On Saturday, 17th of February, our parish held the inaugural Annual Ladies Brunch. More than 100 ladies gathered for the event at the lovely Beit El Zaytoun restaurant. The main aim of the Brunch was to raise money for the Saint George Orthodox Arabic school in London, which operates with the blessing of our Metropolitan, His Eminence Silouan, and under the patronage of the Antiochian Orthodox Society of Britain.
After a short opening prayer, Mrs. Maggie Makhoul, the dedicated head teacher of the school, delivered a touching speech. She emphasised the importance of preserving our children’s cultural heritage through education, celebrated the nurturing spirit of every woman on the upcoming Mother’s Day, and shed light on the hardships faced by countless children in conflict-ridden regions of the Middle East. Mrs Makhoul finished with a short poem, inspired by a line from one of Fairouz’s songs:
من فلسطين الجريحة السّائرة على طريق الجلجلة, فلسطين كنيسة القيامة والجامع الأقصى.
إلى جبل قاسيون وعبق ِ ياسمين الشّام في سوريّا.
إلى مدينة البتراء وتقديس المياه في نهر الأردن.
إلى أرز لبنان، بلد الثقافة والإبداع .
مردّدين مع فيروز,
وطني يا جبل الغيم الأزرق
وطني يا قمر النّدي والزّنبق
يا بيوت لبيحبّونا ,يا تراب الي سَبقونا
يا زغيّر ووسع الدنّي, وسع الدّني يا وطني.
During the brunch, our guests enjoyed a delicious meal, engaging conversations, and an exciting raffle. As a token of our appreciation, each attendee received a small gift as thanks for their generous contributions.
Check some photos from the brunch by following this link.
A heartfelt thank you to the ladies of the St. George’s Activities Team whose hard work made this event possible. We can’t wait to welcome you all back next year for another memorable brunch!