Al Hardini: Saint Charbel's Teacher

From Al Hardini the Monk and the Priest.

In 1856, The Apostolic representative Brunoni appointed Father Laurencius as Superior General for the Lebanese Maronite Order, and he also appointed as Vicars General: Youssef Rahme from Bsharre, Gebrayel from Harissa, Nehmetallah Kassab from Hardine and Karubim from Bkassine. In the same year, the Hermit Father Alishaa asked his Brother the Vicar Nehmetallah to transfer the hermit Charbel to the Monastery of Kfifane in order to give him the priesthood education, as he used to see in him a priest and Saint. Al Hardini was teaching the student monks theology, and he said on one occasion:”I have a student who is a Saint, he is Charbel from Bekaakafra.”

During Al Hardini’s third and last mandate as Vicar General, the Maronite Order acquired the printing facilities at the Monastery of Tamish in 1856 at the price of 75.000 piaster, and it was equipped with Arabic, Syriac and Latin printing characters. It also included a paper cutter, archiving and binding equipments. In 1856 the Antioch of Jaffa was founded, the Antioch of Baalbeck and the mill of Nahr El Kalb in 1857, and the school of Wadi Jezzine in 1858.

Monastery of Saint Moses in Al Douar, Metn

Father Al Hardini died before the end of his mandate as vicar general. After his death, light started to come out of his tomb, many healings took place and his body remained intact. These supernatural events which were undoubtedly coming from God have shaken the Maronite Order, especially the outlawed monks who were not under the submission of Father Laurencius the Superior General, and who were creating the division inside the Maronite Order. Most of these monks were from the Metn area and they were at the Monastery of Saint Moses in Al Douar. With Al Hardini’s intercession with the Most High, they finally declared their total obedience to the Superior General in 1859 and the Maronite Order was unified again until this day, in spite of the numerous problems and dramatic events that took place in Lebanon, especially in 1860 when more than 24,000 Maronites were murdered in a genocide because of their Faith. 

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Al Hardini Makes the Provisions Overflow

After the incident that occured with Father Al Hardini at the Monastery of Saint Michael Bhersaf, he was transferred to the Monastery of Saint Artemius (Mar Shallita) at Al Kattara in the summer of 1856. On one occasion, Brother Gabriel Kayto “the Kararji” (the monk responsible for the provisions at the monastery) told the Superior, father Bernard Kayto that the provisions of the monastery are not enough for the winter season and the barn is more than half empty of crops. As the Superior’s mandate was near its end and he was leaving permanently the Monastery of Al Kattara for the General Congregation, it was not appropriate for him to leave his post with empty or too little provisions for his successor.

Monastery of Mar Shallita, Al Kattara

The Superior came to check the provisions and he noticed in fact that the barn was more than half empty, he also checked the other kinds of provisions and realized that the reserves of the Monastery were very little. Not being able to find any solution, he left and came back with Father Al Hardini, who stood at the door of the provision room and asked for water, prayed over it, and sprayed it over the provisions and the barn.


After a while, as the kararji was performing his regular control on the provisions, he found the barn full of wheat, he was extremely surprised and left the room running and screaming loudly and joyfully saying:”the barn is full, it is even overflowing!”. Everybody rushed to the provision room with the Superior and they saw the wheat overflowing and realized what happened. All the monks were very happy and they praised God and thanked him for what he did for them through Father Al Hardini's intercession.

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A Crazy Priest

From Al Hardini the Monk and the Priest.

When Father Al Hardini used to celebrate the Holy mass, he impressed the attendance with his faith and extreme piety, even the children were attracted to him and often talked about him as being a Saint.

On one occasion, a lady called Mariam had a son called Salim, she was Sheikh Abdallah Bleibel’s wife and was known as “Em Salim Bleibel”, she was told that her son Salim was escaping from school at the Monastery of Saint Michael, so she came personally to check. She was very arrogant and had sophisticated manners, as she originated from “the city” and her husband was very wealthy and has donated many lands to the Maronite Order, and the Order owed him a lot. When Em Salim arrived, everybody was at church and Father Al Hardini was celebrating the Holy mass.

