Cardinal Vincent joined the Maronite community at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Paddington for the celebration of their Eucharistic Liturgy on Sunday 8 February, the Feast of St Maroun.
It was the first time that a bishop of the Diocese has been present at a Maronite liturgy with the community in London.
Cardinal Vincent was invited to preach the homily, in which he spoke about the missionary nature of St Maroun’s testimony: ‘St Maroun, from the solitude of the mountain, showed his faith by the daily actions of his life. And that is what we are called to do, too: to be witnesses to the faith remembering that every Christian is called to live out his or her faith in such a way that it becomes visible to others.’
Referring to the national tree of Lebanon, he called it ‘a national symbol and a symbol of true beauty and plenty.’ Seeing the tree as symbolic of our calling, he continued, ‘This is our calling: to be a source of encouragement, nourishment, to all who are in distress, and, through our faith, to bring some light and beauty into our world, the light of the Lord and the beauty of the saints.’
The Cardinal invited the community to share the richness of the 
Maronite tradition with the rest of the Diocese. ‘Please do tell your story to other Catholics whom you meet, in whatever circumstance. Please do feel at home here in this Diocese and take part, whenever you can, in some of our initiatives and celebrations. Yours is such a rich and resilient life of faith that we can but be enriched by your contribution.’
