim Helou, pastor of Saint George Maronite Church in Uniontown, PA. After adoration, confessions, and the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, we were joined for lunch by Chorbishop Michael Kail, Pastor of Saint Maron Church in Youngstown, OH and by Monsignor Anthony Spinosa, Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in North Jackson, OH.

Traditional Text for the Spiritual Renewal of Our Vows:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the presence of the Holy Trinity, the blessed Mother of God, Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint Anthony the Great, and all the angels and saints, I renew my vows of obedience, chastity and poverty and I promise to keep them according to the constitution of our congregation, by God’s grace, the protection of the Blessed Virgin, Saint Joseph and our father Saint Anthony the Great. Amen.

Christmas Retreat

On Saturday December 18, we were happy to welcome for the first time Father Nadim Helou, pastor of Saint George Maronite Church in Uniontown, PA, as our retreat director. The theme for the day was "The Spirituality of Waiting". Based on the scripture passage from the Gospel of Mathew 1: 1-25, Father Nadim described how, in the Old Testament, people and prophets of all generations were in a state of waiting. Then he compared their waiting spirit with that of Mary. Waiting is not wishing, Father Nadim explained. A fulfilled wish is not satiating and almost always leads to a series of other wishes. Likewise, wishing could end in bitter disappointment if the object of desire is not obtained. Waiting, in contrast, is a state of infinite hope characterized by being open to possibilities and is not attached to an object or a specific end. Mary was distinguished by this genre of waiting. Her virginity was a distinct mark of her uniqueness, a symbol of her complete offering of self to God and her total surrender to his plan. Mary and Joseph both gave God an opportunity to accomplish his will in them and fulfill his promise of salvation. They both believed in God's Master plan in which they played only a supporting role, allowing the plan of God to be fulfilled. As consecrated people and in imitation of Mary and Joseph, Father Nadim concluded, we are called to place ourselves in a similar state of awaiting the coming of our Savior. Our waiting must not be static or passive. On the contrary, it must be a state in which we are completely aware of God's presence, are placing our trust in his wisdom and are fully prepared for his second coming.

Giving Thanks

In this special season of Thanksgiving, we take the opportunity to express our sincere thanks to all our dear benefactors. Thank you for believing in what we do and for being part of our mission. Your love and support are invaluable for the success of our ministry and for that we are very grateful.

Each year, as we approach the Christmas Season, many of our benefactors ask us how they can help. Please take a look at our 2010-2011 wish list below. If you wish, you may choose to donate any of the listed items, or you can mail in your tax-deductible donation to be used as needed. A downloadable donation form can be found at our website http://www.antoninesisters.com/, under the Support Us section.

A special Thanksgiving Liturgy will be celebrated for the intentions of our benefactors on the 23rd of this month. May our Lord and His Blessed Mother continue to bless you and your loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving from us all,

The Antonine Sisters

The 2010-2011 Wish List

• General Items:

-Electric Snow Blower                  -Light Weight Sweepers
-Hand towels                               -Garbage bags (all sizes)
-Lysol Spray Bottles                     -Dish Detergent
-Hand Soap                                 -Air Wick refills
-Dry-erase markers

• Office Items:

-Office paper                             -Paper clips
-Stamps

• Day Care Items:

-Paper towels                            -Toilet paper

-Paper napkins                          -Kleenex

-Straws

• Health Items:

-Gloves                                   -Hand Sanitizers

-Band-aid                               -Tylenol

-Cough drops                          -Neosporin

-Benadryl cream

Our Lady of Lebanon Assumption Pilgrimmage

The 45th Annual Assumption Pilgrimmage took place last weekend at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. Hundreds of faithful visited the shrine seeking the Lord's guidance and blessing through the intercession of His Blessed Mother. Spiritual activities were scheduled throughout the three days: Divine liturgies, spiritual conferences, prayer of the rosary, confessions and evening processions. Food was available for visitors and special activities were organized for kids and youth.

