In the region of Mount Lebanon
of Jbeil, on a hill, which
is regarded as one of the
nicest hills in Lebanon, is
a Monastery belonging to the
Lebanese Maronite Order, known
as St Maron Monastery - Annaya.
It lies in Annaya to the west
of Ehmej and the south of
Meshmesh. It lies seventeen
kilometers from Jbeil, and
is 1200 meters of altitude.
Annaya in a Syriac dialect
means “a hymn singer”
or “a group of worshippers
or hermits”. In the
past, it was one of the farms
of Jbeil. Its name was transformed
to a monastery after the monks
had bought land in that area
where they constructed a monastery.
The construction of the first
part of the monastery was
completed in 1828, which was
the year of St Charbel’s
birth. Wasn't God preparing
for what was going to happen
in that blessed land? Between
1838 and 1841, the church
was completed and so were
all the cellars.
A
fter St Charbel had been
declared Blessed in 1965,
the Order started to build
a new church creating facilities
to receive the multitudes
of believers flowing to Annaya.
In 1974, the inauguration
of the new church, on the
western side of the monastery
which was constructed in the
name of St Charbel, took place.
Still to this day, the Order
continuously repairs and prepares
facilities for the sake of
the visitors’ services
and the meeting of the spiritual
needs. We will be talking
further about all the parts
of the Monastery.
Following the way of St Charbel
who combined heaven and earth,
the St Maron monastery performs
a distinguished agricultural
activity and a variety of
production such as wines,
jams and dairy products.
Not only do the monks accomplish
their spiritual duties inside
the monastery, but they also
distribute their variety of
the activities and care in
the vicinity, where they serve
the parishes and provide them
with all the necessary care.
Today, thanks to St Charbel,
St Maron’s monastery
in Annaya has become a great
national and international
shrine where thousands of
believers come to pray and
repent, and to provide for
their various spiritual needs.
It is also a place where letters
from all over the world are
received to get the Lebanese
Saint’s tangible grace
or to seek his intercession.
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