SAINT GEORGE MARONITE CHURCH

AN EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE

WEST SYRIAC ANTIOCHENE TRADITION

Week of July 23, 2017 Eighth Week of Pentecost

Annette Garcia - Parish Secretary Ex. 100

Nick Morey – Bookkeeper Ex102

Jo Ann Reed - Financial Consultant

Michele Chebib - Hall Manager Ex. 104

Deborah Mery Fernandez - Cultural Arts Director

Richard Karam - Church Attorney

Edward Karam - Church Realtor & Lector Coordinator

Soumaya Doenges - Greeter Coordinator

Ameen Al Bahloly- Altar Server Coordinator

Regina Aune - Archivist

Fernando Fernandez - Athletic Director

Brendan George - Pastoral Council Chairman

Jose Fernandez - Finance Committee Chairman

Candy Monsour - LAS President

Patricia Karam - Scholarship Committee Chairman

Elyse Karam, Monica Chavez, & Sabrina De La Cruz -

MYO Directors

Crystel Harb - Religious Education Coordinator

Edmond Karam – MYA President

Dave Sweeney - Veterans Committee Chairman

Toufic Khalife & Larry Monsour - Grounds Committee

Liturgy Schedule:

Monday-No Liturgy

Tuesday 5:30 PM

Wednesday - Friday 12:00 Noon

Saturday 5:00 PM, Sunday 8:00 AM & 11:00 AM

Saint George Maronite Catholic Church

6070 Babcock Road, San Antonio, TX 78240

Offices: (210) 690-9569 (210) 690-2240

Fax: (210) 690-5093 www.stgeorgesa.org

Hall: (210) 696-5937 www.stgeorgemaronitecenter.com

Fr. Charles Khachan, MLM – Pastor Ex. 101

E-mail: ckhachan@gmail.com

Deacon Tom Billimek

Gym: http://www.sgmgym.com/

Bingo: http://www.randysbingo.com/

Merciful Like the Father!

Religious Education

Pre K - 12th grade-See bulletin for schedule

Bible Study

See bulletin for schedule

Church Organizations

See bulletin for schedule

Adoration

Tuesday 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Mystery of Reconciliation (Confession)

30 minutes before Liturgy and upon request

Mystery of Baptism & Chrismation

Parents and Godparents must meet with the pastor to make

arrangements

Mystery of Crowning (Marriage)

Notify the pastor AT LEAST SIX MONTHS in advance for the necessary arrangements

Sick and Hospitalized

Contact the pastor for visitation

Memorial Sunday

Last Sunday of the month

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Intentions and Readings of the Divine Liturgy

Sat. July 22nd 5:00 PM Liturgy for Salim Abi Khalil family req. by their loving family

Acts 15:22-30 Lk 10:38-42

Sun. July 23rd 8:00 AM Liturgy for Abraham El-Nakat, req. by the Jajou Family

11:00AM Liturgy in thanksgiving of Larry and Candy Monsour’s

50th Wedding Anniversary

Rom 8:1-11 Eighth Week of Pentecost Mt 12:14-21

Mon. July 24th No Liturgy

Acts 15:36-16:1-3, 6-10 Lk 11:1-4

Tues. July 25th 5:30 PM Liturgy for Abraham El-Nakat, req. by the Diab Family

Acts 16:11-23a Lk 11:5-8

Wed. July 26th 12:00 Noon Liturgy for Simeona U Laurente req. by Cresenciana B. Uy (Birthday)

Acts 16:25-34 Lk 11:9-13

Thurs. July 27th 12:00 Noon Liturgy for Filomena B. Uy req. by Cresenciana B. Uy

Acts 17:1-12 Lk 11:14-23

Fri. July 28th 12:00 Noon Liturgy for Roberto Rodriguez req. by a friend

Acts 17:16-20, 22-24. 30-34 Lk 11:24-26

Sat. July 29th 5:00 PM Liturgy for the family of John A. Mery and the Kearns and Wells families

req. by their families

Liturgy for Phillip Karam req. by Bill & Jeanette Morgan

Acts 18:1-11 Lk 11:27-32

Sun. July 30th 8:00 AM Liturgy for Abraham El-Nakat, req. by the Jajou Family

11:00AM Liturgy for Emelia Billimek (40 day) req. by her loving family

Liturgy for Joseph Rizzo req. by Rizzo & Wartian Family

Rom 16:17-20 350 Martyrs, Disciples of St Maron Lk 11:49-54

We apologize for any inconvenience if a name of a loved one was

misspelled or dropped off the list of masses by mistake.

