At
the General Chapter of the Order help on November
16, 1847, when Emmanuel (Ammanouil) Ashqar was Father
General (1838-1841, 1847-1850), it was decided to
detach certain properties from the Monastery of
Our Lady of Mayfouq to allow the building of another
monastery at al-Quttara, in the Jbayl district of
Mount Lebanon to the east of Mayfouq. The monastery
was to be dedicated to Saint Artemius (Mar Shallita)
and the project had the approval of Patriarch Joseph
(Yusuf) Raji al-Khazen (1845-1854).
In
the month of May, 1848, work began on fitting up
some cells for the accommodation of the monks just
above the spring known as Ain Ram, where the monks
from the Mayfouk monastery lived who had the duty
of managing the property before it was separated
and given to the new monastery.
The
monks continued to live in the house situated on
the east side of Ain Ram until 1850, when Father
General Laurence (Laurentius) Yammine ash-Shababi
(1850-1853, 1856-1862) began construction of the
monastery on its present site. As soon as it was
completed, it was fitted up and furnished.
Much
importance was given to the care of the property
and the monastery buildings and to completing the
church, which was finished in 1861; its altar and
baptismal font were consecrated by Patriarch Paul
(Boulos) Massaad (1854-1890) in the presence of
a large number of bishops and monks.
Subsequently
the monastery underwent some repairs and its property
was exploited, while more land was bought at Mazraat
Shouit within the limits of the village of Sghar.
In
1870 the monastery was designated to be a school
for the teaching of foreign languages. One of its
students was Father General Benedict (Mubarak) Salameh
(1891-1895). There were also some novices there.
The
General Council held at the Monastery of Saint Maroun
at Annaya on September 23, 1878, decided to take
more land from the Monastery of Our Lady of Mayfouq,
in particular the property at Wata Mar Sebta and
Nabaat Wadi al-Kroum, and one third of the fields
of Laqlouq, to give it all to the monastery of al-Quttara.
On
September 20, 1880, the General Council likewise
decided to attach to the monastery of al-Quttara
the orchards situated at the place called Wadi al-Kroum.
It is to be noted that even now the monks cultivate
the mulberry trees used for the production of silk.
The
hermitage of the monastery is occupied from time
to time by individuals seeking solitude, meditation,
prayer and spiritual renewal.
During
the recent events that troubled Lebanon between
1975 and 1990, the monastery sheltered many young
people who had left their own regions for political
reasons. With the beginnings of the peace process,
the Order restored and renovated the monastery so
that it could carry on its mission just as the others
were doing.
After
the return of peace, the Order restored and renovated
the monastery so that it might carry on its mission
like the other monasteries and be a Haven dedicated
to the Holy Virgin Mary, the second house dedicated
to Mary of Nazareth in the world.
The
first motherhouse is of course at Nazareth, while
the second is in Lebanon. Other houses devoted to
the Queen of Heaven will see the light in all four
quarters of the globe.
Same
Text in Arabic
- Monastery of Saint Artemius al-Quttara:
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