This spiffy 2009 Corvette from Simon Chevrolet-Buick goes to the winner of the St. George Maronite Church raffle that starts Monday.

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — Parishioners of the former St. George Maronite Catholic Church on Main Street that was destroyed by fire have embarked on an ambitious fundraising campaign to build a new church facility in Lincoln.

Beginning Sept. 1, the church will be selling raffle tickets where the grand prize is the choice of either a 2009 Corvette or $50,000 cash. There will be 10 additional drawings of $1,000 in prize money as well. The donation for each raffle ticket is $100.
Fred Simon, of Simon Chevrolet-Buick, LTD at 114 Fortin Drive in Woonsocket, is chairman of the capital campaign for the $4.3 million new church building project. He said the goal is to raise $2 million from this raffle and other fundraising events. Insurance payouts from the fire and money already pledged adds up to about $1.2 million.
It’s been nearly three years since a quick-moving blaze all but gutted the church and hall at 50 Main St. The historic building, once an Episcopal church, had been home to the St. George Maronite Catholic congregation since 1977, when it moved to Pawtucket from Federal Hill.
Since the fire, St. George has been renting space to hold masses and other religious events at St. Raymond’s Church on North Main Street.  However, last May the congregation purchased an 8-acre piece of property on Twin River Road in Lincoln, and has plans to construct a new 350-seat church building and meeting room/hall.
Simon said that, like many other parishioners, his family’s roots to St. George Maronite Church go back several generations. His grandfather and father both were church members, and he is hoping to pass the faith along to his son.
The church’s history dates back to the turn of the century, when an influx of emigrants from Lebanon settled in the Federal Hill section of Providence. “We’re a small community, but we’re all deeply committed to this project,” Simon said. “We want to carry on what was left to us.”
Simon praised St. Raymond’s Church and its pastor, the Rev. Edward Perrone, for being so welcoming and accommodating to the St. George’s congregation after it was displaced by the fire. “They opened their hearts to us in our time of need and overwhelmingly accepted us and made us feel at home,” said Simon.
The church’s committee members had considered buying one of several empty church buildings in the area, including the nearby Pawtucket Congregational Church. However, Simon noted that since the parish is somewhat small, many of these buildings would be too big and costly to heat. The decision was made to build a new church instead.
Simon said the new location was advanced by a demographic study that recommended Lincoln, Johnston or North Providence as the most favorable locations for serving the parish. He said it is hoped that the new church will serve as the center of the local Maronite community, bringing in new members from throughout the state. “Our church will be open to anyone,” he said.
St. George’s pastor, the Rev. Edward Nedder, has already moved into a house on the Twin River Road property. A house on Walcott Street that served as the St. George’s Rectory is going up for sale, said Simon. The Main Street property is also in the process of being sold to the owners of the Apex store, located across the street, Simon said.
Simon praised Nedder for his leadership in the wake of the fire, saying, “He has been a great inspiration for us and a driving force for us. He has united all of us in this effort.”
For more information about ticket sales, contact the church at 723-8444, Fred Simon at 769-3000, or Deeb Tannous at 265-1800.