Dear parishioners and friends of St. John Maron:

Who can forget the two consecutive evenings of torrential rain and the flooded tents in last year’s Festival. We are so grateful to God and to the intercession of St. John Maron that we never lost power and no one got hurt. We are praying for better weather this year.

This year guided tours of the Church are scheduled and the book "A Colorful Bouquet of Saints" will be available for those who desire to learn about Maronite Spirituality through iconography and artwork. This book would make an excellent Christmas gift. Our Maronite Religious Display has been praised for its presentation, richness and neatness. The spiritual presence of our Maronite religious display during the festival is a true witness to our rich Tradition.

We would like to see the list of Donations & Sponsorship grow. We hope that some day these donations will cover all festival expenses. You, as parishioners, could be the most instrumental link to sponsors in the Buffalo area. Let us know of any sponsor who may be a potential supporter of our Festival. The Lebanese Food venue brings in about ¾ of festival income. It is so popular because it is HOME-MADE. More volunteers to work this venue are needed to keep its quality and popularity. The committee of Children’s Attractions did very well in this venue, if you can help or have any suggestions please give them a call. The ladies keep providing more interesting gifts at the Gift Shop for the right price. If you wish to donate items to the gift shop please call Rosemary Saffire. The list of parishioners contributing to Raffle prizes is growing. We have close to thirty different prizes which include a framed portrait of Pope John Paul II carrying a cross, a nice variety of beauty and medical baskets, gift certificates, golf packages and much more. We hope you are a winner in our raffle.

The Festival’s days this year are July 27-29, 2007. Enclosed are: a flyer featuring festival attractions, a $20.00 Raffle Booklet, a sponsorship form, a chairperson’s list, and a return-address envelope for your convenience. To help us publicize the Festival please share these flyers with your neighbors and local markets.

Our parish center is completed and it turned out to be a beauty, the outside as well as the inside. Through your commitment and generous contributions we were able to renovate and update our entire campus, the Parking lot, the Shrine, the Church and the Parish Center. The Festival has become our largest fund raiser and our main source of income. Your support to the Festival, year after year, is greatly appreciated.

Looking forward to having another fun-filled and successful Festival, I remain
Sincerely yours in the Lord,

Rev. Georges Y. El-Khalli, Pastor

• Foods, Coffees, Sweet Delights
• T-Shirts
• Cookbooks
• Brassware, Coffee-Sets
• Kitchen Gadgets
• Aprons
• Mugs
• CD's & Tapes of Popular Lebanese Artists
• Religious Articles
• And, MUCH MORE...Come and VISIT US!