St Ann Melkite Catholic Church

09/15/2026

REGISTER AT: https://saintannmelkite.com/education/

09/14/2026

Christ is among us! He is and always will be! المسيح في ما بيننا! كائن و سيكون!

Good morning, everyone! Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. Join us for the Divine Liturgy tonight at 7:00 PM.

This non-Biblical feast commemorates the time when St. Helen, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem to find the relic of the Cross of Christ. She had a dream to look for a hill with basil on it. When she found the hill, she had it dug up and found three crosses at the site. To test to see which Cross it was, they had the sick touch the various crosses. Only one cross healed them. St. Macarius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, lifted the Holy Cross in front of the people and they all shouted “Lord, have mercy.” To celebrate the finding, they informed Constantine through the signals of bonfires across the lands from Jerusalem to Constantinople; which started the tradition of celebrating the feast with a bonfire.

The Cross is the symbol of victory for Christians. Through it, Christ used His death to trample upon Death; being the source of God's salvation and mercy. It is our weapon against the demons, the passions, and the tool of our self-martyrdom to be more like Christ.
St. Paul says, "But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14). How do we glory in the Cross? Simply by following Christ, "Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24). Note that St. Paul says he is crucified to the world, emulating Christ’s sacrifice for the sake of the Lord’s glory.

To walk this path, we must submit to be crucified. We sacrifice our needs for the sake of God and our neighbor. We must put to death our ego, imitating the humility of Christ on the Cross. Christianity and suffering go hand-in-hand. Any Christianity that promotes only happiness and prosperity is contrary to Christ’s message. When we think having a cross is unnecessary, we avoid suffering. We become like Satan, following our wants and desires, instead of putting aside everything ungodly. Following the will of the Father is not pretty, but necessary for eternal life. The way of the Crucifixion, which involves suffering and pain, leads to greater glory, most notably Resurrection. We already know that God will reward us for going on this path, we just need to stick to it, even in our darkest hour of Gethsemane. So boast of your sufferings, boast of your imitation of our Lord, and be glad that you get to follow in His steps.

Happy Feast day to all!

“O Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting peace to the world. And preserve Your community by the power of Your Cross.”

خلِّصْ يا رب شعبَكَ وبارك ميراثَك مانحًا العالم السلام، واحفظ بقوة صليبك رعيّتَك.

The video below has the troparion in several languages. They use the older translation since ours is specifically the one approved by the Melkite synod.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e7HuSXuLUI

09/14/2026

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ANNUAL FESTIVAL!

And just like that… our Annual Festival has come to an end!

What a beautiful few days we shared together as one family in Christ. We prayed together, laughed together, ate together, sang together, danced together, and created memories that will stay in our hearts for a long time.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made these days so special, especially our volunteers, organizers, families, friends, our wonderful singer and DJ, and everyone who served, supported, donated, cooked, cleaned, and contributed in so many ways.

Every helping hand, every smile, every song, every meal, and every moment of fellowship helped make this festival truly special.

And yes, even the rain couldn’t stop us! Nothing could stop the joy of being together!

Above all, we thank God for His blessings, His protection, and for bringing us together as one community. May the love, unity, friendship, and joy we experienced during these days continue in our hearts and in our community.

The festival is over, but the memories remain, and our family continues!

Thank you for celebrating with us, for supporting us, and most importantly, for being part of our family.

Until next year… God bless you all!

And now, as we close this beautiful celebration, let us begin a new pastoral year together. Let us carry with us the joy we shared, the love we experienced, and the unity that brought us together. Let us enter this new year with deeper prayer, stronger faith, greater love, deeper unity, and renewed hearts, ready for new events, new activities, new opportunities to serve, and new ways to grow together as one family in Christ.

May this new pastoral year not simply be a continuation of what we have done, but a new step forward in our journey with God. May everything we do, every prayer we offer, every event we organize, every person we welcome, and every act of service we make bring us closer to Christ and closer to one another.

The festival may be over, but our mission continues. The celebration has ended, but our journey together goes on.

Let us walk forward together, with one heart, one faith, and one love, trusting that God has much more in store for our community.

May God bless our families, bless our community, and bless our new pastoral year.

Fr. Musil Shihadeh & Fr. Sayed Kozhaya

09/13/2026

RAIN DELAY! We have a slight rain delay, and will open at 12pm! The rain is expected to move out, and we’re looking forward to a beautiful afternoon.

Don’t let a few raindrops keep you away. Come hungry and spend the final day of our Festival with us! Great Middle Eastern food, sweets, music, and more are waiting for you!

09/13/2026

🎉❤️ THE 3rd AND FINAL DAY OF OUR ANNUAL FESTIVAL IS HERE! ❤️🎉

Can you believe it? Our final day is here! 😭🎉
The joy continues, the fellowship continues, the music continues, and yes… the food is still waiting for you! 😂🍴

Come and join us as we gather one more time as one family in Christ for a beautiful day of faith, family, fellowship, music, food, and fun! 🙏❤️

We have laughed together, celebrated together, made beautiful memories, and thanked God for the blessings He has given our community. Now, let’s make Day 3 the best one yet! 🔥🎉

🌧️ Yes, there is a little summer rain today, but let’s rise above it, rain or shine! 😂🌧️🎉 Don’t let a few raindrops keep you home. The celebration goes on! ❤️

So come with your family, come with your friends, come with a joyful heart, and of course… COME HUNGRY! 😂🍴

Let’s finish our Annual Festival together, with grateful hearts, joyful spirits, and thanksgiving to God! ❤️🙏

And please don’t say, “I’ll come next year.” 😂
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE! 🎉🔥

Come celebrate. Come rejoice. Come make one more beautiful memory with us!

We’re waiting for you! ❤️
God bless you all! 🙏🎉

09/12/2026

09/12/2026

🎉 We are ready for the 2nd Day of our Annual Festival! 🎉

The joy continues, the blessings continue, and yes… the food is still coming! 😂🍴

Come and join us for another beautiful day of faith, family, fellowship, music, and fun as we continue celebrating together as one family in Christ. ❤️🙏

🎤 And tonight, we are excited to welcome the wonderful singer, MIRAR ALZAHABI! 🎶✨

Get ready for an evening filled with beautiful music, joyful moments, and great memories with family and friends!

Come with your family. Come with your friends. Come hungry, come joyful, and come ready to celebrate! 😄❤️

Let’s pray together, laugh together, eat together, sing together, and give thanks to God for the gift of our community.

Day 2 is going to be even more joyful… so don’t miss it! 🎉🔥

📍 Come over and enjoy our Annual Festival!

We’re waiting for you!
God bless you all! 🙏❤️🎉

09/12/2026

Parking lot full tonight, no worries, park at Sacred Heart Armenian Church, 155 Long Hill Road and we will shuttle to the festival and back to your car when you are ready to leave!

Shuttle begins at 5pm

09/11/2026

🎉 Day 1 of our Annual Festival has begun! 🎉

Come and join us as we celebrate our faith, our community, and the joy of being together as one family in Christ. ❤️🙏

There will be food, fun, music, fellowship, and plenty of reasons to smile! 😄

Come hungry, come joyful, come with your family and friends, and most importantly, come with an open heart! ❤️

Let’s celebrate, laugh, pray, eat, and make beautiful memories together. And don’t worry, we have enough food… probably! 😂🍴

Come over and enjoy the blessings, the fellowship, and the joy of our Annual Festival!

We’re waiting for you! God bless you all! 🙏🎉