Maronite bishop dedicates new St. Jude Church

Friday, Aug. 14, 2020

TAYLORSVILLE — In a traditional ceremony modified because of the constraints imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles dedicated the new St. Jude Maronite Catholic Church on Aug. 4.

St. Jude Maronite is a Catholic church of the Eastern Rite; the parish is overseen by the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, which is under the direct jurisdiction of the Roman pontiff. Parishioners include families from all over the Salt Lake Valley and from other communities, including Park City, Heber, Alpine, Orem, Ogden and Tooele.

In 2019, the parish purchased the former Protestant church at 5445 South 2700 West in Taylorsville. After renovations, the first Sunday Mass was celebrated at the new location on Feb. 23. However, the pandemic forced a delay in the building’s dedication.

On Aug. 4, in the presence of a small group of parishioners who carefully observed proper social distancing, Bishop Zaidan began the ceremony by knocking three times on the door that separates the gathering space of the church from the nave. He was accompanied by the Most Rev. Oscar A. Solis, 10th Bishop of Salt Lake City. Traditionally, three priests – representing the three generations of the Church: the Adamic generation, the Old Testament generation and the New Testament generation – would have awaited him inside the church, but because of the pandemic, only the pastor, Msgr. Joubran BouMerhi, was inside to give the traditional responses.

After knocking the first time, Bishop Zaidan made the Sign of the Cross on the door lintel. After knocking the second time, he used holy oil to make the Sign of the Cross on the lintel; the third time, he blessed the church’s outside wall with his hand cross. Then, using the key he had been presented, he unlocked the door and entered, to be greeted by Msgr. BouMehri, who spoke the traditional words: “Come in peace, O father! Come in peace, our shepherd and steward. … May your coming be blessed, and may the star which led the Magi to the manger enter with you.” 

During the ceremony, Bishop Zaidan also consecrated the interior walls of the church with holy oil and blessed them with incense and holy water. The altar, which had been brought from the old church, was already consecrated.

In his homily, Bishop Zaidan acknowledged those parishioners who were viewing the livestream of the celebration as well as those present, congratulating them on their “great achievement” of the new building, and thanked Bishop Solis for his friendship, support and prayers.

Bishop Zaidan also thanked Msgr. BouMerhi for his efforts in “making this a beautiful home” for the community.

The new church will be a beautiful home “for us to celebrate and gather closer to God, and hear God’s words …,” he said. Later in his homily, he said God is everywhere, but in a special way is in the church, which is a place for people to discover God, to deepen their love for him and strengthen their bond with him.

During the pandemic, the parish is limited in its ability to gather to celebrate the liturgy, “but I hope, even though at home, we join spiritually, and we try to make every effort to really be part of the community as one. … I know we talk about social distancing, but I hope [we’re] not distancing ourselves from God,” he said.

He also asked for prayers for Lebanon, which is suffering, he said, especially after the Aug. 4 explosion in Beirut. In addition, he asked that people join him in prayer for the newly dedicated church, that “the fruits of your labor, your love, your dedication, be consecrated to be a fitting home for the Lord inside it.”

After the homily, parishioners encircled the interior walls of the church with a red ribbon to indicate that it had been consecrated.

After Communion, Msgr. BouMerhi acknowledged Bishop Zaidan’s help with the new building, especially in finding an architect for the redesign. He thanked the bishop for his prayers, and his encouragement of parishioners in their spiritual life. Msgr. BouMerhi also thanked Bishop Solis for his support.

At the conclusion of the celebration, Bishop Solis thanked Msgr. BouMerhi for the invitation “to be part of this wonderful moment in the life of the community of St. Jude.”

“On behalf of my brother priests and the people of God in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, I extend to you a warm welcome, warmer than the weather in the diocese in Salt Lake City. … Congratulations on this wonderful house of prayer, this house of God, to all of you. I hope that this beautiful church that has been dedicated by Bishop Zaidan will be a living testimony of God’s abiding presence and his offer of the gift of salvation to all who come and pray in this church,” Bishop Solis said.