Maronite Catholics in North Carolina seek to strengthen church

Published: 2003-11-20

DURHAM, N.C. (CNS) -- For some North Carolina Catholics, Father Joseph Thomas has a gift -- the knowledge of their Maronite Catholic past and encouragement to return to their religious heritage. "I encourage the people of Maronite origin, people who all their lives have heard the word 'Maronite' but never knew what it meant, to make themselves available" and be open-minded when considering the Eastern church, Father Thomas said. The pastor of the Maronite Catholic mission of St. Sharbel in Raleigh made the comments in an interview with the NC Catholic, newspaper of the Latin-rite Diocese of Raleigh. The diocese owes much in its early development to Maronites who left Lebanon and settled in North Carolina in the early 1900s, before Maronite priests were available to them. No other U.S. state has had more early influence from Maronites than North Carolina, Father Thomas said. St. Sharbel was the host of a Southeast regional conference of the National Apostolate of Maronites held Nov. 14-16 in Durham.

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