✠✠ Thank You for an Unforgettable Festival! ✠✠
On October 3, 2026, we celebrated the highly successful launch of the Central Valley Lebanese Festival at St. Sharbel Garden. Our guests enjoyed the food, the organization, the entertainment, and the beautiful setup, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who made the day possible.
We could not have made this festival such a success without the support of Our Lady of Lebanon and Our Lady of the Rosary churches. Thank you for standing with us and sharing in this celebration. We were able to build on the experience and success of your own festivals.
To our sponsors: your generosity allowed us to spare no expense on the quality of our ingredients and the beauty of the setup. You helped make this festival something truly special.
A big shout-out to the St. Sharbel Kitchen team, who planned, prepared, and served our delicious food. Special thanks also to Stockton Community Kitchen, where the food was prepared. Several guests asked if we cater. Well… we just might!
And to our many volunteers: thank you for giving so much of your time at your booths and for serving the 1,100 guests who joined us from 11 am to 11 pm. Your hard work and warm hospitality were the heart of this festival.
Thank you all. See you next year on October 2, 2027!
✠ ✠ SAVE THE DATE ✠ ✠
We invite the volunteers at our festival to an appreciation gathering to celebrate our success.
Please RSVP by November 7 using the email address or phone number listed below, or through the following link:
https://forms.gle/79bBh41sg79rtxuL8
Liturgies
“Begin nothing on earth,
unless it has its ending in heaven“
✠ ✠ IMPORTANT NOTICE ✠ ✠
Please note that our Sunday Divine Liturgy time is expected to change beginning November 8 or
November 15. The new schedule will be announced soon.
Sixth Sunday After Holy Cross
Saturday, October 24
6:00 PM – Byzantine Ruthenian Divine Liturgy
Sunday, October 25
6:00 PM – Christ the King Sunday
Community Announcements
✠ ✠ ORDER OF SAINT SHARBEL ✠ ✠
The Order of Saint Sharbel supports the education of seminarians and the proper care of our retired priests, while helping foster vocations and strengthen the future of the Maronite Church.
We encourage all parishioners to learn more about the Order and prayerfully consider becoming a member.
✠ ✠ Vocation Discernment Retreat ✠ ✠
Raising the roof together Building Campaign
As our parish continues to grow spiritually and in number, there is an urgent need for a dedicated church and multipurpose facility where we can host social gatherings, strengthen fellowship, and expand our religious and educational programs for all ages. We prayerfully invite our parishioners and benefactors to support this sacred initiative in a way that best suits them—through a one-time donation, monthly installments over up to 36 months, or by offering the church an interest-free loan.
Let us know how you would like to support us. Click here.
Register at St Sharbel Shrine
We invite you to complete this registration form to help the priest to better serve you and keep you informed.
Additionally, registering allows you to fully engage with and benefit from our parish life, including:
Voting on important parish matters.
Accessing exclusive “Members Only” offers, such as family discounts for event tickets.
Children Ministry
Enroll your 3- to 12-year-old children in our religious program to help them foster friendship with Jesus and other peers of our community as they learn about the Bible and catholic faith.
Sessions:
Saturdays during mass.
Sundays 45-min after mass.
Maronite Youth Ministry
Join our ministry for the 12-18 yo age group.
MYO meet on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month for 40 min after the mass. They serve the divine liturgies on those Sundays too.
Young Adult Ministry
Join our young adults (between 18- and 30-year-old) to
foster meaningful friendships,
deepen the faith,
serve the community, and
develop leadership skills.
Contact Rhea Geagea at (209) 292-4167
Join MYA WhatsApp Group (link here & QR code below)
Seniors Ministry
Join our Seniors Ministry
We meet monthly for a mass, followed by a lunch, social, and games.
Check the bulletin and website for our upcoming meetings.
Contact Claudia Georgies (209) 817-3927
Join our WhatsApp group
Click on the QR code below or scan it with your WhatsApp camera
Our Campus and Community
Our mission is to serve the Central Valley as a sanctuary for all, welcoming individuals of every age and background to experience spiritual and social connection. We are dedicated to preserving the serene beauty of the St. Sharbel shrine, ensuring a peaceful haven where every seeker can find depth, community, and rest.
Saint Sharbel Makhluf
Canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1977
Early Life
Sharbel was born in the mountain village of Bqaa Kafra, the highest inhabited village in the Middle East, into a humble Maronite Catholic family. He was deeply spiritual from a young age, often retreating to a nearby grotto to pray, modeling the lives of the saints he admired.
Religious Life:
In 1851, at the age of 23, he left home and joined the Lebanese Maronite Order at the Monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouq, later transferring to the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya. He took the name Sharbel after a 2nd century martyr and was ordained a priest in 1859.
Hermit Life:
In 1875, Father Sharbel felt called to a life of complete solitude and moved to the nearby Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul, where he lived for the next 23 years. He dedicated his life entirely to the Eucharist, prayer, silence, and manual labor.
Death and Miracles:
Sharbel died on Christmas Eve 1898 after suffering a stroke while celebrating the Divine Liturgy. After his death, extraordinary lights were seen around his tomb, and when his body was exhumed, it was found incorrupt and exuding a blood-like fluid. His tomb became a place of pilgrimage, and countless miraculous healings have been attributed to his intercession—across Christian denominations and even among Muslims.
Legacy:
Saint Sharbel is one of the most beloved saints in Lebanon and throughout the Maronite diaspora. He is often referred to as the “Miracle Monk of Lebanon,” and his life is seen as a model of asceticism and mystical union with God. His shrine in Annaya attracts millions of pilgrims from around the world.
نظام القداسات في الرعية
الأحد ٦ مساءً القداس الإلهي
كل ٢٢ من الشهر ٧ مساء القداس الإلهي
Worship Services
Sunday
6:00 pm – Divine Liturgy
Every 22nd of the month
7:00 pm – Divine Liturgy if 22nd falls on weekday; otherwise, check the schedule above.
MINISTERING THE SACRAMENTS/MYSTERIES
Sacrament of Baptism: Send an email 1 month in advance to schedule an appointment and date with the priest
Sacrament of Matrimony: Send an email 6 months in advance (1 year in advance if there are canonical issues)
Visitation and Anointing of the Sick: Call the priest
Intentions for Divine Liturgy: Send a mail or an email with your intentions
Devotion
On the occasion of his beatification in 1965 at the Conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, Saint Pope Paul VI said: “In a world largely fascinated with riches and comfort, St Sharbel helps us understand the paramount value of poverty, penance, and asceticism to liberate the soul in its ascent to God”.
We invite you to support St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Mission in Stockton.
Your generous contribution will help us continue our pastoral and spiritual outreach.
For your convenience, you may simply scan or Click on the QR code to make a donation more easily.
May God bless your generosity.