July 23, 2017

Flowers& Refreshments

In honor of Larry and Candy Monsour’s 50th Wedding Anniversary

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Bertha Acevedo,

Rocky Anawaty,

Amira Andera,

Regina Aune,

Corey Baines,

Gerry Baines,

Sharon Benson,

Pamela Gabriel Craig,

Terry Griebel,

Marina Curie-John,

Diana Curi-Ryder,

Josephine Daaud,

David Emerson,

Norma Emerson,

Zeyna Faris,

Brendon Fuselier

Muriel Keogh George,

Hank Grage,

Betty Gudat,

Harry Hilton,

Jackie Hill,

Peter Holmes,

James Hughlette,

Sal Isgro,

Marie Joseph,

Al Jowdy,

David Karam,

Elyse Karam,

Eugene Karam,

Mary Anne Karam,

Mary Ann Trad Karam,

Donna Khattar,

Marie La Monica,

Richard La Monica,

Margaret Craig Loyd,

Gloria Maldonado,

Charles Malouff,

Louise Malouff,

Maria Marines,

Karen Martinez,

Elvira Mery,

Maria Mery,

Paul Mery, Jr.,

Tony Moawad,

Connie Moller,

Adele Morrison,

Nancy Nasif,

Tim O’Connor,

Jose Olvera,

Roger O’Shaugh-nessy

Thelma O’Shaugh-nessy,

David Palazzo,

Noel Palazzo,

Sarah Perillo,

Ashley Polley,

Larry Raba,

Curtis Reed,

Curtis Michael, Reed

Kirsten Reed,

Rose Ribble,

Pedro Rosas,

Gloria Saliba,

Marie Schechter,

Bella Rodriguez Torres,

Rose Trevino,

Jeanette Van Delden,

Gene Viola,

Joe Walker,

Miriam Wells,

George Yamin.

Ted Van Delden - September 27, 2016

Amira Mery Dean - November 14, 2016

Anthony Mery, Jr. – November 30, 2016

Grant Peisen - December 12, 2016

David Saliba - December 23, 2016

Robert Dieck - February 17, 2017

Roberto Rodriguez - April 3, 2017

Nicola Alhaj - May 14, 2017

Abraham El-Nakat - May 16, 2017

Tanya Yamin Raba - June 4, 2017

Alfred Hoffmann - July 8, 2017

Julie Malouff - July 18, 2017

Saturday, July 22nd (5:00 PM)

Lector: Ray Dustin

Ushers: Ameen Al-Bahloly & Simon Salinas

Greeter: Janie Rivas

Altar Servers: Jeremy Daly & Kiersten Salinas

Sunday, July 23rd

Lector: (8:00 AM) Frank Westermann

Lector: (11:00 AM) Larry Karam

Ushers: Toufic Khalife,

Adriana Khalife & Marcel Noujeim

Greeters: Mariana Younes

Altar Server: Eddie Martinez, Dean Martinez,

Maroun Harb & Anthony Chebib

Saturday, July 29th (5:00 PM)

Lector: Ray Dustin

Ushers: Janie Rivas & Joe Rivas

Greeter: Jo Sullivan

Altar Servers: Zack Karam & Aaron Mery

Sunday, July 30th

Lector: (8:00 AM) Frank Westermann

Lector: (11:00 AM) Ernest Karam

Ushers: Larry Monsour, David Sweeney &

Elmosa Herrera

Greeters: Christina Antoun

Altar Server: Ilya Noujeim, Jacob Farah, Joseph

Hanna & Diego Medina

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SUNDAY JULY 23RD Qurbono (Liturgy) 8:00 and 11:00 AM Rosary at 10:40 AM

TUESDAY JULY 25TH Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM followed by the Qurbono (Divine Liturgy) at 5:30 PM. Adoration will re-sume at 6:00 PM and will conclude with the Ben-ediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

SUNDAY JULY 30TH Qurbono (Liturgy) 8:00 and 11:00 AM Divine Mercy Chaplet at 10:40 AM

BACK TO SCHOOL During the month of July, we would like to ask for donations of school supplies as part of our charity drive. The items can be dropped off in the church foyer or office.

NIGHT IN BYBLOS Join Our Lady’s Maronite Parish in Austin for a magical Night in Byblos on Saturday, Sep. 9th at 6:30 pm! There will be a concert in the church followed by a 4-course Mediterranean dinner and dancing to the music of DJ George Chebib. Please contact Lillian at lillianl@grandecom.net or Maria at mgebara2@gmail.com for tickets and more information.

