COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS! Basket Collection from

Sept October 18th 2015 ……$2,692.00

Second Collection ……………...$745.00

Mark your Calendars Coming Up Soon:

Jr. MYO Fall Celebration at

Bates Nit Farm

On September 31st 2015

Details in flyer

Casino Game’s Night

On November 7th

2015

Details in flyer

New Year’s Eve Gala

Get ready to join the parish

family once again to ring in the

New Year – December 31st 2015!

It’s just around the corner!

The true origins of Halloween lie with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland,

Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the

coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of

the Dead. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead including ghosts, goblins and

witches returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear

masks and light bonfires.

When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival,

such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the

orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank cider- traditions which may sound familiar

to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV

moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night

before became known as All Hallows Even or holy evening. Eventually the name was shortened to

the current Halloween. On November 2, the Church celebrates All Souls Day.

The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died, whether they are officially

recognized by the Church as saints or not. It is a celebration of the communion of saints, which

reminds us that the Church is not bound by space or time.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that through the communion of saints, charity exists

between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating

their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an

abundant exchange of all good things.

Carving the Turnip?

Many of the customs we now associate with Halloween are also derived from ancient

celebrations. For example, the current custom of going door-to-door to collect treats actually

started in Ireland hundreds of years ago. Groups of farmers would go door-to-door collecting food

and materials for a village feast and bonfire. Those who gave were promised prosperity; those who

did not received threats of bad luck. When an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants came to the

United States in the 1800s, the custom of trick-or-treating came with them.

Does your family carve a pumpkin to place on your porch for Halloween? If so, then you can

once again thank the Irish for the tradition. Actually, the custom began with a turnip. People would

hollow out the turnips and place lighted candles inside to scare off the evil spirits. When the Irish

came to America, they discovered the pumpkin as a larger substitute for the turnip. And so, we

now carve pumpkins instead of turnips for Halloween.

The Tale of the Jack-o'-lantern:

So now you know why we carve pumpkins instead of turnips, but why do we call them jack-

o’lanterns? The name actually comes from the legend of an Irishman named Jack who was forced

to roam the earth with only a burning coal inside a pumpkin to light his way because he had never

performed a single selfless act throughout his life

Even though Halloween may seem like a very secular holiday, and in many ways it has become so,

there are distinctly Christian aspects to the holiday that you and your family can celebrate.

Happy Halloween!

October is Respect Life Month-

Mark your Calendars for a very

special occasion

Our parish has been scheduled to receive

the relics of St. Sharbel on January 4th and

5th of 2016.

As December 5th, 2015 is the 50th

anniversary

of the beatification of Saint Sharbel, his relics

are scheduled to be in the U.S.A. starting on

September 25th. The relics are scheduled to

visit every parish in the Eparchy.

Christ the King Sunday celebrates the all-embracing

authority of Christ as King and Lord of the cosmos To Jesus Christ our Sovereign King who is the

world's salvation, All praise and homage do we

bring and thanks and adoration

Your reign extend O King benign, to every land

and nation; For in your kingdom Lord divine

Alone do we find salvation

To you and to your Church, great King We

pledge our heart's oblation; Until before your

throne we sing In endless jubilation

Christ Jesus, Victor!

Christ Jesus, Ruler!

Christ Jesus, Lord and Redeemer

Halloween and Its Catholic Roots When you think of

Halloween, what comes to mind? For a lot of people,

Halloween has become synonymous with candy,

costumes, scary stuff, witches, ghosts and pumpkins.

But do you know the Christian connection to the

holiday?

PARISH DEVOTIONS AND SODALITIES

CHAIRPERSONS/COORDINATORS

Confraternity of the Sacred Heart Devotions every First

Friday at 5:30pm Ramzeyzey Jize – 858.736.7196

ramzey.jize@ngc.com

First Friday Eucharistic Adoration 12:00 NOON to

6:00PM Marina Zablit - 760.239.1756

marinazablit@hotmail.com

Sorority of the Immaculate Conception Devotions Marina Zablit - 760.239.1756 marinazablit@hotmail.com

Sorority of St. Rita Devotions every Second Saturday

Fellowship at 3:00PM followed by Devotions at 4:30PM

Rose Moses - 619.286.6942

St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church 750 Medford Street, El Cajon, CA 92020

Tel: 619-337-1350

stephrem@sbcglobal.net

www.stephremchurch.com

Place Your Advertisement in future editions of the

bulletin! To help defer the cost of printing our weekly bulletin, now

offer this Ad Page. We would like to encourage our readers,

your friends, neighbors and family members to place their

Ad’s in our bulletin which is published once a week and which

is also disseminated through our emails to over 700 families.

An annual subscription will be $300.00. Please call the office if

you are interested in supporting our bulletin publication

through this program

Interested in the Priesthood or Religious Life? EPARCHY OF OUR LADY OF LEBANON Vocations Director:

Msgr. Sharbel Maroun: Tel-612-379-2758

October 25, 2015

Volume 17-Issue 43

Pastor:

Reverend Toufic Nasr

Visiting Priest:

Reverend Canon Thomas Thompson

Deacon Georges Ghosn

Deacon George Geagea

House of Maron

GENERAL INFORMATION

Liturgies:

Saturday………………………. 5:30PM

Sunday

………………………….9:30AM

……………... ………..11:00AM

…………………………...........12:30PM

Monday- Friday (Except Thursday No Liturgy (Summer schedule) Thursday …………………NO DIVINE

LITURGY

Confessions ………………………By

appointment

First Friday Adoration Noon until Benediction

at 6:00PMther

Baptism: Contact the office to schedule

Religious Education: Saturdays from 11am-

12pm

First Communion Class: Sunday from 1030AM

to 12:30AM- To register, please contact the

parish office.

Matrimony: Please contact the parish office at

least nine months prior to the desired date

Parish Office Hours: Monday through Friday

9:00AM to 5:00PM

Divine Liturgy Intentions:

Sunday of Christ the King –

Romans 12:9-21 and Mt 25:31-46

+ Saturday, October 24th

5:30PM – (M) Dorothy Peck offered by the

Redlinger Family

+ Sunday, October 25th

9:30 AM – (M) Catherine Carter and Simon

Hakim, Michael Howe offered by Bernadette Howe

11:00AM –

12: 30PM – (M) Walid Aboufadel, Habib

Aboufadel, Souad Aboufadel Manasseh, Odette

Ghandour Manassah offered by the Family

Consecration of the Church –

Heb 9:1-12 Mt 16:13-20 + Saturday, October 31st

5:30PM –

+ Sunday, November 1st

9:30 AM –

11:00AM –

12: 30PM –

$500.00 donation to St. Ephrem Church with each transaction

completed with this ad .Like us at facebook.com/jdrmco for updates and

news.

Beit Maroun