The festive Mass was celebrated by the monks and congregation of St. Joseph Monastery of the Lazarist Fathers in the North, Majdelya – Zgharta District, on the feast of the monastery’s patron, the righteous Saint Joseph. The Mass was solemnly presided over by Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Maronite Archbishop of the Diocese of Tripoli and President of the “Episcopal Committee for Catholic Schools” in Lebanon. He was assisted by the monastery’s superior, Father Tony Fayad, Regional Counselor of the Lazarist Fathers in the East, and Father Youssef Al-Mokhtafi, pastor of Alma – Zgharta District.
Participating in the Mass were Father Paula Naim, C.M., from the Arab Republic of Egypt; Father Michel Ibrahim, C.M.; Father Abbud Jebrayel, pastor of Our Lady Parish in Mejdlaya; Father Otel Moussa, pastor of Kfarsghab Parish in the Bsharri District; Father Youhanna Maroun Hanna, pastor of St. John Parish in Haret Al-Jadida – Mejdlaya and director of St. Anthony the Padovian Orphanage in Kfarzina; Father Joseph Barakat, pastor of the Shweilet Parish; and Deacon Joseph Kizana from the Maronite Diocese of Tripoli.
Attending the Mass were Judge Mario Akiki, President of the Zgharta Court; Brigadier General Dr. Alfred Hanna, Commander of the Staff Unit in the Internal Security Forces; the new Lebanese Consul General in the Australian state of Victoria, Mr. Tanous El Qabbeity; Mr. Fahd Al-Hazouri, Head of the Department of Vehicle and Automobile Registration in North Lebanon, and his spouse; Engineer Bassam Heikal, President of the Union of Municipalities of the Zgharta District, represented by Engineer Etienne Licha, Mayor of Mejdlaya, and his spouse; Sister Rania Al-Qazzi, Principal of the Sisters of Our Lady of Light School in Daher Al-Ain–Koura; Colonel Najib Al-Shami, Commander of the Zgharta Regional Gendarmerie Unit; Sister Grace Al-Khound, Head of the Malta Health Center in Khaldieh–Zgharta, run by the Antonine Maronite Sisters; Lieutenant Colonel Ghaith Youssef, Head of the Zgharta Regional General Security Center; Ms. Josephine Frangieh Harfoush, Head of the Lebanese Red Cross in Zgharta; Major Rabih Al-Sabbagh, Head of the Lebanese Army Intelligence Office in Zgharta; Sister Therese Fghali, Director of the Intermediate and Secondary Branch of the Antonine Maronite Sisters School in Khaldieh–Zgharta, representing the school’s principal, Sister Bazile Al-Sayeh; Major Joe Ibrahim, Commander of the Zgharta Traffic Division; Sister Latifa Fayad, Principal of the Daughters of Charity School in Ajaltoun–Keserwan;
Major Kamil Sadiq, Commander of the Zgharta Gendarmerie Post; Sister Maria Abdo from the Daughters of Charity School in Zgharta, representing the school’s principal, Sister Nada Abou Fadel; former President of the Tripoli and North Lebanon Bar Association and Coordinator of the Women’s Affairs Committee at the Patriarchal Vicariate for the Ehden–Zgharta Parish, Ms. Marie-Therese El-Kawal Fenianos; businessman Elias Al-Shamali and his wife, Mrs. Faten Barakat; journalist Joseph Ibrahim Mahfoud, Northern Lebanon Coordinator for “Voice of Love Radio and Charity TV,” and his wife, visual artist Samia Zait; lawyer Samir Gabriel and his wife; Dr. Mark Al-Baini and his wife; Dr. Peter Mahfoud, General Coordinator of the “Caritas Lebanon Youth Unit” and Head of the Emergency Department, represented by volunteer Alice Dib at the head of a Caritas Youth delegation; lawyer Michel Mohsen Fadlallah, Legal Counsel for the “Maronite Archdiocese of Tripoli,” and his wife, Ms. Bernadette Dib Fadlallah, member of the Arab Union of Specialized Women; Mr. Said Al-Makari; along with several nuns and educators, members of the Lay Missionaries Movement, the Marian Youth, the MEIDAD Movement, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Friends of the Monastery, the Mansourieh Family, and various cultural, educational, social, academic, union, legal, security, military, judicial, and diplomatic figures, as well as a large number of attendees from neighboring towns and villages.
The monastery’s choir served the Mass.
After the Holy Gospel, Archbishop Soueif delivered a homily in which he emphasized the life of the great Saint Joseph the Chaste, expressing his gratitude to the monastery’s superior, Father Tony Fayyad, for his invitation, and to the Lazarist Fathers for their historic presence and ongoing service in the diocese. He praised their humanitarian and social efforts, as well as the spirit of selfless giving that characterizes their mission and that of the family of Saint Vincent, considering this commitment a sign of renewal and joy at the heart of the Church.
He also recalled the late Archbishop Georges Bou Joudé, of blessed memory, affirming the deep spiritual bond that unites the diocese with this venerable monastery.
His Excellency focused on the figure of Saint Joseph as a model of deep attentiveness to the voice of God and trust in His providence, calling for a departure from judgment and an embrace of a culture of listening and love—especially in a time marked by excessive talk and division.
He stressed the importance of the family as a fundamental framework in God’s plan of salvation, where faith is embodied in daily life.
On national matters, Bishop Soueif called for prayers for Lebanon, noting that the country is going through a sensitive phase that requires wisdom, calm, and responsibility from all of us. He emphasized that internal unity and coexistence are the only path to overcoming this ordeal, urging everyone to hold fast to the homeland and work together to save it.
At the end of the Mass, a procession in honor of Saint Joseph was held inside the Jubilee Church, after which Bishop Soueif granted the faithful the festive blessing.
Afterward, the Superior of the Monastery, Father Tony Fayyad, C.M., on behalf of the monks, thanked Bishop Soueif for presiding over the celebratory Mass and offered his greetings to the shepherd of the diocese on the feast of his patron, Saint Joseph. He also expressed gratitude to the sisters, monks, priests, and the judicial, diplomatic, security, and military figures for their attendance and continued participation in the life of the monastery.
Finally, the Superior of the Monastery and the monks, joined by the Bishop and the sisters, received all the feast well-wishers in the great hall.