FAITH FORMATION MINISTRY Faith Formation Ministry, centered in Maronite spirituality and tradition, is for all children and teens ages 4-18. This year we are adding a class for adults. It is held every Sunday morning (except the last Sunday of the month) from 9:00-10:45 am in the MCC. Weekly announcements appear in this bulletin and by email to all regis-tered families. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please be advised: for parents seeking to enroll their children to receive First Communion, this is a two-year program taught in the 1st and 2nd grade classes with a well-established curriculum and qualified teachers. Registration will start on Sunday, August 27 after the 11:00 AM liturgy. Registration fees for one child are $35, and for two or more children $60. Please download the registration form through the Church’s website. Faith Formation classes will begin on Sunday, September 17. For addi-tional information, please contact Crystel Harb.

NAM AWARENESS There are several membership levels to consider in support of NAM. You may chose from one of the following five annual membership categories. You may also consider the Lifetime membership that has a one-time donation. 1. Student $10 2. Individual $20 - 3yrs ($50) 3. Family $35 - 3yrs ($90) 4. Benefactor $50 5. Sustaining $100 6. Lifetime $1,000 Your membership will help strengthen our Church and preserve it for future generations.

DEEPEST SYMPATHY It is our sad duty to announce to you the death of Julie Malouff, member of our parish, on Tuesday July 18, 2017. Please keep Julie and her family in your prayers. Grant her rest O Lord and may your perpetual light shine upon her. Amen. Services are pending.

BISHOP BOULETTE VISIT Save the date and join us to welcome the new Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio, His Excellency Bishop Michael Boulette on Sunday, August 27, 2017 at the 11:00 AM Liturgy. A Lebanese luncheon hosted by the Ladies Altar Society will follow the liturgy in the large hall. More infor-mation to follow.

MAGIC IS THE NIGHT On Saturday, September 23, 2017, Magic is the Night, “A Phoenician Fantasy”, will take place . Preparations have been underway for a good part of this year, however, now is the time to come together and put on the final touches which is sure to be the event of 2017! All are welcome to participate. Areas of need are: Cooking, decorations, silent auction dona-

tions, and table sales. Tables are: $5000.00, 3500.00, and $1750.00.

Individual tickets are available for $175.00 each.

Please check the bulletin for information and an-nouncements.

Community Life

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STEWARDSHIP Our Gift to God and our Church

LAS CORNER

Cookbooks for sale, $25.00 each. Lebanese Luncheon on August 27

August 15 - Feast of the Assumption August 27 - Bishop Michael Boulette Visit

LAS Lebanese Luncheon September 17 - Faith Formation Starts September 23 - Magic is the Night (Co-chair:

Lori and Bruce Mery) October 27-29 - Lebanese Food Festival (Co-

chair: Jackie Hill and George Chebib).

FROM POPE FRANCIS

Let us be led by the Virgin Mary on the path that leads to the holy mountain that is Christ,

where God and man meet.

July 9, 2017 Month to date Year to date Our 2017 Goal

Regular Collection

$3,615.00

Online Donations

$750.00

$10,501.00 $102,932.00 $175,000.00

Overage/Shortage -$72,068.00

You can now contribute online, https://www.stgeorgesa.org/donate-online/

“God loves a cheerful giver!” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

FAITH FORMATION CORNER

August 27 - Registration starts. September 17 - Catechetical Sunday.

Faith Formation classes start.

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ATTENDING MASS WITH MARONITES

A road trip on a weekend and making sure you can still get to Mass can sometimes result in a very pleasant sur-

prise and a holy experience.

Quite recently Marjorie (my fiancée) and I were returning home over the weekend from a car trip to Ohio. Not

wanting to miss Mass, we looked online at Mass times for the areas we would be traveling through on Saturday

afternoon. Expecting to be driving near Uniontown, PA about four o’clock, we found several churches that had

four o’clock Saturday afternoon Masses listed.

But our travel plans were slightly delayed driving over the mountainous region of Interstate 70. Out of nowhere,

an enormous torrential downpour fell upon us. What started as a leisurely trip soon became a white-knuckled

crawl as our visibility quickly shrank to mere feet in front of our car. It was grueling for a while, but neither Mar-

jorie nor I were too afraid. We trusted and prayed that the Lord would see us through, which He did.

A Change in Plans

By the time we rolled into Uniontown, the clock in the car read 4:20, so we quickly looked for other Mass times in

the city. A church by the name of St. George Maronite Catholic Church had a Mass at 5 o’clock, which we would

be able to make.

Using the GPS on Marjorie’s phone, we drove to the church. It looked small from the outside, but what I found

interesting was the cross outside that boasted three cross beams. I’d never seen a cross like that before on a Catho-

lic Church.

