Loading ...St. Elias church, Lebanese culture marry rich traditions together
Joan Bugbee shares this information about St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church in Roanoke and its upcoming Lebanese Festival:
When the St. Elias Lebanese Festival gets underway Friday, May 29, it will open the doors once again to a unique celebration and a unique church.
The festival began 17 years ago at a stone church on the hill marked with a triple bar cross — St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church at 4730 Cove Road in northwest Roanoke.
When I moved to Roanoke 20 years ago, I had never heard of Maronites and didn’t know there were many distinct denominations within Catholicism. The Maronite church is actually older than the Roman church, dating to the missionary labors of St. Peter and St. Paul in Antioch.
Like the Lebanese Festival, with its emphasis on traditional foods, dances and music, the church itself is rich in tradition, with its distinctive architecture, featuring curved arches, a bell tower and fountains gracing an open courtyard and its ancient liturgy.
When I joined St. Elias, many things were strange at first: We stood throughout the liturgy, and many prayers are chanted, with the congregation responding. Some prayers are in Arabic or Syriac (with the English translation opposite).
Eventually, what was strange to me became second nature, part of beautiful, solemn worship that strips away the ordinary and concentrates your mind on God. The focal point of the service is the Eucharist, Holy Communion, and the words of institution that are chanted in Aramaic, the language of Christ.
Visitors to the Lebanese Festival May 29-31, while enjoying the Lebanese food and colorful dances, also may tour this unusual church and learn more about its history and traditions. The festival hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking are free, but there’s a moderate charge for food and games. It’s a very compact festival, requiring very little walking. Visitors will be warmly welcomed — that’s a tradition, too.
Source: www.roanoke.com