Maronite Links

Life of Saint Maroun

Saint Maroun Background

Saint Maroun, born in the middle of the 4th century was a priest who latter became a hermit, retiring to a mountain of Taurus near Antioch. His holiness and miracles attracted many followers, and drew attention throughout the empire. St John of Chrysostom sent him a letter around 405 AD expressing his great love and respect asking St Maroun to pray for him.

The Maronite Movement Saint Maroun

St Maroun is considered the Father of the spiritual and monastic movement now called the Maronite Church. This movement had a profound influence on Northern Syria and Lebanon. Saint Maroun spent all of his life on a mountain in the region of Cyrrhus in Syria. It is believed that the place was called "Kefar-Nabo" on the mountain of Ol-Yambos, making it the cradle of the Maronite movement.

The Maronite movement reached Lebanon when St Maroun's first disciple Abraham of Cyrrhus who was called the Apostle of Lebanon, realized that paganism was thriving in Lebanon, so he set out to convert the pagans to Christians by introducing them to the way of St Maroun. The followers of St Maroun, both monks and laity, always remained faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Spirituality

St Maroun's way was deeply monastic with emphasis on the spiritual and ascetic aspects of living. For Saint Maroun, all was connected to God and God was connected to all. He did not separate the physical and spiritual world and actually used the physical world to deepen his faith and spiritual experience with God.

St Maroun embraced the quiet solitude of the mountain life. He lived his life in open air exposed to the forces of nature such as sun, rain, hail and snow. His extraordinary desire to come to know Gods presence in all things, allowed St Maroun to transcend such forces and discover that intimate union with God. He was able to free himself from the physical world by his passion and fervour for prayer and enter into a mystical relationship of love with God.

Mission

St Maroun was a mystic who started this new ascetic-spiritual method that attracted many people in Syria and Lebanon to become his disciples. Accompanying his deeply spiritual and ascetic life, he was a zealous missionary with a passion to spread the message of Christ by preaching it to all he met. He sought not only to cure the physical ailments that people suffered, but had a great quest for nurturing and healing the "lost souls" of both pagans and Christians of his time.

This missionary work came to fruition when in the mountains of Syria, St Maroun was able to convert a pagan temple into a Christian Church. This was to be the beginning of the conversion of Paganism to Christianity in Syria which would then influence and spread to Lebanon. After his death in the year 410 AD, his spirit and teachings lived on through his disciples.

from http://www.maroun.org/

Maronite Patriarch Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir

: http://www.bkerke.org.lb
The official website of the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East.

Maronites.Org: http://www.maronites.org
Welcome to Maronites International !

The Maronite American Research Institute: http://www.mari.org
MARI is a private non-profit organization founded to witness to Jesus Christ and His teachings; support the Maronite Church, notably the Patriarch in Lebanon; strengthen ties and promote cooperation between the Maronites in Lebanon and the Maronites of the countries of emigration; and promote research and publish writings on the Maronites.

The Maronite Research Council (MRC): http://plaza.v-wave.com/maronites
This site is dedicated to the founders of the Maronite faith and nation. The Maronite Research Council (MRC) is a non-profit organisation established in 1987 with a vision to form Maronites, publish findings and research. A vision in a full and balanced life of faith with the principles of our founder and Patron Mar Maro. As a council, the MRC support the Maronite Church, and our Patriarch His Holiness Mar Nousrallah Boutros Sfeir. Saint Maroun

MAROnet: http://www.maronet.org
This website from The International Maronite Foundation presents information relative to Maronites around the world.

National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon: http://www.nationalshrine.org
This Catholic Shrine located in North Jackson, Ohio, is open year round to all visitors. Groups wishing to make a special day of prayer, conference, retreat, or day of recollection are welcome!

Opus Libani: http://www.opuslibani.org.lb
Opus Libani is a research center that is initiated by the Secretary General of the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon.

This Website was created by Fr. Antonio Elfeghali, a Maronite priest and a religious member of the Maronite Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary (OMM).

These links will show you that the Maronite faith and mission is alive and well around the world !

WWW.Qolo.org mission musicale et culturelle créée par le père Milad Tarabay, fondateur et directeur du groupe "voix d'antan" pour la musique maronite et libanaise.

La Musique Maronite au Liban : surtout consacré aux extraits des créations du groupe Sawt el 'ati' - les voix d'antan

A Coeur Joie une section de la célèbre chorale est bien présente à Beyrouth.

Le Chant Maronite صوت الآتي traditionnel a décidément beaucoup d'adeptes;quand on aime on peut se laisser envouter... Sensations inhabituelles au rendez-vous.

Agapee : Agapée is a Catholic Choir since 1990... A group of amateurs who found in the modern spiritual music, a way to glorify The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference : http://www.catholic.org.au
This site shows that the Australian Catholic Church it is an intricate and, at first sight, bewildering complex of groups and individuals, each with a defined autonomy and accountability according to the Code of Canon Law, the fundamental legislative document of the Church.

Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia : http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au
At present, the Archbishop of Sydney is Metropolitan of all the Dioceses of New South Wales, with the exception of portions of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, which are geographically situated outside the Australian Capital Territory.

Catholic Information Center : http://www.catholic.net
As the name suggests, this is an Information Center regarding the Catholic Church.

Catholic Online, gives the largest and broadest population of Catholics worldwide easy access to comprehensive, educational and timely information about Catholicism, and provides a range of easy methods to integrate their faith into their daily lives.

Catholic Information Network (CIN). Catholic electronic evangelization since 1987.