The Consecration of Saints Peter and Paul Maronite Church in Tampa, Florida.

On New Sunday, March 30, 2008, (also Mercy Sunday) the Maronite community of the Tampa-St, Petersburg-Clearwater area gathered for the consecration of its new church.

This day has been eagerly awaited since the parish began in January 2000 when Bishop Stephen H. Doueihi established “The Maronite Community of Tampa”. Father George Zina, pastor of St. Jude’s Maronite Catholic Church in Orlando, would come every other Saturday to celebrate the Liturgy in the Maronite Rite at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Tampa and Msgr. George Sebaali from Glen Allen, Va. would take care of the administration once a month. On April 3, 2003, Bishop Doueihi assigned Father Paul Damien as administrator for the Maronite Community. He continued to celebrate the liturgy weekly at St. Mary’s until, at the invitation of the Most Reverend Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, the Community moved to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Center in Land O’ Lakes where it grew and prospered. On January 16, 2005 Bishop Gregory J. Mansour, during his pastoral visit to the Maronite Community of Tampa, granted them Mission status under the patronage of Sts. Peter and Paul. On Easter Day, April 16, 2006, the Vicar General of the Eparchy, Chorbishop Michael G. Thomas, announced to the community, during the midnight Liturgy of the Resurrection, the approval of Bishop Gregory J. Mansour to purchase the former Jehovah Witness’ Kingdom Hall at 6201 Sheldon Road, Tampa. On July 23, 2006 Bishop Gregory assigned Father Jorge Perales, a priest from the Archdiocese of Miami presently on loan to the Eparchy of St. Maron, as administrator of Sts. Peter and Paul. By this time, plans were already on the way to fix and move into the new property on Sheldon Road. Soon after Fr. Jorge arrived, work began with the very generous help, labor, and donations of the parishioners to remodel the inside of the building in order to turn the former Jehovah Witness Hall into a Maronite Church. In April 2007 the sale of the property in Land O’Lakes to a company would be finalized, so the parish community immediately organized to move to the new property on Sheldon Road and finalize the completion of the inside of the church. This was done within the last week of April and the first week of May with every one helping in every way. The first Liturgy in the new Church was on Sunday May 13, 2007 at 11:30 am. It was Mother’s Day and also the Day of the First Communion. The evening before a baptism was the first celebration in the new church. On Monday, November 12, 2007 construction was begun on the addition which includes a new entrance and a new façade for the existing church building. This brought all construction and adaptations to completion just before Easter. And on March 30, 2008, New Sunday, the long awaited day finally arrived. At 2:00 pm, the Most Reverend Gregory J. Mansour, Bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, consecrated the building on Sheldon Road as a church for the worship and glory of God.

The church was full over capacity (it holds about 200 people but there were almost 300). Bishop Gregory knocked at the doors three times and anointed them with the Holy Myron. At the third knock he entered and was welcomed with the Hymn “Toe Bashlom” (Come in peace, O Good Shepherd). The Liturgy began with eighteen priests in attendance: Fr. George Zina from Orlando who first celebrated the Liturgy regularly since 2000, Fr. Paul Damien, Administrator from 2003 to 2006, Fr. Jorge Perales, present Administrator, Fr. Robert Morris, present Vicar General of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and former Pastor of St. Mary’s Church where he warmly welcomed the Maronites and continues to be a great support and encouragement to the Maronite community, Fr. Ron Aubin, Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, and several other priests from the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Fr. Robert Evancho and Kenny Bonadies from the Ruthenian Byzantine Church of St. Therese in St. Petersburg, Eparchy of Passaic, N.J., and Fr. John Kouri from the Syrian Orthodox Church. Bishop Robert Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg was unable to be present given that he had another commitment. He did send his greetings and best wishes to the community. Bishop Lynch has always been very welcoming, good and helpful to the Maronite community, for which we are very grateful.

The choir sang in Syriac and Arabic, while the prayers were mostly in English. The Epistle and Gospel were read in both Arabic and English.

After the homily, Bishop Gregory began the actual consecration of the inside of the church sprinkling its walls with Holy Water as he processed around it with all the priests, led by the servers with the cross, candles and incense. Once they reached the main door, the Bishop anointed the inside of the door and the four walls of the church with the Holy Myron (Chrism) as he said the prayers of anointing, the choir and the congregation continuously sang the “Kyrie Eleison”(Lord Have Mercy) which was quite beautiful and impressive. Bishop Gregory then directed Fr. Zina to incense the walls of the Church and Fr. Jorge to encircle the whole church with a red ribbon as sign of its consecration.

Then the Bishop with all the priests ascended the altar to consecrate it, first by blessing it with the hand cross, then by incensing it, and finally by anointing the center and the four corners with the Holy Myron. Bishop Gregory placed a relic of St. Nemtallah Al Hardini inside the center of the altar and sealed it. The four priests who have served this community then placed the altar linens on the altar, thus making it ready for the offering of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. After all the priests had received the peace from the bishop and kissed the altar, the choir began the singing of the Creed in Arabic, to which many of the congregation joined. All the members of the Parish Council brought the Eucharistic offerings to the Bishop at the altar. The Liturgy continued with the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) of the Twelve Apostles and concluded with the solemn blessing by the Bishop.

An excellent dinner followed at the beautiful Hall of St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Tampa. The guests were addressed by Mr. Joseph Rached, President of the Parish council, Fr. Jorge Perales, Administrator, and Bishop Gregory. Mr. Richwan Lakkis recited a beautiful poem. Everyone was very pleased and happy about everything, specially the beautiful Liturgy. Bishop Gregory expressed it best: “The Lord has visited us this weekend”. Some even remarked that although the Liturgy took two hours, they could have stayed for two more hours! It was so beautiful and inspiring!

And we recall the words of the Prophet Isaiah (26:12):

“O Lord it is you who have accomplished all we have done.”