On the Sunday before Christmas, Our Lady of Lebanon Church in Washington was alive with colour and sound. Families dressed in red and white streamed into the hall, greeting one another with hugs as children darted between rows of chairs.
For the Maronite community in the US capital region, Christmas is like a homecoming. Even though it is thousands of kilometres from Lebanon, the parish – which is part of the Eastern Catholic Church – remains rooted in the Middle East, in full unity with the Pope and Roman Catholic Church but with its own unique Syriac liturgy.
The celebrations unfold over two weeks. This year, they began with a Christmas concert, followed by nine days of Novena prayers. On December 21, hundreds gathered for Sunday Mass, during which hymns in Syriac and Arabic songs echoed through the church.
Afterwards, parishioners shared a Christmas lunch. Lebanese dishes including grilled chicken over rice, stuffed grape leaves, hummus and tabbouleh filled the tables. Santa Claus arrived with gifts and children in festive outfits gleefully posed for photos.
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A family poses with Santa Claus at Our Lady of Lebanon church before Christmas. Photo credit: Nilanjana Gupta -
Our Lady of Lebanon church in Washington, DC. Photo credit: Nilanjana Gupta -
Children in festive attire attend Christmas luncheon at Our Lady of Lebanon church. Photo credit: Nilanjana Gupta -
Two-year-old Aurora with her grandparents Jean and Eliana Ayoub at the Christmas luncheon at Our Lady of Lebanon church. Photo credit: Nilanjana Gupta -
Washington's Maronite community attends Mass at Our Lady of Lebanon church before Christmas. Photo credit: Nilanjana Gupta -
A family poses with Santa Claus at Our Lady of Lebanon church before Christmas. Photo credit: Nilanjana Gupta -
Children dressed in festive attire attend Mass at Our Lady of Lebanon church before Christmas. Photo credit: Nilanjana Gupta -
A family poses with Santa Claus at Our Lady of Lebanon church before Christmas. Photo credit: Nilanjana Gupta
For Monsignor George Sebaali, the scene reflected decades of history and perseverance. “In the early 1960s, we established the first Maronite seminary outside of Lebanon,” he said. “As time went on and the number of Maronites in the area grew, they petitioned the bishop to establish a church.”
By 1967, permission was granted to build the first church, eventually leading to the present building, which was completed in 2005. “The church became a spiritual centre for all Maronites and also a social centre where they gather for weddings, funerals and baptisms.”
That sense of belonging has only deepened as Lebanon faces continuing economic hardship. Many parishioners are recent arrivals, with loved ones still back home.
“They stay in touch with them every day,” Monsignor Sebaali said. “Most of them are doing their best to support their families and their relatives.”
Christmas traditions remain central to preserving that connection. “We have nine days of Novena,” he said, referring to the period of Catholic prayer focused on preparing for the birth of Jesus. “On Christmas Eve, we have the divine liturgy.”
The parish serves Maronite Christians across Washington, Maryland and northern Virginia. “Every Maronite who lives in this area belongs to the parish,” Monsignor Sebaali said. “If they need any spiritual assistance, all they have to do is just pick up the phone and call us.”
Passing traditions to the next generation is a priority, especially for children born in the US. That mission plays out every Sunday in classrooms across the parish.
Jonathan Zischkau has been teaching religious education for decades. “My grandmother and grandfather are from Hardine in North Lebanon,” he said. “I’ve been involved in Our Lady of Lebanon’s religious education for 41 years.”
His goal, he says, is to support families in raising children in the Maronite faith. “The home is the first domestic church,” he said. “We try to be an extension of each of the parents.”
Classes are held weekly, before liturgy, and include prayer, song and homework. Over the years, Mr Zischkau has seen shy children grow into confident young parishioners.
“It’s been a real joy to see children of the parish growing,” he said. “I'm now teaching children of former students. I taught their mothers or fathers or both 25 years ago.”
At Christmas, Mr Zischkau’s own home mirrors the traditions taught at church. “We’ll have a Lebanese feast at Christmas time. One of our children will be making spinach pies, I'll be doing the kibbeh, somebody else will be doing tabbouleh.”
For Janine Helou, 43, who was born in the Washington area, the church has shaped nearly every stage of her life. Her parents were married at Our Lady of Lebanon in 1976 and volunteering became a family legacy.
Over time, friendships formed at church became lifelong bonds. “There’s just something special about being part of a community like this,” Ms Helou added.
She noted that the reason she supports the Maronite community is to stay connected to her roots. “We don't have to be in Lebanon to be Maronite. We don't have to be in the Middle East to be practicing our faith.”
“A lot of people think, well, if you're Catholic, you can go to any Catholic church anywhere. But we have our own traditions that we hold sacred,” she added.
With Christmas approaching, she highlights the significance of the church for her family. “It's not Christmas if we didn't come to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day,” she said.
“Everybody comes over to our house, all our nephews and nieces, and we eat and celebrate together. But it always starts with Mass at this church.”
“There is no Christmas without praising God, without celebrating the birth of Christ in church. So that's number one, and after that, everything else is just fun,” Ms Helou said.
In a city far from Lebanon, Our Lady of Lebanon Church stands as both sanctuary and bridge, carrying faith, memory and tradition from one generation to the next.
