1600 years of faithfulness to the apostolic tradition of early Christianity: Founded around the year 400, the Maronite Church is distinguished by being the only Eastern Church that has remained in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church over the centuries, without any division or splitting. Its origins lie in the Church of Antioch, the city where “for the first time the disciples were called Christians” (Acts 11: 26). It is also the only Church named after a saint. There are more than 10 million Maronites around the world, while in the Holy Land are about 11,000. They have lived in the Middle East region since the time when St. Maron lived, after which the church is named. Even within the Catholic Church, the Maronite Church has maintained its peculiarities: first of all, it has its own rite and a liturgy of its own, influenced by the East, and derived from the Syro-Antiochian tradition, which best preserved the language and customs of the first apostolic community: part of the liturgy is still carried out today in the same language that was spoken by Jesus, as well as in Arabic. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “Why? Because Jesus himself spoke this language, Aramaic, Syriac, which are the same language. We preserved this language because our Lord Jesus Christ’s language.” It is faithful to the Roman liturgical calendar. As for the celebration of the three sacraments of Christian initiation—baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist—it is different from the Roman rite. Like with the other Eastern Churches, Catholic and Orthodox, Maronite priests have the opportunity to marry before ordination to the diaconate, although the majority remain celibate. The Maronite liturgy is particularly rich in theological and human dimensions. It truly is a school of faith, embodied in the world to illuminate the path toward the lights of the Kingdom. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “The Spirituality and liturgy of the Maronite Church belong to the Syriac-Antiochian tradition. There are similarities between us and the Chaldean Church, and we share other parallels with the Syriac Church, and this is why our prayer books bear the title of the Syriac Maronite Church.” After Vatican II, a liturgical reform became necessary and urgent in order to unify the Maronite Church. This was a way of combining the rite used in the patriarchal territory—the place of its origin—and the one that is practiced in the countries of the diaspora, where the Maronites are present as a result of immigration, through celebrations and liturgies that express the authenticity and at the same time the singularity of the Maronite Church. This renewal movement has tried to revert to the purity of Antiochian tradition, eliminating the external influences that have come in over the centuries. Among the 62 ancient anaphora, or different versions of the Eucharistic rite, today's Missal retains nine, which are linked in part to the names of the twelve apostles, Mar (or Saint) Peter, Mar James, Mar John—as well as the names of Saint Mark, Pope Sixtus, St. John Chrysostom, St. John Maron and St. Peter Sharar. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “We have maintained our liturgical tradition, the Syriac one, and as a result of changes agreed upon after Vatican II, the Maronite Church renewed its missal, prayer books and all of the rites and sacraments. This is why a liturgical commission, with the bishop at the head, works to constantly revise it so as to bring it back to its roots and for it to be updated and thus it will be able to help the faithful to pray, understand and experience prayers in Arabic. We have maintained a number of things in the Syriac language, for example, during the entry into mass, going toward the altar, we say ‘I entered into thy house, O Lord’ in Syriac, or like the Trisagion, ‘thrice holy’ when we say as ‘QADEESHAT Aloho,’ which means ‘You are holy, O Lord.’ Then, during the prayer of consecration, we say ‘the day before his life-giving passion.’” The Trinitarian dimension—particularly important in Maronite theology—is revealed through the liturgical prayers related to the Eucharist and the Divine Liturgy (the mass) and its rites, through traditions that touch people’s hearts, “The Father sent his Son into the world, the Son achieved salvation through his death and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit has completed and completes all of the sacraments, and is the mark of his divine seal.” The Christological dimension is very much alive, as expressed by the Maronite theology with two main events: Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist and his death on Golgotha and glorious Resurrection. The Maronite rite of baptism brings together these two episodes, reflecting its rich theological concept from the Syro-Antiochian rite. The eschatological dimension, in turn, is expressed in all of the celebrations and the Maronite liturgical texts: among these, the ones on the Eucharist, the Body of Christ, the resurrection and new life. The liturgical texts also express the