Our Antonine community had the priviledge to host the clergy dinners Friday evening and Saturday and Sunday at noon. Delicious meals and desserts were lovingly prepared for the occasion. It was great to share our food and time with several priests, brothers, deacons, sisters and lay people and friends who visited us throughout the weekend. Also, as usual, we chanted the Maronite Vespers on Sunday evening, offering our praise and thanksgiving to God for His Blessed Mother and for all the graces He bestowed on us on this happy occasion. On the last evening, a large crowd processed on the shrine's ground and gathered around Mary. After the traditional "Ya Omm Allah" (Mother of God) hymn lead by us, fireworks lit the sky. As the sun was setting in the far horizon, it seemed like the Mother of God was looking down on her children and smiling, as we prayed in one voice: Queen of peace pray for us!

Vocation Workshop at the Maronite Convention

Sister Celine Nohra, Sister Cosette Ghanem and Sister Nancy Najjar traveled to Birmingham, Alabama on July the 7th to participate in the 47th Annual Maronite Convention. Chorbishop Richard Saad and the faithful of Saint Elias Maronite Church hosted the convention this year, which was sponsored by NAM as usual. Hundreds of Maronite clergy, religious and lay people gathered to celebrate their faith and spiritual heritage. Spiritual talks, informative workshops and enjoyable trips and activities were scheduled throughout the day from July 7-11. The Sisters were asked to present a workshop on vocations along with Msgr. Sharbel Maroun, the vocation director for the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, and Sister Marla Marie Lucas of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light. The presentation focused on how to promote religious vocations in the Maronite Church, through a brief discussion about the importance of vocations in the Catholic Church in general and particularly in the Maronite Church. Common reactions to religious vocations were also discussed, and suggestions on how to promote and support vocations were given to families. To access the full presentation click here.

To watch "Fishers of Men" video click here.

The Antonine Sisters: A segment of an American Legacy

A remarkable exhibit came to Cleveland, Ohio, recently, featuring the contributions of religious women to the American society. The exhibit, named Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America, opened last year at the Cincinnati museum center, then was transferred to Dallas, Texas and from there to the Smithsonian in Washington DC with an overwhelmingly positive response in all three places. This August, it will head off to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.

I thought it was noteworthy and quite exciting for this kind of exhibit to show in major cities. In a world that is often corrupted by violence and distracted by noise, here comes a silent witness with a life-giving message; A message that resonates Elijah’s experience of God who was not present in the strong wind or earthquake or fire but in the gentle and quiet breeze (1 Kings 19:11-12). Religious women are often like that unnoticed breeze that refreshes the soul thirsty for justice, for meaning and for gospel values. Like Mary, they bring God to the world, reminding people that only God gives meaning to our life and peace to our hearts.

As I was navigating through the exhibit, I was amazed by the impact religious communities had on American history. They transformed societies through service and advocacy, playing a major role in national crisis such as wars, epidemics and natural disasters. There were several displays of stories of powerful and courageous women, armed with unconditional love and untiring hope; women who gave their lives completely to God and placed their trust in his words. They faithfully served the communities they belonged to, responding to the needs of people of every cultural, religious and social background. Some were American born women, such as Elizabeth Ann Seaton, the first American-born saint, and Sister Dorothy Kazel, the Cleveland Ursuline who was murdered in El Salvadore in 1980 along with two MaryKnoll sisters and a lay missionary. Others were brave immigrants such as Mother Cabrini and Saint Angela Merici of Italy, who established religious communities here in the United States and whose influence continues to this day. Some stories are recognized only by few, others are more famous. Yet, many stories remain untold and more unfold each day. Stories of unknown religious women, sacrificing their lives for the sake of others, impacting generations of faith, helping women and men, Christians and non-Christians.

In the local section of the Cleveland exhibit, 26 orders of religious women are chronologically featured on a separate wall. These are the orders that originated in or came to Northeast Ohio in the early nineteenth century and are still active to this day. Among these 26 orders, is our Antonine Order, the only Maronite congregation featured in the exhibit, active in Ohio since 1959. Looking at that wall, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude and thanksgiving: thanksgiving to God for all his blessings, and gratitude for my Antonine congregation. I felt personally grateful to all the Antonines who quietly spent their lives serving the sick, the poor, the young and the old, in different parts of the world, and especially here in the United States. They became entwined with the history and culture of those people. They started a legacy of faith and laid strong foundations on which this generation and future generations can build. I am deeply thankful to God for my Maronite heritage, for calling me to be part of such an astonishing legacy. I am also thankful for my local community, who dynamically represented and still represents the splendor of the Maronite faith and is now part of the American history.

Submitted by Sister Celine