Maronite mass to rekindle tradition for Lebanese Miramichiers

St. Michaels to host special mass on July 28, 6:30 pm

On Sunday, July 28th, there will be a special mass at St. Michael the ArchAngel Basilica in Chatham at 6:30 pm. Lebanese, Syrian, Eastern Rite, and all Catholics are invited to this special Eucharistic Celebration A gathering with food and fraternity will follow, in the parish centre. This special Mass will be made possible by Fredericton’s Saint Charbel Maronite Catholic Church and its pastor Msgr Pierre Azzi as he and members of his community will be coming to Miramichi to share their tradition. The mass will be in English and Arabic.

The Maronite Catholic Church’s origins are traced to the Christians of Lebanon and Syria. It is named after St. Maron, a holy monk who was born in Syria in the fourth century. When he died in 410, many of his followers moved to the mountains of Lebanon to escape persecution. Over time, followers of the faith of St. Maron organized themselves into a distinct community, the Maronites. They adopted a particular form of Eastern Christianity, strongly influenced by Syriac and Antiochian traditions but in communion with the Roman Church. The Maronite Catholics follow a different liturgical calendar than Roman Catholics, so their masses differ in the readings that are performed.

Historically, Lebanese and Syrian Catholic families from around the Miramichi gathered for Masses at the basilica but the practice has faded in the absence of Maronite clergy in the area, though for years a Maronite priest from the Halifax are used to come to Miramichi to perform special masses for the Maronite Catholics here.

These Maronite Catholic families came to Canada in the late 1800’s at a time when they were the victims of massacres by the Ottomans, and again during WWI when during a Turkish food blockade when some 200,000 - 300,000 Maronites died of starvation. More families in 1939-1945 emigrated to Canada and America where they sought refuge, security and better living conditions during a time of the socio-political and economic evolution of the Middle East.

Some Lebanese families that came to Miramichi are Linkletter, Mitchell, Asoyuf, Traboulsee, Napke, Isaiah, Abbass and Sayfy. Pictured above is a photo taken in 1955 at the Seaman’s Hospital of a gathering of Lebanese families.  See the photo and legend below.