About Our Mission
| Saint Rafka Maronite Mission is a Catholic parish of the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church in the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, New York. |
Saint Rafka Maronite Mission is a Catholic mission of the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church. Geographically, the
Mission is under jurisdiction of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, New York. Saint Rafka’s Mission was
established for the Maronite Catholics living within the state of South Carolina by Bishop Stephen Hector Douehi,
now eparch emeritus, in 2003. At the moment, our community has around 50 active families, roughly 125 people.
The Mission community presently celebrates the Divine Liturgy (Mass) at the Gallivan Hall of Saint Mary's Church
in Greenville at 11:00 AM each Sunday. Please join us for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and the coffee
social that follows.
THE LITTLE FLOWER OF LEBANON
Our mission community is placed under the patronage of Saint Rafka, the Little Flower of Lebanon. In English,
Rafka would be translated Rebecca, meaning patience. The saint was an only daughter and child born on 29 June
1832 and given the name Boutrosiya. When Boutrosiya was six her mother died and she latter had a difficult
relationship with her stepmother. At 21, she became a nun in one group but left and joined another group of nuns
beginning her religious life twice. It is with the sisters of the Order of Saint Antony of the Maronites that
Boutrosiya was given the name Rafka.
Sister Rafka’s religious life was marked by suffering and holiness, something she requested from the Lord. For
thirty years she was blind and crippled serving her community of nuns in prayer and work (spinning wool and
knitting). Sister Rafka understood her life as being “In communion with Christ's passion.” Sister Rafka’s
reputation of holiness was well-known. Rather than complain of her sufferings, Sister Rafka prayed unceasingly,
as Saint Paul exhorts to do, saying: “In communion with Your suffering, Jesus,” “With the wound on Your
shoulder, Jesus,” “With Your crown of thorns, Jesus,” “With the sufferings caused by the lance… by the
thorns… by the nails of the Cross, my Lord Jesus.”
Her dear friend and religious superior, Mother Ursula Doumit, requested that Sister Rafka to dictate her
autobiography. Knowing that death was imminent Sister Rafka requested from the Lord the favor of sight for one
hour so she could see the face of Mother Ursula, and the Lord obliged.
Four days after Sister Rafka’s death miraculous healings began to be granted to those who asked for her
intercession before the Lord. Sister Rafka was beatified on 17 November 1985 and canonized on 10 June 2001 by
Pope John Paul II. Her feast day is 23 March. Saint Rafka is the patron saint for sick people and for those who
suffer the loss of parents at an early age.
At the canonization of Saint Rafka Pope John Paul II said: “May Saint Rafka watch after those who know
suffering, in particular those people of the Middle East confronted with the destructive and sterile spiral of
violence....By her intercession, we ask the Lord to open hearts in the patient search for new paths for peace,
hastening the days of reconciliation and harmony.” We pray that our parish community will be able assist the
suffering of our city and confront the suffering in the Middle East, and be channels of peace today.
THE MARONITES
We are a Maronite mission in communion with the See of Rome led by Pope Benedict XVI and under the pastoral
care of His Beatitude, Mar Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir.
The Maronite Church claims its foundation to made by Saint Maron, a 4th century monk who went to the
mountains of Lebanon to live a life dedicated wholly to God. Those who call themselves Maronites do so because
they claim to be disciples of Saint Maron who follow the spiritual patrimony he left. The followers of Saint Maron
are clear in teaching that Jesus Christ is both God and man, having two natures, one divine and one human. They
have been and continue to be loyal defenders of the true teachings of the Catholic Church. By the 7th century the
Maronites could not maintain regular contact with the patriarchate of Constantinople because of the rise of Islam,
and consequently they elected their own Patriarch to teach, to sanctify and to govern the Church in communion
with the Pope. In 687, Saint John Maron was elected the first Patriarch. Maronites are Christians in full
communion with the Catholic Church of Rome. As a Church it has an historical, doctrinal, and liturgical context.
When we speak of the Maronites we call them a Church, not a rite, as it is not merely composed of a unique ritual
but a full discipline of prayer and worship, a liturgical calendar, and governance structure.
Today, the Maronite Church is led by His Beatitude, Cardinal Nsarallah Peter Sfeir. He was born in Rayfoun,
Kesrouan, on the 15 May 1920. The young Nasrallah Sfeir did his primary studies at Mar Abda School in
Harharaya and then secondary studies at St. Maron Seminary in Ghazir. Called to serve the Lord and the Church,
Sfeir enrolled in Beruit’s Saint Joseph’s University (under the guidance of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits) to
study philosophy and Theology. He was ordained a priest on 7 May 1950. Father Sfeir served as a parish priest of
the Rayfoun parish between 1951 and 1955. In 1956, he was called to serve as secretary to the Maronite Patriarch
in Bkerke.
Greater service to the Church was expected of Father Sfeir as he was nominated and confirmed as the titular
bishop of Tarse and Patriachal Vicar by His Holiness, Pope John XXIII (now Blessed John XXIII). When His
Beatitude, Antoine Khreich died, the Maronite Patriarchal Synod (a meeting of the world’s Maronite bishops) met
to select a new Patriarch; the Synod elected Bishop Sfeir as their 76th Patriarch on 19 April 1986. Thus, he
became the successor of the Apostle Peter in Antioch and of all the East. As patriarch he is the spiritual father of a
Church dating from the time of the apostles of Jesus Christ! His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, confirmed Sfeir’s
election entrusting to him the Maronite Church (7 May 1986) and later created him a cardinal of the Holy Church
on 26 November 1994. Cardinal Sfeir is the third Maronite Patriarch to receive the title and privilege of being a
cardinal, an honor which allows him to elect a new pope and to act as a special advisor to the pope.
About Us
