The Golden Jubilee of the Maronite Eparchy of Australia
A message from the Bishop
In 2023, our Eparchy celebrating its Golden Jubilee or Fifty Year anniversary, under the theme - The Maronites in Australia: A Journey of Holiness and Openness.
In 1972, after more than 100 years of the Maronite presence in Australia, the Maronite Patriarchal Synod petitioned the Holy See to establish a Maronite Eparchy in Australia. On 13 July 1973, the Holy See issued a decree granting their request, and announcing the establishment of the Eparchy and the appointment of its first bishop.
In a spirit of profound gratitude for what has been achieved so far in our Church community, and of hope towards the future, I am pleased to announce that our Jubilee Year will commence on 9 February 2023, the Feast of St Maroun, our Spiritual Father. The main focus of the year is a spiritual experience when we bring to our parishes and people selected relics of our saints for their veneration, including relics of Saints Maroun, Charbel, Rafqa, Nehmetallah, and Australia's first canonised saint, Mary of the Cross Mackillop.
What better way to celebrate a Golden Jubilee in the country which has provided Maronites with hope and opportunity for over 170 years, than to come together as one community. Let us reflect on and give thanks to the Lord our God, who has gathered us in faith and communion. We are grateful to our brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church of Australia who helped us to preserve our unique religious and liturgical Antiochian traditions and cultural heritage.
The Jubilee Year will also culminate in multiple events across all our parishes, and a visit from His Beatitude and Eminence Mar Bechara Boutros Cardinal Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, in September 2023.
It is my prayer that this Jubilee Year will awaken our faith to a deeper level, energise our spiritual fervour, move our hearts to repentance and conversion, and warm our parishes with a renewed commitment to our faith in God and to our spiritual heritage as reflected in the life of the saints.
Our story of migration and dispersion across the world, including Australia, speaks to the unwavering spirit and strength of a people grounded in deep faith in God. Our Maronite saints, nourished by the same Divine Liturgy and the same eastern culture that has shaped us, remain our inspiration as we seek to imitate the virtues of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
We must continue to open wide our hearts to their example of holiness; they are a force for good among us and a source of energy that is much needed in our families, our communities and our countries, especially in today's world.
I hope you enjoy the video below, prepared on the occasion of the Jubilee Year. Also below is a booklet which provides information about what is planned to take place during our Jubilee Year of 2023.
I look forward to greeting you at the various events throughout the year.
+ Antoine-Charbel Tarabay
Maronite Bishop of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania
You can view the Golden Jubilee booklet here (9 MB) and download a copy.
The booklet includes our Golden Jubilee prayer, a brief history of the Maronite Church in Australia, a chronological snapshot of our Maronite Eparchy from 1973-2023 and a calendar of events for 2023.
Our Golden Jubilee emblem explained
The emblem for the Golden Jubilee of our Maronite Eparchy embodies the essence of our faith and spirituality. It reflects, in the colours of the emblem, the journey of the Maronites across the seas to this vast land, Australia.
At the centre are three persons, on a sailing ship, forging forward, representing the Maronite people, always open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The number three is of spiritual significance, for it reminds us of the Holy Trinity. The figures are in red, blue and green. Red, consistent with the Lebanese flag, symbolises the sacrifice of our people; green, the colour of the cedars of Lebanon and of abundance and prosperity; and blue to remind us of Dur Lady, who accompanies the Maronites on all our journeys, especially across the oceans.
In our pilgrimage we always follow the Holy Spirit, the dove, who guides the Church, the vessel, and leads us to safe harbours.
As Maronite Catholics, we continue to seek holiness, focussed on the Maronite Cross, our source of spirituality, and strengthened through the faith and resilience of our ancestors, and the prayers of our saints from Mar Maroun to Mar Nehmetallah Hardini.
Our mission remains to be open as a community, to be loving and to act with justice without compromising our values and heritage.