Miss Michigan Rima Fakih crowned Miss USA during the 2010 Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada May 16, 2010. Miss Michigan Rima Fakih is believed to be the first Muslim to win the title of Miss USA when she was crowned the winner in 2010. Now, the beauty pageant winner has converted to Christianity, recently sharing a verse from Philippians on Twitter. Fakih converted to Christianity last month in preparation for her marriage in Lebanon next week to Wassim Salibi, a wealthy Christian music producer, Christian Today reports. At the time of winning the Miss USA title, Fakih said, "I'd like to say I'm American first, and I am an Arab-American, I am Lebanese-American, and I am Muslim-American." According to the news site Albawaba, Fakih only connected to her Muslim roots in college. "When I went to the University of Michigan, because there's more of a Muslim community, my dad wanted me to learn more about Islam," she said. "I didn't know much about Ramadan and other holidays, and my dad wanted me to take that opportunity and learn."
She attended a Catholic school near Beirut when she was a child and in New York after they emigrated to the US in 1993, Fakih has a Christian brother-in-law who baptized his two sons. One of her uncles has converted to Christianity and become a priest. She tweeted a Bible verse from the Philippians in March, quoting: 'I can do all things through him who strengthens me.' Maronite Christians acknowledge the authority of the Pope and as such are Roman Catholics.
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"Maronites formally adhere to the same Magisterial Roman dogmas as other Catholics, but they retain their own liturgy, spirituality, and discipline. Syriac is the liturgical language."
Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J. is an American Jesuit priest. He is "bi-ritual" meaning that he can celebrate liturgy in both the Roman and Maronite rites.