different tribulations that the Maronite Church experienced throughout its history; it was marked by suffering and persecution, forgiveness and remission of sins, as well as by the challenge of unity. The liturgical celebration is a dialogue between the celebrant and the faithful, thus manifesting the unity of God's people and the union between heaven and earth. The Maronite liturgy expresses a unique, marvelous spirituality for men and women, applied in the concrete experience of life and through his journey of faith. It is also characterized by its human anthropological dimension, through texts, symbols and even architecture. Saint Maron was a Syrian ascetic who died in 410 and on whose tomb, located on the Orontes River, were founded a shrine and a monastery, the cradle of the community. St. Maron left Antioch at the end of the fourth century before the Council of Chalcedon, which took place in 451, and which marked the first major division of the Christian Church. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “There were those who chose to be against the Council, defined as non-Chalcedonian, and those who chose to be loyal to the Council, like us, the Maronites.” And this was the cause that led Saint Maron to settle on the hills, inspiring followers who, little by little, went on to form first center of the Maronite Church. After his death, his disciples continued the mission, taking the name of “Sons or disciples of Saint Maron” or “house of Maron,” until they were persecuted by the Monophysite Christians, who had split from the Byzantine and Latin Christians at the Council of Chalcedon in the 6th century, and then by the Muslims, between the 7th and 8th centuries. The chalcedonian connection will always be one of the elements that characterize the Maronite Church. This doctrine maintained the dual nature of Christ, his divine and human nature, in accordance with the decisions of the Council. Towards the 687, following the vacancy of the patriarchal see of Antioch, Yuhanna Maroun, Saint John Maroun, was appointed as Patriarch of Antioch and of the entire region of Damascus and Syria for the Maronites. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “The followers of St. Maron said, “we cannot go on without a leader.” So, they elected a superior to be the head of the Maronite monastery, and his name was Yuhanna Maron. He was the first head and the first Patriarch of the Maronite Church.” H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “This Patriarch was persecuted, and that is why he left Syria, and went to the mountains in Lebanon” Then, so as to escape the Arab Muslim pressure, toward the end of the ninth century, the Maronites took refuge in the mountains of Lebanon in masses, thus beginning to spread throughout the region. For 400 years, they resided in the Kadisha Valley, where the patriarchs lived with the community in caves and deep canyons where no one could reach them. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “The history of the Maronite Church began on the Lebanese mountains. Not all Maronites who came on the hills of Lebanon, or who were already in the area, were of Syriac origin. No. Many became Maronites (...) and thanks to their favorable defensive position, there were many who sought refuge here: Muslims, Christians of all denominations and Druze lived together.” The isolation of the Maronites was broken at the end of the 11th century. In fact, when the first Crusaders arrived in Lebanon in 1098, they found the Maronite Christians who offered them their hospitality. Fifty thousand people actively participated in the events related to the various Crusader-era kingdoms, with a special friendship with the French King Louis IX, a Crusader twice over, who spent a long time in Lebanon. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “Many came at that time, along with the Crusaders in the Holy Land to preserve the holy places. It is said that many of them fought with them, helped the Crusaders, showing them how to reach Jerusalem.” The meeting with the Crusaders also marked the long-interrupted resumption of contact with Western Christendom. The fall of Acre in 1291 marked the end of the Crusader kingdoms in the Holy Land and the establishment of Mamluk rule, which lasted until the Ottoman conquest of 1516. The Maronite community experienced a period of decline, and many of its members settled in Cyprus, where since 1121 there has been record of the presence of a Maronite monastery. The history of the Maronites is also intimately connected with the Franciscans’ presence in the Holy Land. With the foundation of the Order of Friars Minor in Jerusalem in 1333, their relationship with the Maronites in the Holy Land became permanent. During the great feasts of Christmas and Easter, in fact, there were many Maronites who came to Jerusalem, and they were welcomed by the Franciscans. The sixteenth century was a century characterized by the first Latin influences on the Maronite liturgy, and and it then led to more intense relations with Rome; a communion was sealed with the founding in 1584, of the Maronite College in Rome, a center of theological education for young Maronites who were preparing for the priesthood that was created to be like real “bridge between East and West.” The end of 1500s brought about a number of important events: the first Maronite Councils were held, the Church was placed under the direct authority of the Supreme Pontiff, and the Roman Missal was finally adopted. In 1894, Bishop Elias Hoyek, who later became Patriarch, built a Maronite Patriarchal Vicariate in Jerusalem, on the same site where it can be found today. