June27-2010
Lebanese monk Estephan Nehmeh beatified by Vatican
Thousands of faithful gather at Kfifan ceremony
By Antoine Amrieh
Daily Star correspondent
Monday, June 28, 2010
(Retrieved from Daily Star on June 28, 2010)
KFIFAN, Batroun: Lebanese Maronite monk Estephan Nehmeh was beatified by the Vatican on Sunday as thousands of the faithful gathered outside the Monastery of Kfifan in the mounatains of the northern district of Batroun.
Archbishop Angelo Amato, special envoy of Pope Benedict XVI, read the papal decree bestowing the title of “blessed” on Estephan Nehmeh (1889-1938), who devoted his life to “meditative prayer and unlimited service to the poorest.”
The beatification of the monk was approved after doctors appointed by the Holy See in 2007 certified the “miraculous” cure of his niece, Sister Marina, from cancer.
The bedridden Sister Marina, 95, attended Sunday’s ceremony. Sick for 30 years, it was she who prayed to her dead uncle to intercede for her.
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir presided over the ceremony at the Saint Justine and Saint Cyprien monastery in Kfifan, where Nehmeh’s mummified body was on display in a glass coffin.
President Michel Sleiman, who is also a Maronite, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, attended, along with other political figures and a huge crowd estimated by the organizers at thousands.
“We are happy with saints that lived among us and equally to us on this land but our happiness becomes overwhelming if we follow their path and become like them,” Sfeir told the crowds.
Kfifan is also the home of Saint Nehmtallah Hardini while the neighboring monastery of Jrebta is home to Saint Rafqa.
Since the early hours of the morning, roads to Kfifan were packed with cars and buses transporting believers to the location as thousands parked miles away from the monastery to take the journey on foot.
Triumph arcs, Lebanese flags and slogans welcoming the patriarch and hailing Nehmeh were lifted in the mountainous towns leading to Kfifan.
Marches to the monastery started Saturday night from nearby towns and villages and Nehmeh’s hometown Lehfed.
Among the faithful who attended the ceremony, expatriates from Australia, Canada, the US, Europe and Mexico came to participate in the beatification of Nehmeh.
The Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army deployed all along the road from Beirut to Kfifan and secured the monastery’s parameters as participants were searched before being allowed entry to participate in the ceremony.
Giant screens were also erected in the monastery’s yard to allow the crowds to follow-up with the ceremony as the faithful voiced prayers.
At the opening of the Mass, Sfeir asked the papal delegate permission before beatifying Nehmeh. “The Maronite Church and the Order of Lebanese Monks asked the Holy Pope Benedict XVI to beatify Lebanese Maronite Monk Estephan Nehmeh,” Sfeir said.
“We are happy to welcome you as the pope’s envoy to head in his name the ceremony to beatify monk Estephan Nehmeh. This occasion is a very joyful one for Lebanon and particularly the Maronite community despite the country’s small size and population,” he added.
For his part, Amato highlighted Lebanon’s importance from a religious and historic perspective as a sanctuary for Christianity given the dynamic role of the Christian community and the large number of religious sites.
“We should be grateful to Pope Benedict XVI for his gift to the Lebanese people through the beatification of brother Estephan since this is a new page of sanctity that is added to the bright pages that Saint Charbel, Sainte Rafqa and Saint Neamtallah Hardini drew,” Amato said.
“We should follow the path of faith, love and sacrifice of Estephan and practice our faith and seek perfection similarly to the Cedars of Lebanon,” Amato said.
Meanwhile, head of the Lebanese Order of Maronite Monks Elias Khalife said Nehmeh represented the humanitarian and Christian values of the Maronite Church.
Khalife also hailed the Maronite patriarch, Sleiman and Hariri who attended the ceremony “that made Lebanese Christians and Muslims happy.”
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Lebanon Witnesses Religious Day with Estephan Nehmeh's Beatification
(Retrieved from Naharnet on June 27, 2010)
Lebanon is witnessing a national religious ceremony on Sunday to beatify Maronite Monk Estephan Nehmeh amid a massive political, religious and popular participation.
President Michel Suleiman and Premier Saad Hariri led a host of politicians, officials and clergy during the celebrations at the monastery of Mar Qobrianos and Justina in Kfifan in Batroun province.
The naturally-preserved body of Nehmeh rests inside a glass coffin at the monastery.
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir celebrated the mass for the event. Pope Benedict XVI's representative, Archbishop Angelo Amato, also took part in the ceremony.
Amato read the papal decree bestowing the title of "blessed" on Nehmeh, who devoted his life to "meditative prayer and unlimited service to the poorest."
Church bells rang throughout Lebanon in celebration of the beatification at 9:00am ahead of the mass.
Head of the monastery, Father Michel Elian, who oversaw all preparations for the ceremony, expected more than 50,000 believers to attend the beatification.
"We have received a lot of phone calls from Lebanese expatriates in Australia, the United States, Canada, Venezuela and Mexico saying they will be part of this holy day," Elian told An Nahar daily.
Nehmeh, who was born in 1889, has made several miracles. He died in 1938. In December 2007, Benedict gave the green light for his beatification.
Another Saint arises from Lebanon, the "Holy Land”! …Beatification of Brother Estephen Nehme on June 27.
Hala Najjar
Stephen or Estephen Nehme (1889-1939), born joseph Nehme at Lehfed- Lebanon. He joined the Lebanese Maronite order, and lived his entire life in chastity and prayer. He died in 30 August 1938 in Kfifane-Batroun, North Lebanon of natural cause.
He was declared heroic in virtue during the investigation and process leading to his canonization. The virtues are the Theological Virtues of faith, hope and charity and the Cardinal Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.Thus, he was declared Venerable in December 17, 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. Nonetheless, the pope Benedict XVI promulgated a decree of miracle on 27 March 2010, and his beatification will take place on June 27, 2010.
We hope that GOD will always consider our homeland a “Holy Land”, because Lebanon needs Your Almighty protection, and your chosen saints, now more than ever.!!
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Vatican beatifies Lebanon monk
(Retrieved from AFP on June 27, 2010)
(AFP) –KFIFAN, Lebanon — A Maronite monk was beatified by the Vatican on Sunday before a huge gathering of the faithful in northern Lebanon, an AFP reporter said.
Archbishop Angelo Amato, special envoy of Pope Benedict XVI, read the papal decree bestowing the title of "blessed" on Estephan Nehmeh (1889-1938), who devoted his life to "meditative prayer and unlimited service to the poorest."
The beatification of the monk, a member of the most powerful Christian church in Lebanon, was approved after doctors appointed by the Holy See in 2007 certified the "miraculous" cure of his niece, Sister Marina, from cancer.
The bedridden Sister Marina, 95, attended Sunday's ceremony. Sick for 30 years, it was she who prayed to her dead uncle to intercede for her.
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir presided over the ceremony at the Saint Justine and Saint Cyprien monastery at Kfifan, where Nehmeh's mummified body is displayed in a glass coffin.
President Michel Sleiman, who is also Maronite, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, attended, along with other political figures and a huge crowd estimated by the organisers at more than 100,000.