'Ash Monday' in Lebanon

Christians attending OLA Schools in Kab Elias mark 'Ash Monday'.

Sr. Paoula Mourad, Director of the OLA secondary school in Kab Elias, helps with the distribuition of ashes during yesterday's Ash Monday service. Image courtesy of Collège Notre Dame des Apôtres- Kab Elias Facebook page.

A special 'Lundi des Cendres' (Ash Monday) service took place in Kab Elias, Lebanon yesterday as ashes were blessed and distributed among the Catholic, Maronite and Orthodox students and staff in the OLA-run schools.

According to Sr. Paoula Mourad, Director of the OLA Secondary School in Kab Elias,  the Catholic and the Orthodox churches have the same starting date for Lent this year. This occurs 'about every four years' and meant that the ashes was distributed to the Catholic, Maronite and Orthodox students and staff at the same time.

Sr. Paoula remarked:

"Maronites start Lent on Monday (27th February) not on Wednesday (1st March) like the Latin church. This is because the Maronite church has two important celebrations of Saints during Lent, so Maronites do not fast during these two days. Therefore their Lent starts on the Monday and not on Wednesday so as to have forty days of fasting."

The Maronites are a Christian group. The Maronite Church, under its own Patriarch of Antioch, is in full communion with the Holy See, whose papal primate it recognizes.

The largest concentration of Maronites is in Lebanon. Sr. Paoula continued:

"There are over one million in Europe, seven million in South America, along with one and a half million in the United States and Canada repsectively. The Lebanese Maronite Diaspora is composed of a total of about 10 million or even slightly more out of a total of 12 million Lebanese abroad."

There are many Maronites among the students in the OLA primary and second level schools in Kab-Elias. Kab Elias, also known has Qabb Ilyas has a population of approximately 50,000 and is located in the east of the country.  The OLA Sisters – Notre Dame des Apôtres (NDA) in French – have had a presence in Lebanon for many years with communities in six locations across the country.

The Lenten period in the Maronite Church is known as the 'Season of Great Lent'. It commenced on 'Cana Sunday' last Sunday (26th February) and runs until 'Thursday of the Mysteries' on 13th April - which conicides with Holy Thursday in the Roman Catholic Church. It has a duration of forty days. 

Sr. Mary Lebbos with children of the OLA primary school in Kab Elias, Lebanon. Image courtesy of Collège Notre Dame des Apôtres- Kab Elias Facebook page.