Expanding a Carmelite Monastery in Lebanon

Lebanon has the highest proportion of Christians in its population out of any Middle Eastern country. The Carmelite Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Beirut’s suburbs draws many pilgrims and visitors, including Catholics, non-Catholic Christians and even some Muslims. ACN has supported the expansion of the monastery by helping the constructing of a new church to help accommodate the pilgrims and visitors.

By ACN Staff

Father Raymond Abdo, the Provincial of the Discalced Carmelite friars in Lebanon. (Credit: Jacques Berset / ACN)

Lebanon has the highest proportion of Christians in its population of any Middle Eastern country. Around one third of Lebanon’s population are Christians. This use to be higher. Many Christians left the country during the civil war from the 1970s-1990s and there has been a recent exodus of Christians from Lebanon due to the dire economic situation in the Middle Eastern country.

The majority of Christians in Lebanon are Catholics. Other significantly sized Christian denominations include the Greek Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. The vast majority of Lebanese Catholics are Eastern Catholics, with Maronite Catholics being the largest group followed by Melkite Catholics. Latin Catholics make up a very small proportion of the Catholic population in Lebanon and make up less than 1% of Lebanese Christians. Most Latin Catholics in Lebanon have roots in Western Europe, particularly France and Italy.

The baptism at the monastery of Carene, a young Muslim woman who converted to Catholicism. (Credit: Jacques Berset / ACN)

Despite the small number of Latin Catholics in Lebanon, the Carmelite Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the town of Hazmieh in Beirut’s suburbs is not short of visitors and pilgrims. There is a shrine dedicated to Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux or Therese of the Child Jesus, in the monastery. The shrine and monastery are not only visited by both Catholic and non-Catholic Christians, but even by some Muslims.

The parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux are a powerful example of marriage and family. Father Raymond Abdo, the Provincial of the Discalced Carmelite friars in Lebanon explains that is something that people are drawn to:

“It is a place that has awakened great interest and is also visited by Muslims. Many married couples come to see us, especially those in mixed marriages, and we have had conversions to Christianity… (this shrine is) the first ever shrine dedicated to this holy couple and it is here in Lebanon; next to it, we have placed a statue of the Holy Family.” 

Father Raymond also tells us that Our Lady of Mount Carmel also draws pilgrims and visitors to the monastery:

“I don’t really know why it is, but this particular statue of the Virgin, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a particularly beautiful statue carved in Italy from the wood of a Lebanon cedar, attracts many people from all the Christian denominations, and many Muslims as well. Here in the monastery we welcome Maronites, Greek Catholic Melkites and Orthodox, and also Chaldean Catholics, Syriac Christians, and some Copts… For many years the church was too small and owing to the lack of space many people had to stand outside, especially on Sundays, and some people went away to find another place where they could attend Holy Mass indoors.”

Holy Mass at the Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. (Credit: Jacques Berset / ACN)

Father Raymond explains that the monastery has thought about expanding to help accommodate the pilgrims and visitors:

“We thought of the possibility of building a new church, in order to be able to welcome everybody, but this would have cost a great deal, and so we decided on an extension, linking one of the wings of the convent cloister with the old church – which only cost a third of the price. We had to save up, above all because many of our local benefactors, who had begun to support the project and promised to continue doing so, were so badly affected by the crisis. For almost two years now cheques have become practically worthless in Lebanon…” 

ACN stepped in and decided to help Carmelites to develop their monastery. ACN was one of the organisations to support the Carmelites and help construct the expansion. The new church is set to be shortly inaugurated although not everything is finished. Father Raymond explains further:

“The Mass will be celebrated on the old wooden altar, and the new altar will not be consecrated until 2022.”

The support offered by ACN to the Carmelites would not be possible without the support of our benefactors. Let us pray that Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin may intercede for Lebanon and allow the country to overcome its current difficulties.