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Contents © 2006
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
September/October 2006

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SAINT EPHREM, EL CAJON

Saint Ephrem church, at 750 Medford Street in El Cajon serves the Maronite Catholic community of San Diego. Rooted in Lebanon, the Maronites celebrate the Holy Mysteries according to the ancient Antiochene Syriac Rite, modified by certain latinizations. The Maronites are unique among the Eastern churches in communion with Rome in that they have no dissident Orthodox counterpart.

The parish patron, Saint Ephrem the Syrian (306-373), was famous in his own lifetime as a teacher, poet, and defender of the faith. Known among Syro-Lebanese Christians as "the Harp of the Holy Spirit," he sat among the Fathers of the Council of Nicaea in 325. His writings were influential for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He is the only Syriac Father honored as a Doctor of the Universal Church (since 1920).

The parish began as a mission in 1973 and acquired its church building in 1999. Originally designed for a Lutheran congregation, it is a church in-the-round with a sweeping funnel roof; this is now crowned with a papal three-bar Cross.

Most notable on the parish property is the Mariam Mother of Life shrine with its 35-foot-tall statue of the Blessed Mother holding the Christ-child. Carved from limestone in Lebanon, the statue bears silent witness to drivers on the 125 freeway just to the west.

The church's interior displays a hybrid of Eastern and Western traditions: The crucifix is Byzantine and the icon of Saint Ephrem above the altar is in pure Syrian style. Statuary, religious paintings, and stations of the cross are Latin influences. Nevertheless it all works together.

I attended the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Assumption on Tuesday evening, August 15. The Mass was in three languages: Aramaic, Arabic, and English. The Pastor, Father Nabil Mouannes, celebrated, assisted by five altar servers -- one man and four boys -- clothed in white robes. Concelebrating with Father Nabil was Father Gabriel Hayek from Betroun, Lebanon, who serves the Maronite mission in Riverside. An Arabic choir in light blue robes sang the liturgical music, accompanied by a small electronic organ. When the liturgy began at 7:30, the church seating was packed.

Father Nabil was vested in a light blue outer garment over his alb. Called a Ghafara, it was similar in cut to the Latin cope, and bore an image on the back of Our Lady praying. As Father and the ministers entered, the choir sang antiphonally from the Song of Songs:

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon.

From the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards, come with me from Lebanon.

Who is that coming up from the wilderness, like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?

Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?

I am a rose of Sharon, a rose of the valleys.

My beloved speaks and says to me: arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

The liturgy was rich with theological poetry. Here is a stanza of a hymn, called the Qolo, sung before the readings, "Today, the daughter of David, full of grace / departs with wonder toward the heavenly dwellings, above all grief / Before her, spiritual beings sing praise to the Lord, who was born in flesh from her / and extol the assumption of the Mother of their Lord / In her pure womb she concealed the One who is concealed from all / For this reason he exalts her and extols the day of her assumption from one end of the earth to the other."

In the Epistle, Romans 12: 9 -15, Saint Paul showed the marks of a true Christian, exemplified to the highest degree in Mary. The reading was given first in Arabic, then English. The choir sang the Alleluia and verse, "The King's daughter stands in glory, the Queen stands at your tight hand." Father Nabil read the Gospel first in English; then Father Gabby read it in Arabic: Luke 10:38-42, the account of Martha and Mary.

Father Gabriel preached in Arabic; then Father Nabil took over in English. He began his sermon by remarking that we had come tonight for various reasons; to honor the Blessed Virgin of course; but also to pray together for peace in the Middle East. "An important part of that prayer," he said, "will be after Mass when we make a procession to the shrine, praying the rosary for peace." He pointed out that in A.D. 701 Pope Saint Sergius I, (Syro-Lebanese by birth), commanded that on all Marian feasts there should be a procession with prayers for her intercession. "We love this tradition" he declared.

Father recalled that on November 1, 1950 Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption. "What does it mean when the Church defines a dogma?" he asked. A dogma does not make something true, but because it is true, the Church declares it to be so."

He emphasized that the Marian dogmas are "like points of light in the darkness of this world, which lift our eyes toward Jesus and Mary; that we may see Jesus in Mary and through Mary." Concerning the Assumption, he stressed that Jesus as God had created his own Mother; her body existed in his mind long before she was born. In the Assumption he called her incorrupt body to himself as his most beautiful creature.

He concluded by saying that we are part of Mary. What the Lord said in the Gospel about Mary of Bethany applies above all to his holy Mother: "She has chosen the best part, and it will not be taken from her." As long as we run always to her protection it is impossible for us to be lost. "Remember that as her children on earth we are part of her, and 'her part will not be taken from her.'"

Following the Mass and rosary procession, we enjoyed fellowship over coffee and pastries.

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