Eastern Catholic Bishops Convene in St. Louis: Strengthening Faith & Community

The annual spring meeting of the Eastern Catholic Associates (ECA) was held from March 17-19 in St. Louis, MO, hosted by Bishop Elias Zaidan at the Maronite Catholic Pastoral Center. The bishops discussed administrative matters and topics of common interest, including reports from Rev. Daniel Dozier and Amanda Singel on the Eastern Catholic Conference of Eparchial Directors of Religious Education (ECED), and updates from Kevin Day and Ken Ong on Catholic Home Missions (CHM).

Fr. Tony Massad introduced a new youth ministry initiative, "Alive in Christ," with an upcoming conference in Parma, OH. Bishop Daniel Flores joined via Zoom for a dialogue on synodality. The bishops also addressed the impact of U.S. policy changes on Catholic social services and the challenges faced by their faithful in ancestral homelands.

The meeting included participation in the Maronite Divine Liturgy and a Lebanese supper with Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski. The bishops reviewed their committee work and learned about the Maronite Church's history and current situation. The meeting concluded with a fraternal lunch.