Deir El Ahmar – The Church of Our Lady of the Tower

Deir Saydet el Natour, Hraiche, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  سيدة الناطور

City:  Enfeh

District:  Koura

Governorate:  North

History: 

The convent’s ancient origin is attached to a legend. A rich man of the region committed adultery; filled with remorse, he attached a padlocked iron chain to his ankle and threw the key into the sea-shore and survived on the fish brought to him by local fishermen, who called him the guardian of the cavern. One day, a fisherman brought him a fish, in whose entrails the hermit found the key of the padlock. He knew then that God had delivered him from his suffering, and he built a convent above the cavern. He dedicated it to The Mother of God, but it also took the name of the Guardian.

The daily life of the convent is regulated by the flow of visitors who come to fulfill vows and make prayers. Sister Catherine al-Jamal is the principal resident of Dayr al-Natour, and she has done everything within her power to restore it.

According to the Crusader document, the Monastery of the Presentation of Our Lady Natour was built by Cistercians. Indeed, the Church interior resembles that of the Cistercian Church of Balamand, built in 1157. Otherwise, the history of Dayr al-Natour is hidden in obscurity, although it is said that the local Orthodox community took it over after the departure of the Crusaders. Its name is almost unmentioned by historical sources during the Mamluk and most of the Ottoman period, although it is reported that French corsairs attacked the Monastery at the beginning of the eighteenth century and killed a monk.

In 1838, the Ottoman authorities gave permission to the Monastery to be rebuilt. In the second half of the nineteenth century, it contained several monks and a superior, and it possessed fifteen dunums of land. During the First World War, it was bombarded by a Russian ship. A few years later, the Monastery lost its last Superior, Basilios Debs, who became Archbishop of Akkar. After his departure, monastic life ended at Dayr al-Natour.

During the twentieth century, the deserted monastery became a refuge for shepherds from the neighboring regions. In 1973, Sister Catherine al-Jamal moved to Dayr al-Natour and began to restore it from its ruin.

Mayfouq Elige Convent, Street, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  دير سيّدة ميفوق

City:  Mayfouq

District:  Jbeil

Governorate:  Mount Lebanon

History: 

دير سيّدة ميفوق - ميفوق

هو من الأديار القديمة في الكنيسة المارونيَّة،
بناه المرَدَةَ سنة ٨٥٠. إستولى عليه الحماديُّون حوالي سنة ١١٢١، مدَّةً من الزمن، فانتقل رهبانُه في أثنائها إلى دير سيِّدة إيليج. تَسَلَّمت الرهبانيَّةُ اللبنانيّة المارونيّة ديرَ ميفوق سنة ١٧٦٦، من الأمير يوسف الشهابيّ. انعقد في هذا الدير، مجمعًا إقليميًّا للكنيسة المارونيَّة، برئاسة القاصد الرسولي الأب بطرس دي مورينا و المطران ميخائيل الخازن سنة ١٧٨٠. سنة ١٨٥٠، أمضى فيه مار شربل سنة ابتداءٍ واحدة. أنشأت الرهبانيَّة معهدًا في الدير، سنة ١٩٢٢. وَمِن محفوظات دير سيِّدة – ميفوق، صورة سيِّدة إيليج الأثريَّة التي أُعيد ترميمُها بين سنتَي ١٩٨٢ ١٩٨٧. لعب الدّير دورًا على صُعُد التنشئة الرهبانيّة والوطنيّة دورًا بارزًا.

The monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouq - Mayfouq

One of the oldest Maronite monasteries built arround 850 by the Maradites. It was taken over by the Hamadi’s in 1121, and back then the monks moved to Ilige. The monastery was given to the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1766 by Prince Youssef Shehab. In 1780 a local Maronite council was held in the monastery presided by the papal delegate Fr Peter di Morina and bishop Mikael el Khazen. In 1850 St Charbel spent a year of his novitiate there. A school was founded by the order in 1922. The monastery holds the famous icon of our Lady of Ilige restored between 1982 and 1987. The monastery played a great national role and it was a major school of formation for the monks.

St. Mary Church - كنيسة السيدة, Wadi Jezzine, Lebanon

Name in arabic:  كنيسة مار لابا

City:  Midane Jezzine

District:  Jezzine

Governorate:  South

History: 

كنيسة مار لابا - الميدان جزّين

سنة ١٧٤٢ إنتُخب المطران سمعان عوّاد الحصرونيّ بطريركًا وجعل كرسيّه في بلدة الميدان الجزينيّة. حمل أهل حصرون معهم شفاعة مار لابا أو يهوذا الرسول إلى الميدان وبنوا له مقامًا صغيرًا. سنة ١٩٠٣ بعناية الخوري يعقوب عوّاد، بُنيت الكنيسة الحاليّة، وهي كناية عن عقدٍ مصالبٍ ينتهي بحنيةٍ نصف دائريّة. وجلب مغتربو البلدة لوحة مار لابا من المكسيك سنة ١٩٢١ وهي من عمل سارييا زاكاتيكاس. وسّعت الكنيسة ورمّمت عدّة مرّات في النصف الثاني من القرن العشرين.

The church of St Laba - Al Midane Jezzine

In 1742 bishop Semaan Awad was elected patriarch, and made his patriarchal seat in Al Midane. Since he was originally from Hassroun he built a shrine for St Jude the apostle (Laba or Tedy) in the village. In 1903 the current church was built, with the efforts of Fr. Yaqoub Awad. The structure consists of a crossed vault ending with a semi circular apse. The church was renovated many times during the latter half of the XXth century. The painting of St Leba was donated by the village’s diaspora in Mexico in 1921 it is the work of Saria Zakaticas.