Untitled Page

History and Identity

During the mandate of Father General Youhanna Andari (1994-1950), the Lebanese Maronite Order undertook to establish a school, at the request of the residents of Chekka (Batroun – North of Lebanon). Therefore, he rented a house and started to provide teaching, he even devoted several rooms of mortmain property for this purpose. In 1949, he began to build a new school on a piece of land that he had bought.
Under Decree number 7542 of February 2, 1952, the Order obtained official authorization for primary and secondary teaching at the school. On October 21, 1957, he opened a free education section.
Between 1958 and 1962, the construction of the three-floor monastery was achieved. In 1960, the Order bought from the Lebanese Cement Factory a piece of land adjacent to the school. Between 1975 and 1990, the restoration, construction, and equipment works were pursued despite the situation back then.
During the incidents of 1958, the monks of the school welcomed a large number of displaced people from the villages of the region, providing them with the necessary services and offering material and spiritual assistance during the summer.
They pursued their cultural and pastoral mission through various activities so much that the school was developing and prospering. Thus, on August 19, 1962, with the approval of the local ecclesial authority, the Order decided to transform the school into a trained monastery. It attached to it a piece of land belonging to the Saint Anthony Monastery (Mar Antonios) – Qozhaya, in the region of Aachach.
In 1975 and 1977, the Order handed over the ground and first floors of the monastery to the National Ministry of Education which transformed them into a public school. In 1983, the Order opened new vocational branches at the school, among which a section for training Kindergarten Teachers and another for training interior architects and computer specialists.
During the last events in Lebanon, the town of Chekka was overrun, on July 15, 1975. The monks resisted, and took care of the injured, hence ensuring the presence of the Order alongside the suffering people.
The monks are still endeavoring to improve the education level and still taking care of the pastoral service. They also organize musical and sports activities with the participation of the youth of the town and the neighboring towns.