Houston | Fat Thursday

by Dolan Dow

“Fat Tuesday” is a feast celebrated around the world the week before the season of Lent. In Lebanon and other eastern countries, this day is referred to as “Drunkard’s Thursday.” For the first time, our parish brought these wonderful traditions together on Thursday, 28 February 2019, at our “Fat Thursday” event.

We were blessed to have His Excellency, Bishop Elias Zaidan, with us to celebrate the Liturgy and begin the evening with a special prayer, reminding us that while all of the cultural celebrations associated with Lent are a blessing to be a part of, we must remember that at the end of the celebrations, there is true meaning behind all of the traditions associated with Lent: to lead us to the season of prayer and sacrifice.

Our wonderful parishioners came together to keep both our faith and our culture alive. From preparing and serving the delicious meat and chicken kabobs, accompanied with the delicious mezza sides, to providing the right drinks and entertainment, everyone contributed to make this event truly authentic!

All of the church organizations—the Knights, the Daughters, and the Parish Council—worked very hard to make this event a great success. With over 300 attendees, we were able to bring more of our heritage to our church and keep the traditions going for generations to come! Have a blessed Lent season!