Consecration of St. Sharbel Maronite Church | El Paso, TX
By Maral Najarian
Sunday, 11 August 2019, marked a very historic day for the Maronite community of El Paso, TX. For the first time in the history of this city, the Maronite community had their permanent home, St. Sharbel Church, consecrated by The Most Reverend Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. He gave a powerful sermon posing the question, “Are we for Christ or against Him?” He also explained to the faithful, in detail, the meaning of the rich consecration ritual, including knocking on the doors of the church and blessing the walls with holy oil.
Priests who attended the Divine Liturgy included Fr. Milad Yaghi, Episcopal Secretary, Fr. Robert Mosher of the Mission Society of St. Columban, and St. Sharbel Pastor, Fr. Ronald Eid, who came to El Paso to shepherd this community in 2016. At that time, the Maronite mission parish was sharing a church with the Holy Family Catholic Parish in El Paso, which they had been doing for about a decade. However, the Maronite community of El Paso is much older than that. This community has had a presence in El Paso for decades, and they have moved from several mission parishes over the years.
Although a large portion of these parishioners are Lebanese-American, who have been Maronite their whole life, the parish encompasses diverse Catholics from different backgrounds, languages, rites, states and countries, including neighboring Mexico, who have become an integral part of this parish community. In fact, St. Sharbel has such a large following in Mexico that many of his devotees travel across the border to make a pilgrimage to this new Maronite parish. They can often be found praying with St. Sharbel’s relics and asking with great confidence for special favors from the “Miracle Worker”. These relics are beautifully displayed by the altar for veneration in a reliquary shaped like a Cedar of Lebanon.
The Maronite community of El Paso, TX, is beyond grateful to God for its new church and have been so welcoming to anyone who wishes to become a friend of their beloved St. Sharbel. What is in the near future for this parish? They await a life-size bronze statue of the Maronite Monk, which Fr. Ronald has commissioned an artisan from Lebanon to sculp. It will stand proud in front of the façade of the church, calling all devotees to trust in the intercession of the “Miracle Worker” hermit.
