Parish Openning 2024

At Christmastime, the Church celebrates new beginnings—Christ’s coming into the world, when everything is made new. But as Christians, we also believe that these new beginnings are a continuation—the fulfillment of God’s tireless work among us, an answer to ancient promises and eternal yearnings. This December, the Jesuits of Lebanon had the chance to celebrate a development in one of our missions in exactly this way—a change that is at once new and familiar, fulfilling old promises and building new opportunities.

For several decades, a community of migrants, refugees, and other faithful have gathered for English-language masses and activities in St. Joseph Church in Achrafieh. This year, on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Cesar Essayan formally established this community as a parish of the Latin Vicariate of Lebanon. Fr. Dan Corrou, SJ an American Jesuit who has been serving the community for several years by saying masses and leading the pastoral team, was installed as pastor. The parish was named the anglophone parish for all of Lebanon, with a special option for migrants and refugees.

This option reflects the unique history of the parish. Migrants come to Lebanon from all over the world, but chiefly from many countries across Africa, South Asia, and the Philippines. Many are driven by economic pressures, but some are refugees, displaced by war and political persecution. Jesuits have served migrants for over 30 years in Beirut. Beginning with the work of Fr. Martin McDermott, SJ and the late Fr. Theo Vlugt, SJ, the church has become a home for many who are far from their countries, and a source of solace to those who bear the difficult conditions that migrants face here in Lebanon. 

The celebration was full of joy! Bishop Cesar formally established the parish in a moving mass, accompanied Fr. Michael Zammit, SJ the provincial of the PRO province, and many other Jesuits. Parishioners from all walks of life and from over a dozen countries joined, with representatives of each of the major migrant communities in the church participating as lectors, acolytes, choir members, and even dancers to open the parish. Even the church itself seemed to sing out, as incense from the festive procession at the start of mass set off the building’s new fire alarms! From all throughout the last year, families that had new babies baptized, couples that were married, and catechumens that had entered the Church, joined for a special blessing by the bishop. A celebratory meal followed, including dishes from each of the migrant communities that make up the parish, and all were invited.

Although the Jesuits have been ministering in this church community for decades before its official opening as a parish, this new change is more than just administrative. The Church in Lebanon continues to face difficulties in fully appreciating the place of migrants in the Church. Even recently, there exists a sentiment among some that Caritas is the appropriate place in the Church for migrants—“Why do migrants need a parish? Caritas should take care of them.” This misses so much—reducing migrants to only their social and economic needs. By establishing St. Joseph as a full parish, Bishop Cesar makes clear that the Church owes more to migrants in Lebanon than simple charity. The men, women, and children—South Sudanese and Sri Lankan, Filipina, Nigerian, Camerounian and more, who make up our parish—are full members of the Church; they are the people of God. The establishment of St. Joseph parish shows that migrants in Lebanon deserve the full spiritual and pastoral care of the Church. From sacraments and spiritual formation, to the sacred community that the parish fosters, the message is clear: the Church is a home for all. The establishment of St. Joseph parish gives that home a real place in the heart of Beirut.

Mike Petro, S.J.