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “This diocese is very ancient. This was the location of the diocese of Sidon, Tyre and the Holy Land. In 1906, Tyre was separated from Sidon and from the diocese of the Holy Land, and that is the reason why there have been these two dioceses since that time.In 1996, an independent diocese was created, called the Diocese of the Holy Land, and the first bishop appointed was Boulous al Sayah, Patriarchal Vicar from 1996 to 2012. In 2012, I was elected Bishop of the Holy Land.” In 2014, the week-long visit to the Holy Land by the Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronites, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, was a great reason to celebrate for the people. The Maronite patriarchs had not visited the holy places for 66 years. It was a visit of a spiritual, religious and pastoral significance, carried out with the intention of welcoming and accompanying Pope Francis during his historic visit in 2014. Some significant moments in his career were his meetings with the Christians in Jaffa and Capernaum, Nazareth, Haifa, Acre and Isfiya, and celebrations with the faithful in Palestine, to whom he brought a message of hope and solidarity for the future. H.E. Beatitude Bechara Boutrous al-Rahii Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and of the entire East LIVE CARD. RAI - from his visit to the Holy Land “The last word, in which we believe—after the Lord redeemed the sin and evil of men and reconciled them with the Father and died for all of us, conquering sin and death, rose from the dead, is was lifted up into heavenly glory—the last word is for peace and not for war. The last word after Christ is about truth, not falsehood and lies. The last word is for justice, not injustice. For fraternity, not enmity. This is our great faith, which we carry in our hearts and this is an expression that you have given me with your love. The affection which you have shown me, the Lord has raised up to himself.” The Maronite Church is organized into 27 dioceses spread across 16 countries around the world. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “There are Maronites all over the world: in Brazil, Argentina, throughout Latin America, North America, Canada, Mexico, Austria; we have many Maronites in Africa and in the Gulf countries, and in Europe. Obviously there are also Maronites in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Cyprus and the Holy Land.” The Maronite Archdiocese of the Holy Land is organized into two jurisdictions: the first is the Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land, which has about twenty priests spread across various parishes and a permanent deacon, as well as the presence of the Congregation of the Lebanese Maronite Order and the nuns of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus. In the Holy City, you can find the Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem and Jordan, which groups together the services that allow the Maronite Church, wherever it is present, to live out its vocation of serving pilgrims, the needy, and carrying out local ministry and liturgical life.. The apostolate of the Maronite Church of Israel, Palestine and Jordan serves about 11,000 believers, rooted in various cities, mainly in Galilee, and they are all part of the Maronite Archdiocese of the Holy Land: Haifa and Nazareth, Acre, Jish and Isfiya, Jaffa, and the villages of Al Mansora and Kafr Bir'im, two abandoned Maronite villages, in addition to Ain Qenya in Golan. Father YOUSEF YAACOUB Maronite Parish Priest - Haifa "Today the parish of Haifa serves the inhabitants of the two abandoned villages, as well as the Maronites who came from the villages of southern Lebanon and have been here for over 150 years." This is the largest Maronite parish of the Holy Land with about 3800/4000 faithful. