Our Lady of Lebanon of Waterbury

Marian title of Waterbury (Connecticut)

There is no specific and detailed historical record of the Invocation of Our Lady of Lebanon in Waterbury, Connecticut in official sources accessible online (diocese, parish, Catholic press or Maronite repertory). It is clearly documented that it is a Maronite parish of the Lebanese diaspora in New England, spiritually linked to the famous advocation of Our Lady of Lebanon of Harissa, patron of Lebanon.

Main data

Origin and history

There is no specific and detailed historical record of the Invocation of Our Lady of Lebanon in Waterbury, Connecticut in official sources accessible online (diocese, parish, Catholic press or Maronite repertory). It is clearly documented that it is a Maronite parish of the Lebanese diaspora in New England, spiritually linked to the famous advocation of Our Lady of Lebanon of Harissa, patron of Lebanon.

La documented history of the devotion of Our Lady of Lebanon goes back to the original sanctuary of Kingsa (Líbano)whose great Marian statue was made in the late 19th century in France and the sanctuary was opened in 1908 as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Since 1908, the churches of Lebanon began to solemnly commemorate the Our Lady of Lebanon Day every first Sunday of May. This devotion has spread widely among Maronite communities in the diaspora, especially in North America. It is in this context that the Maronite parish of Waterbury is inserted, which assumes the title of Our Lady of Lebanon as an expression of continuity with the homeland of origin.

As for the concrete foundation of the Maronite parish of Our Lady of Lebanon in Waterbury, Connecticut - date of erection, first parish priests, community development -, no verifiable data are recorded in the accessible sources consulted. There has been no official historical chronicle of the parish or a specific entry into diocesan or maronite repertories online. By analogy with other Maronite centres in the United States, it can be inferred that the community came up to attend to Lebanese and Middle East immigration during the 20th century, but this is only a hipótesis general and not a documented data for Waterbury in particular.

With regard to local traditions or legends of the advocation in Waterbury, there is no specific narrative (apparitions, foundational miracles, public vows, etc.) with documentary support. The parish shares, instead, the common spiritual background of Lebanese devotion to Mary as Queen of Lebanon and patron of the country, such como se afirma para el sanctuary de Harissa.

The image and the sanctuary

There is no detailed, official and verifiable description of the concrete image venerated as Our Lady of Lebanon in the Maronite parish of Waterbury (type of sculpture or icon, material, author or year of realization). Given the strong reference to Harissa, it is reasonable to assume that this is a imagen inspirada en la estatua de Harissa - representation of the Virgin Mary with her arms extended, standing, oriented towards the people - but on the specific piece of Waterbury there are no documented data.

La imagen original de Harissawhich serves as a spiritual model for this advocation, is a large statue of bronze painted in white, about 15 tonswith arms extended to the city and the Mediterranean Sea. It rises on a pedestal in the form of a conical tower, on whose base there is a chapel, being one of the most significant Marian shrines in the Middle East. This iconography of Mary as a protective Mother and Queen of Lebanon has been reproduced in numerous communities of the diaspora, including Maronite parishes in the United States.

As regards temple Waterbury, this is a maronita de rito católico maronitaunder the title of Our Lady of Lebanon, in the service of the Lebanese community and other Eastern Catholic faithful in the New England region. It does not know that the Waterbury temple has the title of minor basilicaor that it is recognized as Nacional or diocesan sanctuary; these titles, in the United States, are linked rather to the National Basilica and Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon in North Jackson (Ohio), which is a replica of the Harissa shrine and was raised to the lower basilica in 2014. For Waterbury, therefore, what is recorded is the condition of parroquia maronitawithout additional legal rank of national sanctuary or minor basilica.

Sponsorship and coronation

It does not explicitly and documented that Our Lady of Lebanon of Waterbury has been declared official patron of the city of Waterbury, the state of Connecticut or a certain diocese. The devotion is within the broader context of Our Lady of Lebanon as patrona del Líbanoas it is recognized by the Maronite tradition and the Harissa shrine. At the local level of Waterbury, the Virgin in fact exercises a spiritual patronage over the the Lebanese Maronite community which congregates in the parish, but does not contain a specific civil or ecclesial declaration of patronage for the city or the diocese.

On a canonical coronation of the venerated image in Waterbury (with the decree of the Holy See, the Ordinary or the competent Maronite authority, and celebration with a pontifical or patriarchal delegate), does not contain a documented canonical coronation. The devotion to Our Lady of Lebanon of Harissa, on the other hand, enjoys a wide liturgical and national recognition in Lebanon and has been the subject of solemn celebrations since the beginning of the twentieth century.

Party and devotion

La main party of Our Lady of Lebanon, as is celebrated in Lebanon and in the communities linked to Harissa, takes place every first Sunday of May. Since 1908, the churches of Lebanon began to commemorate that day with a solemn ceremony, which has been consolidating the national and ecclesial dimension of the feast. It is reasonable to consider that the Maronite parish of Waterbury tunes with this tradition and celebrates its patron around the first Sunday of May, but for the exact date and the proper calendar of the parish no official published data.

In the original sanctuary of Harissa an influx is recorded thousands of pilgrims, with estimates that speak at least of millions of pilgrims per year, becoming a meeting place for Christians of various rites and also for visitors of other religions. This intense devotion has radiated to the Maronite communities abroad, where romanias, novenas, processions and festive celebrations are organized in honor of Our Lady of Lebanon. For Waterbury, there are no inflow figures or detailed descriptions of specific pilgrimages; it can be said, by analogy with other Maronite parishes of the United States, that Marian devotion is usually expressed by:

– Celebración de la Divine Maronite Liturgy en la fiesta de Nuestra Señora del Líbano. – Posibles triduos o novenas previos, según la praxis común en la piedad maronita (dato general, no documentado específicamente para Waterbury). – Vínculos afectivos y religiosos con el Líbano and with the sanctuary of Harissa, manifested in prayers for the homeland, peace and coexistence between communities.

There are no Waterbury-specific popular traditions (specific processions, votes, collective promises) with detailed description in public sources.

Link to the Rosary

No consta una documented specific relationship between the advocation of Our Lady of Lebanon in Waterbury and a unique practice of Rosary (for example, own co-fradies, particular indulgences, official structures of "