Personal Calendar

This Monthly Calendar is intended to share with my friends some of my various activities and to ask for their prayers. It is also a substitute for personalized letters when the time is too short to write as I would like to.

Monday, May 24 – Travel to Lebanon for the Patriarchal Melkite Synod and a Vacation in my Hometown Maghdoucheh and my Alma Mater the Monastery of the Holy Savior (Deir-el-Moukhalles.)

During the four week vacation in Maghdoucheh, my hometown in South Lebanon, my daily schedule includes usually in the morning a hike in the hills and valleys surrounding Maghdoucheh, and a 5:00 PM Divine Liturgy at the Miraculous Shrine of Our Lady of Mantara (The Waiting Lady), with individual visits to relatives and friends and to the sick and the homebound of the town.

Friday, May 28, 7:30 PM – Graduation Ceremony of the Providence Technical School in Salhieh.

Saturday, May 29, 10:00 AM – “Day of the Priest.” Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Catholic Patriarchs, Bishops and priests in Lebanon, presided by His Eminence and Beatitude Peter Nasralla Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch of Antiovh, at the Church of St. Paul, Harissa.

Sunday, May 30, 10:30 AM, 10:00 AM – Conclusion of the “Month of Mary.” Concelebrating the Divine Liturgy with H. E. Elie Bichara Haddad, Archbishop of Saida and Deir-el-Kamar, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Mantara, Maghdoucheh.

Tuesday-Thhursday, June 1 & 3; and Thursday-Saturday, June 10-12 – Time spent at my lma Mater, the Holy Savior Monastery.

Wednesday, June 2, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM - Attending the Monthly Meeting of the Melkite Bishops and Superior Generals in Lebanon presided by His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III at the Patriarchal Residence in Rabweh.

Thursday, June 3, Feast of Corpus Christi, 7:00 AM – Orthros and Divine Liturgy at the Holy Savior Monastery.

Friday, June 4, 4:00 PM – Visit to H. B. Pariarch Gregorios III in Rabweh.

Monday, June 7 – Visit with H. E. George Baghouni. Archnishop of Tyr and his predecessor Archbishop Hanna Haddad. Lunch at the Phoenician Restaurant in Tyr.

Tuesday, June 8 – A day visit with the members of the Sacred Heart Fraternity to the “Kibarouna” (Our Seniors) Center, St. George Senior Home, in Room near Djezzine.

Wenesday, June 9, 11:00 AM – Recorded Interview at Telelumiere/Noursat T.V. with Dr. Jihad Naaman on “Misnomors”: Near East Vs. Middle East, Holocaust and Racial Cleansing. 12:00 noon – Greeting Brother Nour, Founder and owner of Telelumiere TV.

Saturday, June 12, PM – “Father Bechara Abou-Mourad March” from St. Elias Rectory in Deir-el-Kamar to the Wadaya, Villages served by Father Bechara. Annunciation Church built by Father Bechara in Bnehlay. 6:30 PM – Concluding the “March” at the Annunciation Church built by Father Bechara in Bnehlay. Divine Liturgy Presided by the Rt. Rev. John Faraj, Superior General of the Basilian Salvatorian Order.

Monday, Jume 14, 4:00 PM - Recorded Interview at Telelumiere/Noursat T.V. with Dr. Jihad Naaman on my Project of the “Legga Leneeniyyi,”

Wednesday, June 16 – “Day of the Melkite Priest” Program, at the Patriarcha Recorded Interview at Telelumiere/Noursat T.V. with Dr. Jihad Naaman on of Saida & Geir-el-Kamaar as a Send-off l Residence at Rabweh.

Thursday, June 17,5:00 PM – Vesper Service at Our Lady of Mantara Shrine presided by H. E. Elie Bechara, Archbishop of Saida and Deir-el-Kamar, attended by religious, governmental, political and local authorities, with the (all women) passengers of the Maria Freedom Ship, as a part of the “Freedom Fleet” carrying food and medicine, destined to Gaza Strip, Palestine.

Monday-Saturday, June 21-26 - Melkite Patriarchal Synod at Ain-Traz, the Patriarchal Summer Residence.

Saturday/Sunday, June 26-27 – Return from Lebanon to USA, from Beirut directly to Seattle, WA.

Wednesday-Sunday, June 30 – July 4 - The 46th Annual National Melkite Convention sponsored by St Joseph Melkite Mission of Seattle, WA, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Bellevue, Seattle, WA.

Convention Theme: “ Celebrate our Diversity”

Convention Guests Speakers:
The most Rev. Archbishop Elias Chacour, Eparch of Ackko, Nazareth and All Galilee and Myrna Nazzour, the famous Visionary of Sofanieh of Damascus, Syria.

God willing, I will be substituting for the Pastor of St. Joseph Melkite Mission in Seattle, WA, Father Samir Abu-Lail, during his well deserved vacation in the Near East, until Mid-August.

My Address in Seattle during July until Mid-August will be:
Bishop John A. Elya
c/o Walid & Najah Semaan
4522 182nd Pl. SW
Lynnwood, WA 98037
My cellular phone: 617-290-7315.

Sunday, August 15, Feast of the Dormition/Assumption of Our Lady, the Virgin Mary Theotokos. 12:30 PM – Divine Liturgy with the Mission of St. Joseph.
On that evening, return to Methuen, MA, my Homebase.

Sunday, August 22 – Attending the Annual Mahrajan of the Church of Our Lady of the Cedars in Manchester, NH.

Sunday, August 29, 11:00 AM – At St. Joseph Church in Lawrence, MA, Memorial Liturgy for my brother Said Elia (25th Anniversary), our parents Maroun (RIP 12-31-98) & Abla Costa Elia (+8-8-92) and
Almaz (Mrs Michael) Deghlawy)