Saint Jude Maronite welcomes back Father Joubran BouMerhi

Intermountain Catholic

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Father Joubran BouMerhi

MURRAY- Saint Jude Maronite parishioners couldn’t hide their happiness when they heard the good news in January: Father Joubran BouMerhi was coming back to Utah. The parish had been served temporarily by Chorbishop William Leser, after the previous pastor, Monsignor Bill Bonczewski, was reassigned last September.

"I am very happy to come back to see many of my friends," said Fr. Joubran, who first served as the pastor at St. Jude Maronite in Murray from 1988 to 2006, when he was reassigned by his Maronite bishop to California.

Fr. Joubran was born in the town of Damour, Lebanon, approximately 15 miles south of Beirut. He speaks English, French and Arabic. He was ordained on June 29, 1988 for the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. Utah is part of this eparchy.

Returning to Utah has brought Fr. Joubran many memories, all happy.

"When I look back to then, everybody treated me very well," he said. "They are good people. They showed me the best of American values and the treasure of our Catholic faith. I am impressed with the Catholic Church here in Utah. They treated me as good as my family; they are my family."

The invitation to return to Utah came from the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, who knew Fr. Joubran’s desire to come back.

"It was because I let them know indirectly through another priest that I missed Utah a lot and that I felt like a piece of me was missing. I belong here to the Catholic Church in Utah," said Fr. Joubran. "These are my roots here. I have a good memory of the priests in this diocese. They were all good; I simply was part of this group of clergy."

For the moment, Fr. Joubran has started weekly religion classes for adults and is planning on starting a Bible study group, too.

In addition to serving the Maronite parish, he helps with the hospital ministry for the Intermountain Medical Center. "Today I got at least four phone calls for emergencies," Fr. Joubran said.

Fr. Joubran wants to make sure that parishioners know that he is back to serve them, and to help them grow in the love of God.

"I want to serve them as a Maronite priest, as a Catholic priest," he said. "My goal is to evangelize and to reach out to everyone and try to share the treasure that we have. I want to be present for the people all the time. I am available when they need me."

One change that he has seen since his return is that now many people help him with all the chores at the parish and at the office. During his first stint as pastor he used to do everything, even caring for the lawn.

"I want the community to be faithful to their baptism and to work together for the Church," he said. "If we work together and we love together, people will say, ‘Well, look at them. They work together. That’s a treasure.’ "

The Maronite Rite is an Eastern Catholic Church that considers the Pope as head of the Church. Named after the monastic followers of the 5th-century hermit Saint Maron, the Maronite Church is one of the principal religions in Lebanon, and its members account for the largest religious group in the country’s parliament. The Maronite Church is led by the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch. Fr. Joubran holds bi-ritual faculties — he is allowed to celebrate Mass in both the Roman and the Maronite rites.