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It was wonderful to have His Beatitude and Eminence Mar Bechara Boutros Cardinal Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch & All the East, visit Melbourne in September 2023. It was a very exciting time for Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Parish and the Antonine College Community to meet the Patriarch on his second visit to Australia as part of the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee Year of the Maronite Eparchy in Australia and to preside over the 6th Congress of Maronite Bishops of Eparchies outside the Patriarchal Territory and General Superiors of Maronite Religious Orders hosted in Sydney last month.

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the delightful visit of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Rai to Melbourne with His Excellency Antoine Charbel Tarabay which brought great warmth and blessings to our home and school. We truly appreciate the time he spent with us. His words of wisdom and spiritual guidance were inspiring and uplifting especially at the Patriarch’s Mass held on Sunday 17^th September at 10.30am at Our Lady of Lebanon Church, Thornbury in the presence of:

• Bishop Antoine Sayyah
• Mother Nazha El Khoury - Superior General of the Antonine Sisters Maronite Order
• Father Ibrahim Bou Rajel - Representing the Superior General of the Antonine Monks
• Monsignor Joseph Takchi - Parish Priest Our Lady of Lebanon
• Fr Richard Jabbour, Father Johnny Saba Our Lady of Lebanon Parish
• Father Charles Hitti - Antonine Monk of St Charbel’s Monastery and his community Maroun Abou Rahal
• Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli
• Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne Anthony Ireland

and the Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Parish and the Antonine College Community.

Our students and staff had the privilege of representing Antonine College at the Mass which paid tribute to the fifty years of the Maronite Eparchy of Australia. With much excitement, we had the Blessing of our Patriarch at our Convent Mar Antonios, Coburg, and the Opening & Blessing of the Stage 2 Building Works at St Joseph Campus, Pascoe Vale South, on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. His Beatitude was thrilled about the success of the mission of the Antonine Sisters in Australia. May this milestone be a testament to the strength of our community and enduring power of faith as we look forward to many more years of worship, love, and service together.

- Sr Veronique Karam