The 46th Annual National Apostolate of Maronites Convention, sponsored by NAM and hosted by Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon-St. Peter Cathedral, will be held July 1-5 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

"The NAM Convention will be a great opportunity for Maronites and friends from all over the United States to gather and celebrate our rich cultural heritage," said Father Abdallah Zaidan, rector of Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon-St. Peter.

During the event, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome, will be honored July 2. A native of Buenos Aires who was ordained a priest in 1967, Cardinal Sandri served a long career as a Vatican diplomat and official in the Vatican Secretariat of State, and was assigned to the nunciature in the United States (1989-91). His last position, formally the "substitute secretary for general affairs," involved being in charge of day-to-day operations.

In the last days of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, when the pope no longer had the stamina to read his own speeches, Cardinal Sandri became the voice of the pope. On the evening of April 2, 2005, it fell to Cardinal Sandri to tell the world, "We all feel like orphans this evening," as he made the news of Pope John Paul II's death public.

On June 9, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named Cardinal Sandri Pro-Prefect of the Congregation of the Oriental Churches, an assignment in which he works "to maintain good relations with the 22 million Easter Catholics who are in full communion with the Holy See," said Father Zaidan.

Also during the convention, Carlos Slim Helu, entrepreneur and businessman from Mexico, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Cardinal Roger Mahony are scheduled to participate along with religious and civic dignitaries, city officials and a delegate from Lebanon.

For tickets, contact Our Lady Mt. Lebanon-St. Peter Cathedral, (310) 275-6634, or email ourladymtlebanon@yahoo.com.