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Sunday, September 30, 2012

A Visit to the Maronite Cathedral with the Melkite Clergy of the United States

LAST WEEK, the clergy of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in the United States conferred in Saint Louis, Missouri. On Wednesday, they celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Saint Raymond's Maronite Cathedral.

Saint Raymond Maronite Cathedral, in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA - exterior

The Melkites descend from the church founded by Saint Peter in Antioch, and they use the Byzantine Rite with Arabic being their official language. The Church calls itself الروم الكاثوليك‎ or ar-Rūm al-Kathūlīk, literally ‘Roman Catholic.’ The Melkites are the oldest continuously existing Christian community.

Several of the clergy saw my camera and asked that I take photos:

Melkite clergy of the United States recieve Holy Communion, at Saint Raymond's Maronite Cathedral, in Saint Louis, MIssouri, USA

Here the clergy receive Holy Communion. The liturgy was primarily in English with Byzantine chant tones.

Melkite clergy of the United States, at Saint Raymond's Maronite Cathedral, in Saint Louis, MIssouri, USA - 1

After the Divine Liturgy.

The clergy afterwards retired to the Cathedral's banquet center, where they partook of the traditional Lebanese food served there every Wednesday:

Saint Raymond Maronite Cathedral, in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA - Food, at The Cedars Banquet Center

3 comments:

  1. Mark, do you know what those foods are in the picture? They look delicious :-) The dark brown, grainy item in the foreground looks like falafel but I'm not sure what the other items are.

    Elaine

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elaine,

    From the front left, and going counter clockwise:

    - Spinach in pastry shell
    - Kibbeh, a meat dish
    - Stuffed grape leaves
    - Stuffed cabbage
    - Chicken dumplings

    ReplyDelete
  3. The virus 2020 is what a nation get for not let me be the last used pope stand after emeritus

    ReplyDelete