With gratitude to God we are happy to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Seminary. It is a rare event in the Church that a seminary thrives for fifty continuous years. This milestone could have been achieved only through the guidance and solicitude of our Maronite bishops during this time period, the support of our clergy, and the fine students that have received their formation at our seminary. Our laity have been totally committed to the work of the Seminary and we are especially thankful for the generosity of the Order of St. Sharbel.
During these fifty years, the Seminary has produced sixty-five priests. Among our alumni, two have been ordained bishops, others have distinguished themselves in the fields of Syriac studies, catechetics, in founding mission parishes, and in growing parishes to which they have been assigned. The Seminary itself has been at the forefront in the work of the liturgy, and has also published works in Maronite history, theology, and spirituality.
It is hoped that in the next fifty years, the Seminary will continue to be a center of study and research into all aspects of the Maronite tradition. We pray that we will be blessed with many good vocations.
We invite all the clergy, laity, and friends of the Seminary to join us in our Anniversary celebration on September 23, 2011.
I am deeply grateful to all who have helped make the Seminary a success.
Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, S.T.D.
Rector
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