National Maronite Young Adult Conference, San Antonio, TX
by Maya Khoury
On 4-6 October, Maronite Young Adults from across the United States traveled to San Antonio, Texas, for the 11th National Maronite Young Adult Conference, at a retreat center, T Bar M, outside of the city.
The theme for this year’s conference was “Leading by Example.” All the speakers discussed the importance of witness and leading a Christian life. The weekend started with Divine Liturgy on Friday night celebrated by Bishop Gregory Mansour and Bishop Elias Zaidan, and concelebrated by other Maronite priests. After the Liturgy, the young adults shared dinner and participated in a few ice-breakers to get to know each other. The evening ended with everyone socializing, listening to music and some basketball.
The schedule on Saturday was packed. The morning started off early with Divine Liturgy, followed by national Catholic speaker, Joe Farris, from Cincinnati, Ohio. Joe’s message touched many of the young adult’s hearts, as he shared his personal story and his strong words of faith encouraging us to trust God with everything. He really connected with the attendees. He shared about how God called him and his wife to the missionary life for a few years and how his former community in North Carolina came together to support their mission. In addition to Joe’s two talks, the groups also participated in small break-out sessions to talk about what pressures we deal with as young adults when it comes to living our faith in today’s society. It was great to connect with other young adults and learn how each of us deals with different societal pressures.
The young adults also listened to vocation stories from a variety of different speakers, which included Deacon Michael Shami, Mr. and Mrs. Karam, a married couple, and Leah Bostany, a FOCUS missionary. In addition to the group discussions, there was time for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Confession, Rosary and quiet reflection. Saturday afternoon free time consisted of volleyball games, basketball, swimming in the outdoor pool, and soccer. Saturday evening closed with a prayer service and dinner followed by a bus ride into San Antonio where the young adults went out and toured the city.
On Sunday, everyone traveled to St. George Church in San Antonio. The Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Elias Zaidan, Father Charles Khachan, pastor of St. George parish, and Father Tony Massad. Following the Divine Liturgy, there was a farewell luncheon for all of the attendees before everyone parted ways.
Maya is a Maronite Young Adult Board Member
from St. Anthony Church, Richmond VA