Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church to Receive Saint Louis University’s Highest Honor
Saint Louis University will bestow its highest honor, Sword of Ignatius Loyola,
on the Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church.
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His Beatitude and Eminence Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir
Image provided by Saint Raymond's |
His Beatitude and Eminence Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch
and All the East, is visiting St. Louis and Saint Raymond's Maronite Cathedral
as part of a pastoral visit to America. He is the most significant religious
figure to visit St. Louis since Pope John Paul II in 1999, and his visit marks
only the fourth time a Maronite patriarch has journeyed to the United States.
Cardinal Sfeir also will receive an honorary doctorate of laws from Saint Louis
University during a special ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Friday, June 30, in the Anheuser Busch Auditorium
of John and Lucy Cook Hall. The event is open to members of the SLU community
and the public. Those who wish to attend are asked to RSVP
with Saint Raymond's at (314) 621-0056.
As Patriarch, Cardinal Sfeir is head of the 12-15 million-member Maronite Catholic
Church. There are approximately 200 million Eastern Catholics throughout the
world. Cardinal Sfeir is the President of the Assembly of all Eastern Catholic
Patriarchs.
Cardinal Sfeir also is a central figure in the Catholic Church - he offered
the homily during Pope John Paul II's 25th anniversary Mass and presided over
the Mass at St. Peter's Basilica honoring the deceased Vatican leader.
A proponent of peace in the Middle East, Cardinal Sfeir has been outspoken
about social and political injustice even at the expense of his own personal
safety. However, his campaign for Christian-Muslim harmony has earned him countless
supporters within the Islamic community, and even militant Islamic groups view
him as bridge with Christians and the West.
Cardinal Sfeir is considered one of the most important figures in the Middle
East. U.S. diplomatic leaders routinely seek his counsel, and last year he was invited to
the White House to meet with the president.
"His courage and leadership in supporting freedom for all religious faiths
makes him a beacon of hope for democracy in Lebanon, the Middle East and the
world," said His Excellency Bishop Robert J. Shaheen. "The views and
opinions of this man are accepted across the spectrum both religiously and ethnically."
Other public events:
A number of events during Cardinal Sfeir's visit to St. Louis will be open
to the pubic, including the following:
At 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 1, the Patriarch will host an Inter-Religious
Gathering and Prayer for World Peace, a historic meeting in St. Louis of Christians,
Jews and Muslims. The gathering will be held at Saint Raymond's Maronite Cathedral,
located at 931 Lebanon Dr, in downtown St. Louis.
Later that night, the Cedars Banquet Center on the parish grounds will host
a grand banquet to celebrate the "20-Year Anniversary of the Patriarch's
Pontificate." The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour for the
general public. The banquet program begins at 7 p.m.
At 10 a.m. Sunday, July 2, Cardinal Sfeir will celebrate a Pontifical Divine
Liturgy at Saint Raymond's Maronite Cathedral.
For more information about attending any of these events, call Saint Raymond's
at (314) 621-0056.
More about Cardinal Sfeir:
Cardinal Sfeir was elected Patriarch in 1986. Pope John Paul II elevated him
to Cardinal in 1994. He is the 76th Patriarch of the Maronite Church and only
the third Maronite Cardinal. Born May 15, 1920, Cardinal Sfeir was ordained
a priest in 1950.
He completed philosophical and theological studies at St. Joseph University
of Beirut and earned licentiates in philosophy and theology. He is the author of
several books and publications in Arabic.
More about Saint Raymond's:
Saint Raymond's Maronite Catholic Cathedral Parish was formed by Lebanese immigrants
more than 100 years ago. Today, parishioners come from across metropolitan area
and are of varying ethnic backgrounds.
The Maronites are one of 22 churches that encompass the Catholic Church. Saint
Raymond's is a cathedral because the church is the seat of the diocesan bishop.
The Eparchy, or diocese, includes 34 mid-western, southern and western states.
More about the Sword of Loyola:
The Sword of Ignatius Loyola is named for the founder of the Society of Jesus,
Inigo Lopez de Loyola. Symbolic of the Ignatian vision of service, the sword
is awarded to those who have given themselves to humankind for the greater glory
of God. Past recipients include Harry S. Truman, Jacques Cousteau, Archbishop
John May, and former U.S. Senators John C. Danforth and Thomas F. Eagleton.
