Congregation of the
Maronite Lebanese Missionaries
The Objectives
Formation
The Expansion
The Congregation of Maronite Lebanese Missionaries is a clerical congregation, of Patriarchal right, whose sons have professed the vows of the three evangelical counsels of obedience, chastity and poverty, in accordance with the sacred laws. It undertakes its spiritual and apostolic activities in harmony with the local ecclesiastical hierarch in order to spread the faith and maintain it in our Maronite Church and the UniversalChurch. (CMLM Constitutions No. 1).
The Congregation of Maronite Lebanese Missionaries was established at Al-Kreim Monastery – Ghosta in 1865, through the prompt efforts of Father Youhanna Al-Habib (Later on, Honorary Bishop of Nazareth) with the help of many zealous priests, foremost of whom is Father Estephan Qozzah, the first Superior General and the spiritual father of the fledgling Congregation.
“The most specific of reasons that prompted me to found the Congregation of Missionaries is my view that our present epoch has need for priests zealous for the spiritual welfare of the neighbor, detached from all but the endeavors at hand, preparing themselves, devoting their attention to this strive of formidable stature” (from the writings of the founder).
The Objectives
Motivated by zeal for the glory of God and the serving of his people, the Congregation committed itself since its inception to the mission in its broader sphere, especially in the fields of the service of the Word and catechesis aimed at proclaiming the mystery of Christ, realizing the Gospel of salvation, and supplying the people with every spiritual endeavor beneficial for their salvation.
‘A soldier’ for the sake of God and His kingdom, the mission is not limited to a field excluding others, but, extends from preaching and propagating the Gospel through all ways and means, to spiritual accompaniment in all its varieties, to the fields of education and enculturation of the youth at all levels, without any social class or faith discrimination.
Formation
The Congregation is vigilant in providing the best means for an integrated human, priestly and apostolic formation, in all its dimensions and at all levels and stages. For the assurance of bringing this sacred yet laborious task to its hoped-for conclusion, the Congregation produced the book Daleel At-Tanshi’a (The Formation Guide), to be in the hands of the missionaries as the best of guides and an incentive: enlightening, reminding and encouraging the missionary in his daily efforts and strive, “so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17), “ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
The Expansion
As soon as His Beatitude the Patriarch ratified the decree authorizing the launching of the Congregation on March 25, 1866, the first fathers turned, without prelude or delay, to the spiritual services they enlisted themselves for, and started roaming through the villages and cities, near and far. They were preaching, listening to confessions, providing catechesis to children, solving people’s problems and disputes, conducting spiritual retreats in schools, parishes and monasteries for all the different groups of the faithful and the fraternities of monks and nuns, parish priests and bishops. Their favors were made manifest, and the kreim and the mission became two names for one calling.
Since the specific aim of the Congregation is to serve Maronites, and its mission extends in every direction where there are Maronites (Canon 9), in no time, the missionaries had followed the sons and daughters of their Church to Syria, Palestine and Egypt and to the rest of the countries of expansion, thus realizing the wish of their founder: “The wish most dear to my heart is to see you before my death, spread in the East and throughout the whole world, just like Jesus’ disciples, announcing the Good News with generosity and disposition, not minding any need or toil, or danger or resistance, all for the love of the One who loved us and sacrificed Himself for our sake” (from the writings of the founder).
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