Al Hardini Vicar General For The Second Time

From Al Hardini The Monk And The Priest

In 1850 the general congregation of the Maronite Order did not take place due to the difficult problems inside the order at that time. Therefore an apostolic order was issued from Francis Belardel on the 21st of November 1850 to appoint Father Laurencius Al Shababi as Superior General, and four others as vicars general: Gebrayel from Harissa, Nehmetallah Kassab from Hardine, Youssef Al Dahdah and Youssef Rahme from Bsharre.

The Maronite Order completed the construction of the Monastery of Al Kattara in 1850, as well as the school of Al Adra and the school of Kfarhayal. In 1851 the school of Saint Rock (Mar Roukoz) Ajaltoun was achieved, and in 1853 the school of Ain Zebdeh and the monastery of Saint George in Deir Jannine. A land was bought in Bshennine during the same year as well.

Monastery of Saint George Deir Jannine

The vicar general Al Hardini used to visit frequently the Monastery of Mayfouq, supervise the construction of the church of the Monastery of Al Kattara, teach meditation and theology at the monastery of Kfifane, teach the brothers theology at the monastery of Saint Antonios Kozhaya, teach the novices monastic rules and Syriac language. He also interfered in the Monastery of Kozhaya where he contributed to implement peace and leave the outcome of the elections for the monks to decide and not the Superior.

Near the end of his mandate as vicar general, the new Superior General Emanuel Al Mteiny sent him away to the school of Saint Michael Bhersaf, which was the only public school for children in the region and was also a school for monks. The land on which the school was built, was not fenced according to the monastic rules, and was in the middle of noise in a vibrant city which is Bikfayya. The city was home to the quarter of the Governor of Lebanon at that time, and the school was at a close distance from the quarter.
Al Hardini obeyed immediately and left for the school, he also never failed to go frequently to Kfifane to teach the Brothers.

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