[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15055]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN HONOR OF HIS BEATITUDE PATRIARCH BECHARA PETER RAI, PATRIARCH OF 
                ANTIOCH FOR THE MARONITE CATHOLIC CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of His Beatitude 
Patriarch Bechara Peter Rai, Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronite 
Catholic Church, and welcome him to the City of Cleveland on October 
11th, 2011.
  With more than three million members worldwide, the Maronite Catholic 
Church is among the largest Eastern-rite sects of the Roman Catholic 
Church and is especially prominent in Lebanon. The parish of 
Cleveland's St. Maron Church will be hosting Patriarch Rai as he visits 
Cleveland next week. St. Maron Parish is the largest Maronite Catholic 
community in the Mid-West.
  Patriarch Rai was born on February 25, 1940 in Himlaya, Matn 
District, Lebanon. On July 31, 1962 he entered the Mariamite Maronite 
Order. Five years later, on September 3, 1967, Patriarch Rai was 
ordained a priest and almost immediately began working on Arabic 
transmissions of Vatican Radio. In 1975, he earned a PhD in canon and 
civil law.
  On July 12, 1986, Patriarch Rai was consecrated as auxiliary bishop 
of Antioch and on June 9, 1990 he was appointed bishop of Byblos. He 
was elected Secretary of the Maronite Synod in 2003. He was the 
recipient of the National Order of the Cedar award in 2007. In 2009, he 
was appointed President of the Lebanese Episcopal Commission for the 
Media. On March 25, 2011 Patriarch Rai was elected Patriarch of the 
Maronite Catholic Church.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in welcoming His Beatitude 
Patriarch Bechara Peter Rai, Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronite 
Catholic Church to City of Cleveland.

                          ____________________