“When Mary, the mother of Jesus, declared ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,’ she was expressing her gratitude, her humility and her deep love for God. She did not exalt herself as the mother of God, though indeed she was, but instead, as at the marriage feast at Cana, she spent her life telling everyone who would listen: ‘Do what Jesus tells you.’” These were the words of Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles in his homily on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary during a Divine Liturgy at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in North Jackson, Ohio.
Thirteen pilgrims from the Columbus Our Lady of Lebanon and Our Lady of Victory parish communities, led by Father Jacques Kik, traveled to the shrine on Thursday, Aug. 15 for a daylong celebration of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven. The day began as we departed Columbus with a blessing by Father Kik and a rosary and small cups of Lebanese coffee shared along the way. Once we arrived at the shrine, there were many spiritually uplifting experiences from which to choose. There were opportunities for solitary prayer and contemplation as well as community camaraderie.
Some of us began the day by climbing the steps that wind around the outside of the shrine to stand at the top with Our Lady of Lebanon gazing out at the beautiful Ohio countryside. Inside the shrine, we looked up at the resplendent icons painted on the ceiling, most notably the one of the coronation of Mary as queen of Heaven. We reflected before the tabernacle, a smaller version of the shrine itself, which contains the Eucharist and sits atop an altar held up by a magnificent angel carved of white marble.
Others walked the path of the stone pillars of the Stations of the Cross, which edges the forest at the back of the shrine. Another opportunity for private reflection was offered in the courtyard garden of St. Joseph, where many pilgrims sat in contemplation and prayer.
Inside the spacious reception hall, volunteers served a sumptuous Lebanese buffet of lamb, chicken, rice, stuffed grape leaves, salad, pita bread and an array of Lebanese sweets. Diners enjoyed the big-band style tunes of the Mount Carmel Society Italian American band from Lowellville, which has provided music for the celebration for more than 50 years and which accompanied the procession after the Divine Liturgy. And, of course, we all visited the gift shop, which had many religious articles for purchase, either for our own remembrance or as gifts for loved ones and friends (icons, statues, books, medals, holy pictures, banners of Our Lady of Lebanon, etc.).
Late in the day, the Divine Liturgy was concelebrated by Bishop Zaidan, Bishop Gregory Mansour of the St. Maron Eparchy of Brooklyn, 20 priests (including Father Kik) and many deacons and subdeacons. The choir that provided the music for the Liturgy came from Massachusetts and was led by Msgr. Joe Root of Boston.
After the Liturgy, a candlelight procession followed a statue of Our Lady of Grace on a quarter-mile path to the road and back, accompanied by Knights of Columbus. As we walked, we recited a litany honoring all the titles that have been bestowed on the Blessed Mother. Back at the base of the shrine, we sang Marian hymns and received a blessing from the bishops. Our pilgrimage ended with a fireworks display under a huge, glowing August moon, then the long trip home, during which we reflected on the many ways we had been blessed by our experience.
Following are the impressions of the pilgrimage in the words of those who journeyed there together:
It was Lindsey Beachy’s first visit to the shrine, but she noted that nobody there is a stranger; there was an immediate feeling of welcoming community. In contrast, Adele Busch has visited the shrine many times and it was a chance for her to reconnect with friends from the Maronite Catholic Church she has known through the years. It brought back fond memories from when she was a child and visited the shrine with her mother on a bus filled with Lebanese women singing, praying and eating Lebanese food. Sheila O’Sullivan also has been to the shrine a number of times, but said she was especially blessed this time when she “got to visit the Stations of the Cross in the back of the property, which I never knew were there.”
Everyone was thrilled with the fireworks display at the end. People commented that it was like the Fourth of July, only better. Suzanne Smith said with enthusiasm, “The fireworks were my favorite part. They were breathtaking!”
Daniel Tonneman said, “What impressed me about the day was the fact that I have lived my whole life knowing nothing about the Maronite Church, in particular this basilica and national shrine at our doorstep. The number of people of all ages that took part in the Mass and especially the final procession lifted my heart. The fireworks presentation over the shrine was the culmination of the evening. What a tribute to Our Lady!”
As for me, I have 12 new friends from the Our Lady of Lebanon and Our Lady of Victory parish communities with whom I just shared a deeply spiritual experience.