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land "Isifiya with 160 people is also part of it ... the parishioners come from southern Lebanon, from a village called" Sarba ", a totally Maronite community (...), Jish with about 1500 people and Nazareth, with 1300 are also included." The Pastoral ministry, combined with the ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, shows a vibrant and dynamic Church - a characteristic of all the Maronite Churches around the world. The liveliness that distinguishes the parish life involves everyone and turns the Maronite Church into a big family. Father SANDY HABIB Parish Priest – St. Maron Church – Jish "We conduct activities throughout the whole year. On Thursday we have a weekly meeting for teenagers and young people, then we have a program of religious formation, where we discuss all aspects of life and what the Church teaches us about it. On Fridays we have activities for young people and adolescents, as well as meetings with the Committee in charge of all the youth. On Saturdays, the pastoral movement is responsible for the vespers prayer for teenagers and young people. " In Lebanon, a stronghold of the Maronite Church is the "Sacred Valley", a sanctuary for the "Cedars of the Lord". "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree and will grow like a cedar of Lebanon" (Psalm 92:12) It is not by chance that is called ‘Holy’: everyone who visits will immediately perceive its spiritual dimension, and the meaning of the Psalm. Aware and proud of the importance of unity with Rome, the Maronite Church, the spiritual daughter of St. Maron, has given us many saints over the centuries: St. Charbel, St. Rafqa, St. Nimatullah, and many others, all witnesses of the faith in Jesus, and perseverance in the doctrine of the first Christian community. Sister JOUMANA St. Joseph Convent – Jrabta - Libano “Our saints are all spread out in a very small area .... The Lebanon itself is small, but its saints were able to reach around the world. We are not only talking of physical, but also spiritual and psychological healings... many people come here crying, but after confession, they find peace. This is the real miracle. " Thousands of devotees, whether Christian or Muslim, venerate Saint Charbel in the Middle East. His name means ‘God's story’ in Arabic. He was a Lebanese hermit monk in Jbeil, the ancient Byblos, in 1800. He is known for his example of prayer and holiness. In the Holy Land, the parish on Mount Carmel Isefiya bears his name. Every year, the faithful Maronites visit this place to celebrate the virtues of this saint. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land "Saint Charbel contributed to this slow change, from the “not perfect" status to perfection. He was able to isolate himself from world events during a difficult historical period, without any incident that could affect his life. All that has been said about him, all the marvels attributed to him in life and after his death, are the miracles of God through his person and they are an expression of the profound truth and union with God, who is manifested in the silence of his life and in the words that St. Charbel left after his death." Father AFIF MAKHOUL Parish Priest - St. Charbel - Isefia “The Church dates back to 1971, then newly built, but the parish has existed for centuries. The church was a wish of the late Mons. Yousef Khoury that became a reality and was consecrated in 1987, at the end of its construction. From that moment on, the light of St Charbel began to shine on Galilee and on the entire Holy Land, from north to south. St. Charbel was much loved for his works and prayers. Despite the small number of parishioners,160 in total, there are numerous faithful who feel honored to visit this church to ask the intercession of St Charbel and witness the Glory of God.” In all the places where Saint Charbel is honored, there is an atmosphere of great piety and devotion as well as constant prayer of the faithful. The celebration of the feast of St. Charbel is very popular and is the occasion of great celebrations by those who submit their vows and those who dress their children as the Lebanese monk. Born in 1832 in the village of Himlaya as Pietrina, Santa Rafqasi initially joined the Mariamette nuns: Sister JOUMANA St. Joseph Convent – Jebtra Lebanon "Next to Biblos, there was a small village, Ma'ad, where a wealthy and well known man by the name of Issa lived. He did not have any children and used to go to church regularly, until one day he decided to build a school for girls, asking the assistance of two nuns, who were sent to the village upon his request(...) Sister Pietrina and two other nuns. " After a short training, Sister Pietrina was in charge of the religious and the elementary education. In these delicate tasks, she made a difference with her diligence and gentleness that deeply impressed her students and their families. Children spontaneously flocked to her. During the persecutions suffered by the Maronites in Lebanon in 1860, she was able to save several children from death. The year 1871 marks a turning point in the life of Sister Pietrina: her congregation, the Mariamettes, was dissolved. Sister JOUMANA St. Joseph Convent – Jebtra Lebanon "Pietrina was very sad, so she went to the Church of St. George to pray. She asked Jesus: As she prayed, three people appeared to her in a vision: the first was St. George, on horseback, the second, St. Anthony, whom she recognized by the beard and the cane, however, she could not identify the third person in the vision. St. Anthony showed Pietrina the way: "You will belong to the Lebanese Maronite Order". Consequently, she became part of that Order, where she made solemn profession of vows in 1873 with the name of Sister Rafqa, or Rebecca, which was the name of her mother, whom