Patriarch Maronite Bechara Raï and his accompanying delegation traveled to Sydney at the conclusion of their visit to Melbourne, where he offered a thanksgiving prayer in St. Maroun Church in Redfern, adjacent to Sydney, the oldest Maronite church in Australia. Raï expressed his "joy at the meeting commemorating 50 years since the establishment of the Maronite Archdiocese in Australia, with the presence of bishops from the diaspora and general superiors and general superiors celebrating with the archdiocesan shepherd, Bishop Antoine Tarrié, and the faithful, the golden jubilee and the 126th anniversary of the founding of the cathedral as well."
He spoke about "the value of the archdiocese and its role in Australia, where our people grow up on the spirituality and ethics of Mar Maroun's liturgical, traditional, and behavioral practices. Most importantly, we need to know our identities, what our liturgical identity is, and our legacy and heritage. Lebanon is called the spiritual homeland of the Maronites because they wrote their heritage, history, and spirituality on its land, and in Lebanon, we have our great saints. Therefore, we remain attached to this country as a spiritual homeland, and we are all invited to preserve it so that its special role in this eastern region does not fade away; this responsibility rests on all Maronites living and dispersed around the world."
Father Jeffrey Abdullah, the pastor of St. Maroun's Parish, delivered a speech welcoming Patriarch Raï and the accompanying delegation. He then spoke about "the history of Maronite presence in Australia since the establishment of the first church 126 years ago."
