The Institutions of the Congregation in Lebanon
The Superior General Headquarters – Jounieh
Throughout history, the Superior General headquarters moved between Al-Kreim Monastery – Ghosta, and theSt. John the Beloved Monastery – Jounieh, and the College des Apôtres, in the College itself, or in a private wing inside the College campus.
The headquarters will return this year to settle at the Saint John the Beloved Monastery – Jounieh, once renovation work is completed after the destruction inflicted on the Monastery and its surroundings caused by the bombing of the Saout Al-Mahabba (Voice of Charity) the Radio Station on the night of May 6-7, 2005.
Al-Kreim Monastery – Ghosta
It is the Mother House. It is the cradle of the Congregation. It was founded in it, and from it, it was launched, and to it, it was linked. Presently, it is the monastery for the novitiate. Its erection dates back prior to 1716, and was constructed over the remains of a fortress or an old temple. Sheikh Abi Nader Daher Al-Khazen endowed it to the Armenian Antonine Congregation. The Armenian monks and their first Patriarch and bishops, who were flooding in from
Aleppo at the start of their return into the arms of the Catholic Church, resided in it. When they left it and moved to Bzommar and to the Mar Antonios Khishbaouh Monastery – Ghazir, the founder bought it and the surrounding real estate on February 18, 1865. He refurbished it and endowed it to the Congregation, which was born and raised there. The Congregation constantly strove at expanding it and still does. Its church contains a very valuable piece of art, an icon dating back prior to the thirteenth century and is called the ‘Suffering Trinity’. It depicts the eternal Father embracing the crucified Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the bodily form of a dove settling over the gibbet of the cross.
Saint John the Beloved Monastery – Jounieh
When Al-Kreim Monastery – Ghosta became too crammed for its residents, and to facilitate transportation, and in announcing the expansion of the apostolic endeavor, the Congregation decided in 1901, to erect the St. John the Beloved Monastery in Jounieh. Immediately, the missionaries set out to perform their spiritual, social and educational role. Aside from their ecclesiastical services, from Masses, hearing confessions, preaching and seasonal spiritual retreats, they established in it fraternities, opened free schools for the poor children of Jounieh, founded the Catholic Youth Club, equipping it with an invaluable library to fight illiteracy and combat novelties and factions. They were vigilant to attend to the social concern by establishing the Refuge of the Poor Association following the model of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. In 1924, the printing press was established in the vicinity of the Monastery, the first fruit of which was the publishing of the book containing the statutes of the Congregation.
After accommodating the Maronite Patriarchal Tribunal, the whole Monastery was transformed so as to house the Saout Al-Mahabba (Voix de Charite) Radio Station, while keeping the church open for the sake of the faithful.
Collège des Apôtres – Jounieh
After relinquishing the ’Ain Waraka Patriarchal School in Ghosta, in June of 1939, which had been handed over in September 1935, in accordance with an agreement with its president, the curate Youhanna Estephan, the Congregation decided to open its own college in Jounieh and it was given the name Ma’had Ar-Russul (Collège des Apôtres) designed by the Russian Architect Igor Betlanko. While the new building was being constructed, the KhalilMarounBuilding in the NewHarbor quarter was leased to be a temporary school. Despite the eruption of World War II, in early September, 1939, work continued and the distinctively designed first wing of the College was completed and opened to students in October of 1940.
From then on, the College continued to grow with the years and expand through the building of new wings equipped with the most modern up to date apparatus, to become one of the biggest of colleges.
The Cadmos School – Jouaar An-Nakhl, Tyre
After obtaining permission and the blessing of His Beatitude the Patriarch, the Congregation bought, in 1964, a spacious piece of land in the village of Jouaar An-Nakhl – close to the city of Tyre – paid for from the funds and endowment of the ‘Maronite Orphanage established by the Late Ibrahim Nasrallah Al-Khoury’ placed under the guardianship of the Congregation of Maronite Lebanese Missionaries. In fulfilling the wishes of the endower, the uncle of Bishops Shukrallah and Abdallah Al-Khoury, the Congregation proceeded to establish a benevolent educational project it designated as the Cadmos School. This school opened its doors to both day and boarding elementary students in October, 1966. It rapidly grew and developed and expanded through the building of wing after wing to become a high school, one of the leading schools in the South of Lebanon; a springhead of good citizenry and a symbol of brotherly coexistence and cooperation between religions, in an environment whose residents are mostly from the sons and daughters of the respectable Shiite Moslem confession.
Beit Ar-Risala (Mission House) – Edde – Al-Batroun
With the approval and the blessing of His Beatitude the Patriarch, and in accordance with a 99-year agreement, the Congregation was handed over control by His Excellency Bishop John Chedid, Bishop of the Maronites of Los Angeles, the United States, in his capacity as legal custodian of the endowment of Mar Mama – Edde, Al-Batroun, of some real estate deeds of that endowment. It was for the purpose of erecting a religious, apostolic and social center. After completing the necessary formalities and technical studies, the Congregation proceeded to reclaim some of the land areas for agriculture and to build a residential complex consisting of three wings: the first was completed in the autumn of 2001, and was occupied by the missionaries who devoted themselves to the apostolic endeavor in the region, and to helping parish priests, and the monasteries and the schools operated by nuns. In the autumn of 2003, the second wing was completed and was leased to one of the educational institutions. The third wing, still under construction, is reserved for apostolic activities.
St. John the Apostle Major Seminary - Harissa
Because of lack of space in the Superior General Headquarters in Jounieh and for the purpose of providing better means for the formation of our brothers, the candidates to the priesthood, it was decided in the summer of 1993, to move the Major Seminary to Harissa, close to the Shrine of our Lady of Lebanon in a special structure to be erected for that purpose.
After completing construction, the new monastery was inaugurated and blessed on September 27, 1996, by His Beatitude Mar Nasrallah Peter Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East. Our seminarians and those in charge of their formation moved in at the beginning of the academic year 1996-1997. In the summer of 2003, the General Library of the Congregation with all its branches and contents was annexed to the Major Seminary. They were transported from the Superior General Headquarters Monastery at the Collège des Apôtres in Jounieh, all except for the manuscripts and the archives.
The Press, the Publishing House and the Library
It is a threesome integrated institution specialized in the printing, publications and sale of literary and educational books and magazines, especially the religious and liturgical.
- Al-Kreim Printing Press, founded in 1928. It developed with time, and is now being re-equipped with modern machinery and technology commensurate with the needs of the epoch and the raising of production standards.
- Publications des Apôtres, founded in 1958, to undertake the publishing of scholastic books and the various types of educational publications.
- Librairie Al-Kreim, started at first in Beirut, then part of the press complex was cleared to house it. It provides for its customers the various kinds of religious books and ecclesiastical vessels and such.
Contribute to the national campaign for the restoration of the Basilica of our Lady of Lebanon