The Maronite Outreach was founded in 1998 at the Saint John Maron Church in Anaheim, California. It is composed of a group of volunteers who work under the supervision of the pastor and the parish council to design and execute projects aimed at supporting the Christians in Lebanon. This effort has gradually expanded to involve a growing number of parishes in the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon under the blessing of His Excellency Bishop Robert Shaheen. Today, Maronite Outreach is harnessing the potential of Christians of Lebanese heritage in the diaspora and sending a message of hope, solidarity, and charity to the Christians in Lebanon.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The Maronite Church, while remaining a separate entity from the state, has played a crucial role in the formation of modern Lebanon as a nation with distinctive features that do not exist anywhere else in the Middle East. Unfortunately, the survival of the Christian community in Lebanon as an active and equal participant in the life of the nation is once again under attack.

Many perils threaten the Christians of Lebanon at the political, social, and economic levels. While it is not our role as a Maronite parish program in the USA to enter into Lebanese politics, it is our moral and religious duty to actively contribute to the preservation of our faith, heritage, and values. It is our obligation to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need. We must not fail those who have always looked towards the Christians abroad for help during dangerous and precarious times. Among the many dangers facing the Christians in Lebanon are the impoverishment of a significant portion of the population, the lack of investment in productive areas, emigration of the educated and the youth to the West, and the inability of several hundred thousand families to return to their original areas of residence. These factors, and many more, are contributing to a dangerous demographic shift that threatens to end the Christian presence in Lebanon if allowed to persist.

In response to these challenges, Maronite Outreach has joined hands with several charitable organizations and educational institutions in Lebanon in order to achieve its goals. It is our firm belief that unity and coordination are two of the most important prerequisites needed for the formation of a successful humanitarian effort aimed at supporting the Christians of Lebanon.

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE ?

The Maronite Outreach is unique in that it executes its projects through established organizations in Lebanon that have demonstrated credibility and efficiency. Our goal is to present you with a wide range of projects through which you can touch the lives of many people who are in need.

• We operate as a committee within the local parish under the guidance and authority of the pastor
• We ensure that all our supporters receive feedback in a timely fashion
• We ensure the creation of personal bonds between the members of our community in the USA and their counterparts in Lebanon