she had lost when she was only seven years of age. In 1885, during the Feast of the Rosary, Sister Rafqa, mysteriously driven by the Holy Spirit, longed for the blessing of disease. Rafqa “the Saint of the sixth wound” From 1885 until her death in 1914, on a daily basis she suffered from pain that progressively lead the saint to a state of helplessness and complete blindness. Her most frequent prayer was: "In communion with your suffering, Jesus." Sister JOUMANA St. Joseph Convent – Jebtra Lebanon “She was buried in the convent cemetery, but after a few days, a light sprang from his grave: the inhabitants of neighboring villages, as well as the spiritual director of the sisters noticed the light. The first miracle attributed to Sister Rafqa after her death was experienced by the superior of the convent, Sister Ursula, ill with throat cancer, a disease that forbade her to drink or eat. One night, sister Ursula asked the sisters to leave her alone because she did not feel well; later she heard a knock at the door and a voice telling her: The following day, she asked the nuns which of them had suggested this, and when no one answered, she had someone bring soil from the grave, and mixed it with a glass of milk, which she drank. Soon ... the signs of the disease disappeared.” Sister JOUMANA St. Joseph Convent – Jebtra Lebanon “Many are the miracles that occurred from that moment until today, not only among Christians, but also among Muslims and Druze, thanks to the soil coming from the grave.” The social presence of the Maronite Church in the Holy Land is moderate but very active: in addition to take care of the parishes, the Maronite Church has chosen the mission to make the Holy Land known around the world. The institution to which the Maronite Church is committed every day is the ‘Mar Maroun’ Pilgrims Guest House , beside the Maronite Diocesan Pilgrimage works. The "Foyer Mar Maroun" is located in the heart of the old city of Jerusalem, where past and present, heaven and earth meet. The guest house is located just steps away from the places of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Sister Jeanne Gabriel Head of the Sisters of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus "This house was bought in 1890 by Elias Al Hwayek ( who later became Patriarch) with the purpose of giving a center to the Maronites. (...) we came here in 1981, upon the Patriarch's request." The Foyer Maroun Mar also houses the Patriarchal Prosecutor’s office, whose manager is Father Joseph Sfeir, who runs this "little gem" in the center of the Holy City with the help of the Maronite Sisters of the Congregation of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. The collaboration with this female Maronite Order also extends to parish activities: a community life that alternates in perfect harmony with the daily management of the foyer, where each guest can 'feel at home'. Sister Jeanne Gabriel Head of the Sisters of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus "We are three sisters. We participate in the Holy Mass every day, and pray in the afternoon and at night ... During the day we do our work; we are responsible for the daily management of the guest house. We have 28 rooms for 56 persons.” Sister Jeanne Gabriel Head of the Sisters of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus “We are located in a central location, close to the Holy Sepulcher, so pilgrims can easily reach the heart of Christianity.” Deacon SOBHY MAKHOUL Director PJJ “The Diocesan Office for Maronite Pilgrimages is in charge of organizing pilgrimages for those who come from abroad, in addition to welcoming them in our home. We live for our work, and through the pilgrimages, as a mission to help pilgrims have the experience of life and faith when they come to the Holy Land.” The Maronite Church, the venerable and ancient Eastern Catholic Church sui iuris, has fostered with great joy and care the union with the Bishop of Rome, and this is a strong witness of faith in Christ and in the diversity of its traditions. H.E. MONS. MOUSSA EL HAGE Maronite Archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land “Unity with the other Churches.... We pray together, we meet, but true unity is very difficult. We would like a reconciliation between everyone all, so as to achieve unity. This does not mean one should reduce one’s own mission, because everyone is in charge of their own rite but according to doctrine. I hope that one day we will all agree on unity.” Keeping alive the full communion with Rome over the centuries, the Maronite Church has been a tangible manifestation of the awareness of unity of Christ’s one Church. A bridge between East and West, which has remained faithful to the Gospel message, and which is always able to foster a spirit of conviviality, the Maronite Church is an expression of ecclesial unity. Despite the difficult situation in the Middle East, over the centuries and even now, the Maronites have never ceased to make contributions to the life of the Church, and to strongly and courageously proclaim the truth and the beauty of the Gospel. Read More