Monastery of Saint Michael (Mar Mkhayel) Bhersaf

She entered the church and wanted to ask about her son in the middle of the Holy mass, she approached the altar and knelt down in the men’s section where usually women are not allowed (as men and women used to split and occupy separate areas in the church at that time) and she waited till the end of the mass to ask Al Hardini about her son. But Al Hardini asked her through the servant of the mass and without looking at her face to return and go back to the women’s section, but she wouldn’t accept, then he covered his face and gave her a sign with his hand asking her to go back. But she lost her temper and started yelling and shouting loudly in the church, swearing at him saying:”They bring us crazy monks from the farthest places on earth to give us orders, and this monastery and this Wakf belong to us! You come from the end of the world to prohibit us and get us out of it? They allowed in someone crazy to be a monk, an insane!”.

When people who were outside the church heard the shouting they rushed in and asked what was going on, they were told that Em Salim Bleibel was very angry because Father Nehmetallah offended her in the church. Then everybody left the church and they were blaming her for daring to address someone like Al Hardini in such a way and having said about him:”he is a crazy priest he's always covering his face”.

After the incident with Em Salim, Al Hardini asked his Superior to transfer him to a fenced monastery away from noise and from people and where the monastic rules are strictly observed, so he sent him to the Monastery of Al Kattara. He kept going frequently to the Monastery of Kfifane to teach Theology and to work in archiving.

Later on in 1869, Em Salim’s daughter-in-law Taj went to visit Al Hardini’s tomb, as Em Salim was very ill she asked Taj to kiss Al Hardini’s hand for her and to ask for his forgiveness.

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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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Al Hardini At the Monastery of Annaya

From Al Hardini the monk and the priest

After the end of his mandate as vicar general, Al Hardini was sent to the monastery of Annaya, and he was still relatively young, to be the novices teacher. On the 25th of July 1848, the general authority appointed him as the agent of the monastery of Annaya. He contributed to the development of the monastery, as several lands were bought during the period of his agency, besides the lands bought by his brother the hermit Alishaa. The Wakf of the monastery was also created. Father Al Hardini used to go frequently to the monastery of Kfifane to teach Theology.

The Monastery of Saint Maron Annaya with the new Church

During those difficult days, Al Hardini often visited his brother the hermit Alishaa to share with him his worries and to confess to him. Alishaa used to ask him with insistence to join him at the hermitage where he can live in peace and serenity and told him: “it would be appropriate for you to leave the monastery and come to this hermitage and spend the rest of your days here away from the noise of the world, here you can fully concentrate on prayer and meditation and you can have peace of mind”.

Al Hardini used to answer Alishaa:” Those who thrive in their life with others will have a greater reward, because they have to endure a lot, be patient and be submitted to others wills and bear with the feeble. Life with others is like a continuous martyrdom as a monk cannot act according to his taste or character, but he should always make sure not to offend others. He should always be careful about his job and behaviors, to keep his reputation clean among his brothers. As for the hermit, he is alone, away from external temptation, spends all his time in prayer and work in the field, while at the monastery the monk is subject to strict obedience. In the hermitage one cannot be the target for premeditated evil acts, while living with others exposes the monk commonly to such acts, therefore we must live in the monasteries with our brothers the monks and endure patiently and firmly any despise or abuse that we may incur, then our reward will be greater and we will receive atonement for our sins as the Lord says:”the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). A good doer in the monastery is an example to others, yet I think that everyone has a vocation, people are not alike, some are called for hermit seclusion, some for life with others, and this is my vocation and I have embraced it since the beginning”.

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Al Hardini Vicar General

On the 17th of February 1845, the Vatican issued an apostolic order for the designation of the General Authority of the Maronite Order. Father Saba Al Akouri was appointed Superior General, and fathers: Boulos from Mtein, Al Hardini from Hardine, Karubim from Bkassine, and Hanania from Aramoun, were appointed vicars general.

With the chaotic situation that was prevailing at the maronite order at that time, and with the influence and interference of the political authorities, many monks were pushed to protest against such nominations. Some of them went even further and broke in into the monastery of Tamish, and confiscated the documents and registers of the superior’s office, as well as the seals of the superior and the vicars general. The Superior was forced later on to have new seals forged for his office for the year 1845.

As for father Al Hardini who was aware of the situation, he dismounted the seal related to his position and hid it at the corner of the outside lintel of the window in his room, then he closed firmly the window. When the conspirators reached his office, they asked him for his seal in a respectful way, saying:"reverent father please give us the seal" and he answered them:"the seal is not with me, sons". Al Hardini was the only vicar general who saved his seal thanks to his wisdom and common sense.

During Al Hardini's time and according to the monastic rules, every vicar general had a private servant who accompanied him and served him. Al Hardini refused to have someone dedicated for his service, and he continued to serve himself. On the other hand, he kept on traveling frequently to the monastery of Kfifane to teach the brothers.

