The Saint Jude Maronite Catholic community commemorates ordination jubilees

Intermountain Catholic

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Monsignor Joubran BouMehri

MURRAY — The Saint Jude Maronite Catholic community will commemorate the silver ordination anniversary of its pastor, Monsignor Joubran BouMehri, and the golden anniversary of Chorbishop William J. Leser, former parish administrator and current judicial vicar of the Eparchy at St. Jude.

The two jubilarians will be honored at a Divine Liturgy of Thanksgiving on June 23 at St. Jude Maronite Church as well as an invitation-only dinner at Saint Vincent de Paul Church on June 22.

Msgr. BouMehri returned to St. Jude as its pastor in January 2012 after serving the parish from 1988 to 2006. During the seven years he was away from Salt Lake, he was assigned as a parish priest in Denver, Colo.; St. Louis, Mo.; and in Michigan.

Msgr. BouMehri has noticed some changes upon his return to the parish in Murray.

"When I was here before for 18 years, I used to take care of everything by myself," he said. "But now I am blessed to have some office help. I’ve learned to delegate and ask people to help me make decisions, and most importantly, I used to teach religious education once a week. Now we have religious education programs for children and adults, a parish council, a men’s club, a ladies club, a youth organization, a Bible study group and two subdeacons, who help me with the liturgies."

Meanwhile, Msgr. BouMehri maintains his hospital ministry at Intermountain Medical Center and St. Mark’s Hospital and he assists at the Carmelite Monastery twice a week, he said.

"I am very happy and content being back in Utah among my brother priests, who have been a very important part of my ministry," he said. "They have always been available to help and guide me and support me in many ways."

Msgr. BouMehri was born and raised in Lebanon, where he was inspired to become a priest at age 15 by his parish priest "who was a good role model, a very caring and loving man," he said. "When he asked me if I wanted to become a priest, I said, ‘No, I’m not interested because people criticize the priests.’ But I was involved in parish life, especially daily Mass and taking care of the church and the sacristy. By the time I was 18 I requested to become a priest and entered a Maronite seminary in Lebanon for four years."

In 1982, Msgr. BouMehri immigrated to Canada with his family due to the war in Lebanon. In 1986, he entered a seminary in Youngstown, Ohio, where he was ordained a priest on June 28, 1988.

"Since then, Salt Lake has been my home," he said. "If I don’t leave this valley for the rest of my life, I will be content. As I look back on my ministry, I said ‘Yes,’ to the Lord, and always ‘Yes’ to my ministry; to my daily pastoral activities in serving the people of God. I want to try to walk in the presence of the Lord; to make sure that all my activities and decisions are in harmony with him and the good news. "

Chorbishop Leser is retired and has been filling in for parishes in the Maronite Rite and Roman Rite in many different dioceses all over the country as well as traveling to give retreats to nuns and monks, and "enjoying being what a priest was ordained to be," he said.

He filled in at St. Jude for eight months as the administrator from June 2010 until January 2012. "I enjoyed the people and I helped with hospital calls," he said. "I always wanted to be a priest to share the sacraments and the mercy of the Lord."

Chorbishop Leser lives in Northridge, Calif., which is part of the Archdiocese of Los Angels. He was ordained a priest by Cardinal James Francis A. McIntyre, Archbishop of Los Angeles, on May 1, 1963 in the Roman Rite. He was ordained a chorbishop in the Maronite Rite in June 1985. He also received a doctorate in civil law.

"I became involved in the Maronite Rite and the tribunal in 1973, after completing law school, and I am still running the Maronite Tribunal," he said. "I do penal cases for the Holy See for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith."

For the past 49 years, Chorbishop Leser has spent his summer vacation filling in for the Diocese of Stockton, traveling more than 100 miles from early morning until evening to hear confessions and celebrate various English and Spanish Masses.

"Being a priest has been a surprise, one right after another," Chorbishop Leser said. "I have faced a gun twice, including during a robbery; and have had very different experiences during my priesthood. I enjoy all of the things of being a priest and being with people. I enjoy teaching classes and visiting the sick and I rarely take a day off. I always wanted to be a missionary priest for the Navajo and Hopi Indians, and I celebrate Mass whenever I am on the reservations. I’ve dealt with people who are greater saints than I will ever try to be."