Maronite patriarch to visit St. Jude Parish; public reception, Mass and prayer planned

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Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Moran Mor Bechara Boutros al-Rahi

MURRAY — The 77th Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Moran Mor Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, will visit Utah in October. Such a visit may not happen again for another 100 years, said Father Joubran BouMerhi, pastor of St. Jude Maronite Catholic Church, which will host the patriarch.

The parish has planned several activities in honor of the patriarch’s visit. A Mass, morning prayer service and dinner are open to the public.

The Mass at which Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi will preside will be Oct. 20 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, which is larger than St. Jude’s worship space. The morning prayers will be held the next day at St. Jude Parish in Murray, the only Maronite church in Utah.  The time for the prayer service has not been determined.

Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, who was elected patriarch of the Maronites in 2011 and appointed a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, will be making five stops during his visit to the United States. For St. Jude’s Maronite Church to be one of them is a tremendous honor, Fr. BouMerhi said.

Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi has led a life full of faith and service to his people, Fr. BouMerhi said. He is the first Maronite patriarch to travel to Israel to minister, a decision that was not popular in his homeland of Lebanon, but most importantly, the patriarch is a true shepherd, caring for his flock, Fr.  BouMerhi said.

The patriarch “travels to see his people wherever they are … even if they are in small missions or poor parishes,” Fr. BouMerhi said.

The excitement for the cardinal’s upcoming visit is “not just from our parish, but from all the parishes we’ve talked to around the valley and around the state,” said Tom Allem, one of the chairmen for the event.

WHAT: Divine Liturgy and Dinner

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 20, beginning with the Divine Liturgy at 6 p.m.

WHERE: St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church,1375 Spring Lane, SLC

COST: $75

To register for the dinner, visit stjudemaroniteutah.org. For information, contact Kristin Mason, 801-599-6862 or kristin6862@outlook.com.