Celebrating 50 years
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, 2759 N. Lipkey Road, North Jackson, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the elevation of the shrine as a minor basilica by Pope Francis. The shrine becomes just the second Maronite Catholic basilica in the world, the other being the original shrine in Lebanon. The observance began Aug. 15, recalling that date in 1964 when ground was broken for the shrine. The celebration will conclude Aug. 15, 2015, on the golden anniversary of the dedication. Aug. 15 is significant because that is the observance of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. The shrine is a Maronite Catholic Church under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon in St. Louis, Mo.
Celebration details: A Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 5 p.m. today followed by a banquet, by reservation, to be attended by some 400 people. The shrine will be consecrated by the Most Rev. A. Elias Zaidan, Bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. Also attending will be Bishop Gregory Mansour, Eparchy of St. Maron, Brooklyn; and Bishop Robert Shaheen, bishop emeritus. Assisting chorbishops, monsignori, priests, deacons and subdeacons also will attend.
In the beginning: In June 1960, Maronite priests of America met in Washington and proposed a Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. When the Rev. Peter Eid was returning to the Mahoning Valley, he suggested that the Maronites in the Youngstown and surrounding areas would buy land and build a shrine. He saw a sign for 75 acres for sale on Lipkey Road, but the owner did not want to sell to a Catholic. Father Eid enlisted fellow priests to pray a novena for the intention of the land, which the owner ended up selling to him. The shrine gave 10 acres and existing farmhouse to the Antonine Sisters, who established an adult day care.
Founding parishes: St. Maron Maronite Church in Youngstown, St. John the Baptist in New Castle, Pa., and Our Lady of the Cedars in Akron were founders and remain involved. Pope John XXIII and Bishop Emmet M. Walsh of the Diocese of Youngstown, approved of the project and the association was incorporated as a nonprofit organization of Ohio.
The shrine: Ground was broken Aug. 15, 1964, for the construction of a $200,000 replica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa, Lebanon. On July 20, 1965, the 16-foot statue of the Virgin Mary, carved from rose granite by an Italian sculptor and weighing 7.5 tons, was placed atop the 50-foot Mary’s Tower weighing 3,700 tons. The dedication was Aug. 15, 1965, the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption. A new temporary, glass-enclosed, pavilion chapel was in use for the first time for the holiday season of 1965. It no longer exists. Tony and Mary Lariccia of Boardman, Valley philanthropists, donated $100,00 to the shrine renovation project in 2007; other donations came from Maronite churches, individuals and Knights of Columbus at St. Maron Maronite Church.
Orginal shrine: As the Catholic world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception defined by Pius IX Dec. 8, 1854, the Rev. Lucien Cattin, superior of the Jesuits in the Near East, believed that Lebanon should raise a memorial to Mary. The statue of Our Lady would be atop a 100-foot-high base made of stone.
Spiritual life: The shrine is the site for pilgrimages, novenas, religious-oriented speakers and programs, prayer, daily Mass at 5:30 p.m. in Mary’s Tower chapel, except Thursdays, and Sunday Masses at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. St. Joseph Prayer Garden, completed in 1981, is used for meditation, prayer and outdoor Masses. Christ, Prince of Peace Chapel (the church) was built in 1983; it seats 450 and another 200 in the overflow. There also is an area known as the Chapel of Deceased Priests. The original outdoor Stations of the Cross were installed in 1967; by the 2000s, the stations were in disrepair. The Lariccias donated $160,000 for new stations, crafted from Indiana limestone. The bronze plaques from the original stations were cleaned and used on the new installation.
Other facilities: Cedars Hall, dedicated in 1982, seats 450; Antioch Room for gatherings up to 50; gift shop open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Information: Visit www.ourlady-oflebanonshrine.com or call 330-538-3351.
Source: National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon
National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon
Celebrating 50 years
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, 2759 N. Lipkey Road, North Jackson, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the elevation of the shrine as a minor basilica by Pope Francis. The shrine becomes just the second Maronite Catholic basilica in the world, the other being the original shrine in Lebanon. The observance began Aug. 15, recalling that date in 1964 when ground was broken for the shrine. The celebration will conclude Aug. 15, 2015, on the golden anniversary of the dedication. Aug. 15 is significant because that is the observance of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. The shrine is a Maronite Catholic Church under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon in St. Louis, Mo.
Celebration details: A Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 5 p.m. today followed by a banquet, by reservation, to be attended by some 400 people. The shrine will be consecrated by the Most Rev. A. Elias Zaidan, Bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. Also attending will be Bishop Gregory Mansour, Eparchy of St. Maron, Brooklyn; and Bishop Robert Shaheen, bishop emeritus. Assisting chorbishops, monsignori, priests, deacons and subdeacons also will attend.
In the beginning: In June 1960, Maronite priests of America met in Washington and proposed a Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. When the Rev. Peter Eid was returning to the Mahoning Valley, he suggested that the Maronites in the Youngstown and surrounding areas would buy land and build a shrine. He saw a sign for 75 acres for sale on Lipkey Road, but the owner did not want to sell to a Catholic. Father Eid enlisted fellow priests to pray a novena for the intention of the land, which the owner ended up selling to him. The shrine gave 10 acres and existing farmhouse to the Antonine Sisters, who established an adult day care.
Founding parishes: St. Maron Maronite Church in Youngstown, St. John the Baptist in New Castle, Pa., and Our Lady of the Cedars in Akron were founders and remain involved. Pope John XXIII and Bishop Emmet M. Walsh of the Diocese of Youngstown, approved of the project and the association was incorporated as a nonprofit organization of Ohio.
The shrine: Ground was broken Aug. 15, 1964, for the construction of a $200,000 replica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa, Lebanon. On July 20, 1965, the 16-foot statue of the Virgin Mary, carved from rose granite by an Italian sculptor and weighing 7.5 tons, was placed atop the 50-foot Mary’s Tower weighing 3,700 tons. The dedication was Aug. 15, 1965, the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption. A new temporary, glass-enclosed, pavilion chapel was in use for the first time for the holiday season of 1965. It no longer exists. Tony and Mary Lariccia of Boardman, Valley philanthropists, donated $100,00 to the shrine renovation project in 2007; other donations came from Maronite churches, individuals and Knights of Columbus at St. Maron Maronite Church.
Orginal shrine: As the Catholic world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception defined by Pius IX Dec. 8, 1854, the Rev. Lucien Cattin, superior of the Jesuits in the Near East, believed that Lebanon should raise a memorial to Mary. The statue of Our Lady would be atop a 100-foot-high base made of stone.
Spiritual life: The shrine is the site for pilgrimages, novenas, religious-oriented speakers and programs, prayer, daily Mass at 5:30 p.m. in Mary’s Tower chapel, except Thursdays, and Sunday Masses at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. St. Joseph Prayer Garden, completed in 1981, is used for meditation, prayer and outdoor Masses. Christ, Prince of Peace Chapel (the church) was built in 1983; it seats 450 and another 200 in the overflow. There also is an area known as the Chapel of Deceased Priests. The original outdoor Stations of the Cross were installed in 1967; by the 2000s, the stations were in disrepair. The Lariccias donated $160,000 for new stations, crafted from Indiana limestone. The bronze plaques from the original stations were cleaned and used on the new installation.
Other facilities: Cedars Hall, dedicated in 1982, seats 450; Antioch Room for gatherings up to 50; gift shop open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Information: Visit www.ourlady-oflebanonshrine.com or call 330-538-3351.
Source: National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon
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