The MCS held the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 28 April 2015 at the Maronite Eparchy in Strathfield in the presence of his Lordship Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, Maronite Bishop of Australia, Monsgr Marcelino Youssef and Joseph Metledge, Founding President of the Maronite Catholic Society and all the MCS Members.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the members and his Grace to discuss the latest developments of interest to the Maronite Community both in Australia and in Lebanon.

Bishop Tarabay was commendatory and prideful of the important role of the MCS and of its unwavering support for the projects undertaken by the Maronite Eparchy in addressing the needs of the Maronite Community both in Australia and in Lebanon.

And in an atmosphere of harmony and consensus, the annual elections were held in accordance with the MCS Constitution and a new executive Committee was duly elected as follows:

President: Tony Khattar (elected unopposed)

Hon. Secretary: Raymond Abi-Arraj 

Hon. Treasurer: Chafic Saade (elected unopposed)

Executive members:  (In alphabetical order) Ghassan Awit – Joe P Baini- Lichaa Chidiac- Dani Geagea- Bakhos Georges- Fahd Gitani- Anthony Hasham- Anne Farah-Hill - Khalil Tartak 

Portfolios and other positions will be assigned at the upcoming meeting of the executive to be held soon..

For further information contact:

PRESIDENT: Tony Khattar on 04180201902  

OR SECRETARY: Raymond Abi-Arraj on 0413069004

Authorized by Tony Khattar, MCS President

I was amazed and I could not believe what I read in your message to his Beatitude Patriarch Beshara El Raii in the time of Pope Francis ... both keen advocates of the truth and fairness...

Is it right that your legitimate case is still pending, despite the passage of more than a quarter of a century? 

Is it conceivable that your rightful case is still on the shelves in a country which claims to hold the cradle of all laws? 

Is it possible that your honorable case is undermined and belittled in the country of honor and dignity? 

Is it possible that the injustice which distressed you and your family was caused and propagated by those who were supposed to protect you?

Along with about seventy lawyers who defended and advocated for your stolen rights and by whom? ..... And despite their shameful deeds... we, from the other part of the world…Australia ... the country that values and highly respects its teachers…we cry out to His Beatitude and Eminence Patriarch El Raii whom we long to meet very soon, during his first visit to Australia ... and he will undoubtedly listen to our just and legitimate plea from afar ... 

Our dearest and beloved teacher ... You are forever in our minds.... We love you and we ask God to prolong your life and to grant you good health and lots of needed energy ... with our most sincere greetings to you, to Lady Georgette and to all the 

family...

                                                                                        Raymond

A delegation of MCC NSW, consisting of the Office Bearers, attended to NSW Parliament House on Thursday 14 August 2014 and presented its credentials to the Hon Victor Dominello, Minister for Citizenship and Communities.  

The delegation was led by the Chair of MCC Dr Anthony Pun, OAM and included Raymond Arraj (Secretary-General), William Seung (Vice-Chair) and David Dawson (Vice-Chair).

Despite a heavy and tight schedule in Parliament, Mr Dominello was able to spare some time welcoming the delegation.  At the meeting, Dr Pun briefed the Minister about the MCC NSW stating “our organisation has adopted the slogan ‘for a Multicultural NSW’ and as a membership-based organisation, we would collaborate and complement the work of those NGOs which are organisation-based. There are however unmet needs in the community that the MCC is able to address and particularly, outreaching to the West of Sydney and to new & emerging communities.  

Dr Pun added: “there has been no voice in the community for some time and the MCC NSW would assist in regenerating a loud and clear voice on issues affecting the community”.

MCC wishes to thank the Minister for his time in meeting with the delegation at Parliament House and this constitutes the beginning of warm and close working relations with the Government in community affairs.

Dr Anthony Pun, OAM, Chair

Considering his extremely busy schedule within his current visit to Australia, Father Estephan Frangieh took time last night to meet up and have a cosy dinner with friends at a quiet restaurant in Parramatta. 

The softly spoken father Estephan, who is well known as the President of Al Salam Soccer Club in Lebanon and as Head of Zgharta hospital ( Mustshfa al Saydeh) amongst other things, last night impressed me as a true man of God who preaches love and harmony. 

It ought to be mentioned that the Zgharta El Salam Soccer Team recently won the Soccer Lebanon Cup and the Club is now geared to represent Lebanon in the up-coming Asia Championship Cup. We all pray and wish all the best to Zgharta El Salam and we are sure that, with the leadership of Father Estephan, they will do us proud and keep the name of Lebanon on a high pedestal…

Father Estephan also struck me, as the others, as fully conversant with our Australian Lebanese Community affairs and all the wheelings and dealings….He appeared privy to details that many of us are oblivious about…A true leader with insight and vision…More importantly he was warmly welcome amongst friends…

Father Estephan was accompanied by Joe Mekary, President of BaTal Lubnaan’s Association and Peter Wakim, both good friends and colleagues in the Maronite Catholic Society (Al RaaBiTah Al Marouniya) and Ted Doueihi together with Father’s other members of the delegation: Charbel Azizi and Badoui Gitani.

Also in attendance were good mates: Ghassan Awit, former President of the MCS, George Tamer, Bakhos Georges, Current MCS Deputy President and Joe Khoury, OAM, Chief Editor of “Future Newspaper” and we were all pleasantly surprised by the attendance of Parramatta City Councillor Mekary accompanied by Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Garrard who wished to personally say Hello to Father Estephan whom he had met upon his visit to Lebanon..

A great company, good friendship ambiance and a serene and harmonious atmosphere…..sufficient recipe for a splendid evening enjoyed by all.

Raymond Abi-Arraj

Thanks to Joe Khoury. Done it again...

Everyone was there...At least it felt like that...They all came to support and appreciate Lebanese Beauty...

The whole community was there...the leaders...the so-called leaders...the artists...La Fontaine’s frogs that kept inflating themselves until explosion...the literate and the semi-literate or should I say the Semi-illiterate....they all came with one purpose: support this worthy and well organised Spectacular..

Joseph Khoury welcomed and acknowledged almost every one present at the Doltone House...Well done Joseph! Otherwise “hell would break loose” from the “fat cats”...

The night was truly reminiscent and of the standard of the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant we see only on Television...The ambiance was great with great entertainment and great girls parading on the Catwalk both in swimwear and in their evening dresses....Not only were they beautiful but they displayed composure and intelligence through the intelligent answers they provided to the questions thrown at them....

It takes a lot of guts to parade on the catwalk and to be assessed by professional and experienced judges in front of a packed Doltone House...demonstrating great talent as they proudly represented their community....

In echoing Joseph Khoury’s words, each one of these pretty and intelligent young Lebanese girls is special in her own way. They all deserve to be crowned but unfortunately there can only be one winner.. And the winner was Cynthia Farah..Congratulations to Cynthia and to Vanessa Tamer who was the first Runner-up in the contest. In fact Congrats to all the contestants for their high spirit and for a good representation of their community..

Raymond Abi-Arraj