Monastery of Saint Rock (Mar Roukoz) Ajaltoun

On the 26th of September 1845, Al Hardini took part in the congregation of the vicars general upon which   many important resolutions were taken such as the decision to build the monastery of Saint Rock (Mar Roukoz) Ajaltoun, and to convert some of the Order’s locations into monasteries like: Al Kattara, Jdeideh, Ashash, Saint Yaacoub Al Hosn, Kobbayh and Rimat. On 1847, the northern passageway in the monastery of Annaya was built. Higher education was introduced to the order as well as foreign languages, and several elite monks were commissioned to the "Jesuit fathers school" in Ghazir for this end. Also on 1847, the Zeghzeghi family donated a house to the Maronite Order in Hammana which was converted later on into a school for the villagers.

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Al Hardini The Spear

From Al Hardini the monk and the priest

The first conflict inside the Maronite Order began in 1832 when father Aghnatios Bleibel was imposed by the political authorities for the position of Superior General of the Order. He founded a party to back him up for the position as well, to satisfy his personal goals, justifying his wrongdoings by the need to preserve the political interactions in the region. Once he became Superior, he began disposing of the Maronite Order’s funds and general interests for his own purposes and for his followers, he started spending the Order’s money on the people of his region and on his supporters in other regions, to earn their sympathy and to ensure being re-elected.

This conflict has created divisions and uprisings inside the Maronite Order, which has worried a lot the higher religious positions, and which has resulted in spiritual, cultural and material damages in the Order. Al Hardini in the meantime was patient, surrendering it all to the will of God, putting his faith in the Divine Mercy, consuming his body with fasting and penance in atonement for the sins, insults and blasphemes that have been incurred by the Holy Eucharist, and the severe disturbance to his beloved Order.

A statue of Saint Nehmatallah Al Hardini at the monastery of Kfifane

But the grace of God upon the Maronite Order did not deprive any Maronite convent from tens of righteous monks like father Al Hardini. They were the spear which defended the Order, and God with his Mercy spared the Maronite Order because he found in it more than ten righteous people. Al Hardini was melted by pain, penance and non-stop hard work and prayer, he spent his lifetime in a continuous martyrdom, sanctifying himself by the strict obedience to the monastic rules when so many were breaking them. He had a memorable saying:”The wise man saves himself”.

Father Saba Al Akouri convened his friend and superior of the monastery of Kozhaya, Al Hardini, in an attempt to alleviate the pain of his monks after the big quake which has caused the resignation of father Nehmetallah Awwad Al Hasrouni, the superior of the monastery, and also to safeguard the convent against any eventual hostility from Emir Amin’s side, the son of Emir Beshir The great and patriarch Youssef Hobeich.

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The Monk, The Teacher

Al Hardini was ordained a priest on the 25th of December 1835, he was very motivated, determined and devoted to serve God and his brothers the monks. He stayed until 1838 as monk in the monastery of Kfifane teaching literary theology, syriac language for the brothers and teaching children. He also helped in the liturgical services like baptisms, funerals and holy masses. On the 18th of August 1838, and after a recommendation from his friend father Saba Al Akouri Superior of the monastery at that time, he was elected by the monks of Kfifane to accompany Father Al Akouri to the general electoral congregation which took place on the 10th of November 1838.

Monastery Of Kfifane

Besides teaching theology, the authority appointed him as a responsible for the novices affairs in Kfifane for six years (1838-1845). He never looked at his position with pride, but considered it a service, he endeavored to do the common good and to praise God. He always gave his opinion according to the wisdom gifted to him from the Lord, he acted according to the rules and his living conscience without compromise, he had a great integrity and was focused on one purpose: God and the Maronite Order. He liked common good with a loving but wise attitude and he acted fairly with everyone. When reproaching misbehavers, he mixed strictness with humbleness and love to make it easier for them to accept the rules, and he often took the punishment that he imposed on misbehavers to teach himself being more merciful and to be an example for them to follow.

He always incited his students to be serious and motivated them to be loyal to God and to the Order. He taught them literary theology in light of the Holy Spirit, sowed in their hearts the monastic virtues besides education, he advised them always to combine education with good virtues because if education is not accompanied by piety it becomes a burden on oneself and on the church as history shows. He was a living example of piety and righteousness for his students, he always recommended not to waste precious time as joblessness is the mother of vices, and he taught them more by his behaviors than by his words.