St. Rafka Maronite Church

More than 200 people attended the Maronite Divine Liturgy celebrated in Wyoming. The celebration took place at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Cheyenne on Saturday, October 18, 2009 at 6:00pm.

“You must bring your choir,” Deacon Bradley stipulated when he, on behalf of Fr. Moss, Pastor of St. Joseph, extended an invitation to celebrate the Maronite Divine Liturgy at their church. The choir of St. Rafka and families, Deacon Kelvin Brath and his wife Nona of All Souls Roman Catholic Church in Englewood, CO, and Kathy Grywusiewicz, music minister at All Souls, along with Fr. Elkhoury gladly responded to Deacon Bradley’s invitation.

Fr. Moss and Deacon Bradley wished to introduce the Roman Catholics of Cheyenne to the Eastern Catholic Churches. The Catholic Church is a communion of 23 Churches. The RomanCatholic Church, which is also known as the Latin Church or the Western Church, is the largest of these churches.

The Fathers of Vatican II taught in the document Orientalium Ecclesiarum, (No.2) “The Universal Catholic Church is a corporate body of Churches.” It is “made up of the faithful who are organically united in the Holy Spirit by the same faith, the same sacraments and the same government. They combine into different groups, which are held together by their hierarchy, and so form particular churches.”

The Catholic Bishops of the United States in a document entitled “Eastern Catholics in the United States of America” teach us, “We have been accustomed to speaking of the Latin (Roman or Western) Rite or the Eastern Rites to designate these different Churches. However, the Church’s contemporary legislation as contained in the Code of Canons of the EasternChurches makes it clear that we ought to speak not of rites, but of Churches. Canon 112 of the Code of Canon Law uses the phrase ‘autonomous ritual Churches’ to designate the various Churches.”

In the same document, they remind us of the teachings of Vatican II, “...the autonomous ritual Churches — whether of the East or of the West— are of equal dignity so that none of them is superior to another. Although these Churches differ among themselves in liturgy, law, and spiritual heritage, this variety in no way harms the unity of the Church but rather manifests it.”

The Eastern Catholic Churches are called to preserve their traditions not for preservation sake but because “their traditions and spiritual riches are not the exclusive possession of the Eastern Churches, for they form part of thepatrimony of the entire Church of Christ. The sharing of the riches of the faith and traditions of the East nurtures and strengthens the unity in diversity of the Church” (Eastern Catholics in the United States of America).

Following the directives of Vatican II, the Maronite Church and all the Eastern Catholic Church are called to return to their own traditions and share these traditions with anyone who wishes to be part of these Eastern Catholic Churches which are able to enrich the world and bring more people closer to Christ within their specific eastern traditions.

 

In his apostolic letter Orientale Lumen, Pope John Paul II states, “I listen to the Churches of the East, which I know are living interpreters of the treasure of tradition they preserve. In contemplating it, before my eyes appear elements of great significance for a fuller and more thoroughly understanding of the Christian experience. These elements are capable of giving a more complete Christian response to the expectations of the men and women of today. Indeed, in comparison to any other culture, the Christian East has a unique and privileged role as the original setting where the Church was born.”

The Maronite Church is rich in its theology, liturgy, history, and spirituality. We are privileged and honored to share our Tradition with our brothers and sisters. We hope that our witness is faithful to Christ and may He give us the grace to establish many Maronite churches in Colorado and Wyoming.