St Maron's Catholic Church Minneapolis MN

Beloved Parishioners and Friends of St. Maron's,

Peace and grace to you with the hope that you are well and healthy with all your loved ones and safe from Covid or overcoming it. We trust that this will pass and our life will return to normal. Hold on to your faith, be patient and focus on the positive side of this beautiful life. We know that after every night there is a morning that brings the sunshine.

I urge you to make sure that you and your children continue to be connected to your faith in person or virtually if needed. Put all your efforts to attend Liturgy when you can and if you are sick or exposed to Covid, make sure that you’ll connect virtually with us. I want to thank the MCF teachers and parents and children who are taking all measures to keep their religious education moving forward. It is the greatest gift that we have and can give.

On February the 9th we will be celebrating the 1612th Anniversary of our Father Saint Maron (410AD) and the 119th Anniversary (1903) of our parish. All thanks and praise be to God for all the gifts that He has bestowed upon us. It is our call and mission to keep the Maronite presence alive and strong in Minneapolis for the future generations and in honor of our ancestors who have left us this great treasure. On behalf of Father Jean, the Subdeacon’s and the Parish staff, we send you our warmest wishes on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Maron.

I thank all of you who have put in the efforts for the recent visit of our Bishop Elias Zaidan as we relaunched the Eparchial Capital Campaign. I encourage all of you to be a part of this "Vision for the Future, Mission for Today" campaign. You and I can leave a great legacy for the future generations, let us not waste time in doing this.

Valentine focuses on love. Let us hold on and connect together to God who is the true and perfect love and who perfects our love toward each other. May the Lord God through the intercessions of Saint Maron bless you and your loved ones and protect our parish under the wings of his love.

I wish you and your loved ones God’s choicest blessings, Chorbishop sharbel Maroun and Abouna Jean El Helou

 

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Religious Education: Sunday after Divine Liturgy.

Baptism: Contact the priest as soon as the baby is born.

Confessions: Saturday 3:15 - 3:45 or by appointment any other time.

Marriage: Contact the priest at least SIX MONTHS prior to wedding.

Illness: Please call the rectory (612-379-2758) if someone is sick at home, hospital or in a nursing home.  

 

The History of St Maron's Church in Minneapolis

A Rich and Proud History since 1903

A GRAND HISTORY....

The Maronite Church is an eastern branch of the Catholic Church. It has its own liturgy, canon law, and patriarch. The Maronites take their name from the Hermit and Priest Maron who lived near the Orontes River in the fourth century. It is believed that he died around the year 410. The first Maronites were the direct descendants of the people who received the Catholic faith from the apostles. Their culture was influenced by their predecessors, the Phoenicians. Because of the heavy persecution against the Maronites, they were forced to flee into the mountain of North Lebanon in order to save guard their faith from the persecutors. Led by the first Maronite patriarch, St. John Maron, they sought refuge in the inaccessible mountains of Lebanon.

The Maronite liturgy is one of the oldest of the Catholic Church and it is based on the liturgy of St. James the Less, first bishop of Jerusalem. Our liturgical language is Syriac, the sister of the Aramaic language which Jesus spoke.

The Maronite Church, like its other sisters in the Catholic faith, enjoys its own music, art, tradition, and liturgical architect which gives it a uniqueness within the one Holy and Apostolic Church. The Maronite Church has its own head, the Maronite Patriarch, who resides in Lebanon, who is a member of the College of Cardinals in Rome. He has liturgical and spiritual power or authority over all the Maronites worldwide.

Today the Maronite Church spreads over the five continents with many diocese and Eparchies in Lebanon, Syria, Cypress, Canada, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Australia. The Maronites have two parishes in the Twin Cities: The Church of the Holy Family on 203 E. Robie Street in St. Paul and this Parish of St. Maron of Minneapolis.

A Chronological History Of Saint Maron's Church of Minneapolis:

The history of St. Maron of Minneapolis traces its origin to the late 1800 when many Lebanese Maronites immigrated into this great land of opportunity.

In 1903, a small house was converted into a church on 321 Main Street. On February 9th of the same year, Fr. Antoun Sleiman, celebrated the first Maronite Liturgy in Minneapolis.

In 1919, during the pastorate of Fr. Emmanuel El-Khoury, a small church was purchased on 625 Main Street.

In 1939, under the pastorate of Chorbishop Peter F. Assemani, a school was purchased at this present location and a church was built in 1948. Bishop James Byrne consecrated this church on July 11, 1948.

Another addition to St. Maron's was the shrine of St. Sharbel Makhlouf which was completed in 1981 under the pastorship of Fr. Michael Hitti.

In the mid eighties, during the pastorate of Fr. Michael Thomas, a renovation of the sanctuary and the rectory took place and a new office area was erected.

In the early 1990, under the pastorate of Fr. sharbel Maroun, another wave of renovation was done in the church and the hall. A new selection of stained glass windows from the Maronite tradition were added, painted by Fr. Joseph Akiki.

In 1994, two houses on second Street were purchased and their mortgage was burned in two years. Four other houses were purchased in 1996 and 1997 for future development.

From the St. Maron community there have come many community leaders, business and professional people. Among them, Chorbishop James Namie, Fr. Peter Victor Assad, and Sr. Lynn Margaret Basil.

The following are the priests who have served with diligence the Maronite community of Minneapolis since its start:

Anton Sleiman, 1903-06; Louis Lotife, 1906-08; Moubarack Bellemah, 1908-09; Abdullah Torbey, 1909-10; Dimmane Rumya, 1911-12; Paul Rizk, 1912-16; Emmanual El-Khoury, 1916-21; Gabriel Malkoun, 1921-28; Joseph Shabat, 1928-30; Joseph Yazbac, 1930-32; Peter Ashkar, 1932-34; Silwanous Joudy, 1934-36; Peter Assemani, 1936-57; Wlademeer Akekee, 1957-67; Michael Hitti, 1967-85; Michael Thomas 1985-89; sharbel Maroun, 1989-present.

The parish continues to grow under the guidance and providence of God.

May God who has given our community the privilege of inheriting this rich tradition allow us to preserve it and nourish it through our commitment and dedication toward its cause. May the faith of our Father St. Maron which has been passed on to us through our forefathers, and which has been written through the blood of the thousands of martyrs, be ours, that we may always be lights to the world and salt to all the earth.