After parking in the lot, we debated whether we should go in or wait, since there were only three other cars. Even-

tually, we went inside and since we still had a little time before Mass, Marjorie and I looked around a bit. On one

wall, there were the portraits of three saints (Sts. Sharbel, Rafka, and Maron) painted on wooden slabs. We picked

up a copy of the St. George weekly bulletin and spotted a pamphlet on the History of the Maronites.

St. Maron

“The Maronites,” the pamphlet said, “began in the Near East in an area known as the Fertile Crescent, which today

comprises the countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel. Their common language was Aramaic, the same lan-

guage spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ in the holy Family at Nazareth, as well as at the Last Supper. Aramaic is

still used by the Maronites in various hymns and parts of the Mass, especially at the Consecration.

“Of all the Eastern rite Churches, the Maronite Church is the only one known by the name of a person—St.

Maron. Born in the middle of the fourth century, St. Maron was a hermit, who, by his holiness and the miracles he

worked, attracted many followers. After his death around the year 410, his monastic disciples built a large monas-

tery in his honor, from which other monasteries were founded.”

The Eastern Catholic Church

Most Roman Catholics are not that familiar with the Eastern Catholic Church. The Syriac Maronite Church (aka:

the Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch) is one of more than 20 Eastern Catholic churches, all of which are in full

communion with the Pope, profess that same Catholic Faith, and celebrate the same Sacraments as the Roman

Catholic Church.

The largest of the Eastern Churches is the Ukrainian Catholic Church with about five million members. (The Mar-

onite Catholic Church has around 3.2 million members.) Altogether there are about 17 million Eastern Catholics

worldwide. And, yes, Roman Catholics can attend Mass at Eastern Catholic Churches and receive Communion,

just as Eastern Catholics can attend Mass and receive Communion at Roman Catholic Churches.

Continued on pg. 7

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Continued from pg. 6

The Maronite Mass

Seeing people starting to enter the main body of the church, we followed suit.

The interior of the church was magnificent! On both sides, sun was shining in through the stained glass windows.

Up front, on the left side of the altar was a painting that depicted St. George as he was slaying the dragon. The altar

itself had a beautiful wood carving showing God as both Father and Holy Spirit pointing to the Chalice while two

angels bowed on either side. On the right side of the altar was a statue of the Blessed Virgin in a most gorgeous

shade of blue. Behind the altar, a large stained glass window stood in the shape of a Cross. It was accented and

flanked on either side by two icons portraying Mary seated with the Infant Jesus and Jesus sitting on His throne.

On the pew beside us, we found a small but thick red book called the Qurbono. Upon opening it, we were amazed

to find the writing in two different translations: the first was in English and the second in Syriac. At the time, nei-

ther of us knew the second language was Syriac.

As Mass started, we were impressed by the sheer reverence that the priest, Rev. Father Sami Chaaya, M.L.M., and

the Subdeacon, Thomas R. George, displayed over the course of the next hour. Whenever Father Chaaya went up to

read, or pray, or recite passages from the Qurbono, he would carry a crucifix and would bless not only the books,

the tabernacle, and the altar; but the congregation as well. In addition, he used incense during every important part

of the Mass.

An Uplifting Experience

When it came time to respond in prayer, Marjorie and I did our best to follow along and recite the passages as the

entire congregation answered in Syriac. Many times, everyone else would be halfway through a prayer before we

managed to catch up. Regardless the entire experience was immensely uplifting because we could sense the rever-

ence in that sacred space.

For me, a visually-oriented person, one image struck me most of all: Just before Father Chaaya consecrated the host

and chalice, the sun began to stream in through the beautiful stained glass window behind him. Both he and the al-

tar were bathed in this exquisite beam of lush blues, reds, and oranges. It was like witnessing Jesus descending into

the bread and wine; turning them into His sacred Body and Blood.

By the end of the Mass, Marjorie and I knew we had experienced something holy in that church. We couldn’t quite

describe it, but our spirits had been uplifted.

After Mass Father Chaaya greeted us before we walked out the door. He expressed his joy and gratitude at seeing a

young couple such as us who were so clearly on fire for their faith. He added that we were welcome to come back

any time. Both Marjorie and I agreed that we would indeed like to attend Mass at St. George Maronite Catholic

Church again someday.

What started off as a surprise turned into a holy, unique, and eye-opening experience that I would eagerly recom-

mend to others. If there’s a Maronite church nearby, don’t pass up a chance to experience an Eastern Rite Mass.

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