Rai at Thanksgiving Mass for the Canonization of Patriarch Hayek: The Country He Believed In Needs a Strong State and a Strong Army

Celebrations continue following the canonization of Patriarch Elias Hayek, with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai presiding over the Thanksgiving Mass at the Holy Family Monastery in Aabeyen, where Hayek's tomb is located. The Mass was assisted by Bishop Munir Khoury of the Maronite Diocese of Batroun, Bishop John Elwan, the General Vicar, Father Youssef Suleiman, the General Director of the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries, and Father Malik Bou Tannous, Spiritual Advisor of the Sisters of the Holy Family, alongside Patriarch Raffael Bedros XXI Minaian of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia, Bishops Edgar Madani, Joseph Soueif, Maroun Ammar, Joseph Naffah, Bishop Samer Nassar, and numerous heads of religious orders, priests, and monks.

Attendees included Lebanese Kataeb Party President and MP Sami Gemayel, Free Patriotic Movement President and MP Gebran Bassil, MPs Suleiman Saadeh and Adib Abd al-Masih, MP Ghias Youzbek represented by George Atiyeh, Batroun Qaimaqam Rougheh Toubeia, General Superior of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family Mother Marie Antoinette Saadeh and her fellow sisters, President of the Union of Municipalities in the Batroun District Rougheh Youzbek, Mayor of Aabeyen Alain Dargham, Hezbollah Representative in the North Sheikh Reda Ahmad, Superiors of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Lebanon and abroad, Heads of Lebanese religious orders and sisterhoods, relatives of Patriarch Hayek, residents of Heltâ, his birthplace, leaders of associations and institutions, social, municipal, academic, cultural, economic, and educational figures, and a large crowd from the Batroun region and various parts of Lebanon.

Before the Mass began, the veil was lifted from a statue of Patriarch Hayek, crafted by sculptor Naif Alwan. Then, liturgical official Father Eli Saadeh welcomed attendees to the Holy Family Monastery—the monastery founded by Patriarch Hayek, home to the Sisters who dedicated their lives to God, and the land of Batroun, the land of Saint Rafqa and Saint Naima Allah, where Saint Stephen now rests, and today, Saint Elias Hayek.

At the beginning of the Mass, Mother Saadeh thanked God for His graces and gifts, especially the grace of declaring its founder, Patriarch Elias Hayek, a saint, stating that this event marked a distinctive spiritual and historical milestone in the life of the Maronite Church.

She praised the atmosphere of the canonization celebration in Deimane, the beauty of sacred liturgy, harmony in organization, and the synergy among specialists, technicians, and volunteers from various ecclesial communities, which revealed the Maronite Church at its finest—united around its patriarch, with the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio, in an evangelical wedding embodying the unity of the Church.

She also reflected on the faithful’s affection for the new saint, Patriarch Elias Hayek, and their eagerness to receive his relics, welcoming him as patriarch, shepherd, and loving father—a scene reflecting his place in the hearts of the Church’s children.

She concluded by affirming that “the gathering at the mother monastery of the congregation is an occasion to thank God for all that participants have experienced during the days of canonization,” emphasizing that celebrating the Eucharist and raising the cup of salvation remain the highest expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving to God, “for everything comes from Him, through Him, and to Him.”

After the reading of the Holy Gospel, Patriarch Rai delivered a homily titled “You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13–14).

1. With these words, Jesus defines the identity and mission of every believer: to be salt that gives flavor and preserves from corruption, and light that does not live for itself but illuminates the path for others.

By this identity and mission, the life of the new saint, Maronite Patriarch Elias Boutros Hayek, was distinguished. We meet near his tomb at the Holy Family Monastery in the beloved village of Aabeyen, to celebrate together the Thanksgiving Mass to God for the grace that sanctified this saint throughout his life: as a seminarian in Lebanon and Rome, a zealous priest, a passionate bishop, a great patriarch, whose life motto was “Your will, O God,” whose trust in all his works was “Divine Providence,” and whose unwavering peace was “God manages it.” Thanks to this divine grace that elevated him above the altars, he stands as an example for every believer.

We congratulate the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, daughters of the saint, the town of Heltâ, his birthplace, the Maronite Church in Lebanon and its patriarchal jurisdiction, countries of the diaspora, and indeed all churches and all Lebanese people.

2. “You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13–14). These words are not only for the Church but also for the nation. How Lebanon today needs to reclaim its salt and light: salt of values preserving the state from corruption and disintegration, and light of truth dispelling confusion and restoring clarity to the path.

In the presence of Patriarch Hayek, we cannot separate holiness from Lebanon. This man trusted in Divine Providence, yet did not wait passively; he prayed and worked, believed and acted, trusted in God while assuming responsibility. From this faith came deeds and achievements, and from this vision emerged a nation named Lebanon.

This is the message of national responsibility: to be salt preserving the institution entrusted to you from corruption, to safeguard public funds, respect the law, and place the dignity of the citizen above personal interests. To be light speaking the truth, bearing responsibility for decisions, and exercising power as service, not privilege.

We need this salt in administration, judiciary, and institutions, and this light in national decision-making, in the practice of responsibility, and in every position shaping the future of Lebanese citizens. The state regains its dignity through functioning institutions, justice through a judiciary fulfilling its duty, and trust through actions preceding promises.

3. Much has been said about the life of the new saint, but we wish to summarize it in these descriptions: He was a man of God, placing divine will above his own. He was a man of providence, trusting in God even in the most difficult circumstances without abandoning his responsibilities. He was a man of vision, seeing education as building the human being, and service as building society. He was a man of the homeland, understanding that love for Lebanon is not expressed in slogans but in sacrifice, work, and defending the dignity of its people. Yet we pause at two major achievements: founding the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, and championing Greater Lebanon, wrested from the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

4. By founding the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, the new saint, Patriarch Elias Boutros Hayek, intended them to be “salt of the earth and light of the world” (Matthew 5:13–14), guided by three goals: spiritual, social, and national. His continuous correspondence and the rules he established with the founding sisters reveal the identity, spirituality, and unique vocation of the congregation. From the beginning of his priesthood, he envisioned establishing a Maronite women’s religious order dedicated to schools in humble villages and the education of girls—foundation of the family—based on his deep conviction about the importance of the family in building society and the nation, and about fortifying both through institutions committed to planting sound family values among citizens.

The founder named it after the Holy Family, believing that the sanctity of this name would inspire the sisters to emulate the Holy Family in Nazareth, live its virtues, and spread them among families. This was the congregation’s special gift—its priority in spiritual matters and holiness—especially since it undertakes the upbringing of young girls, who are naturally under the protection of the Holy Family, the model of every Christian family.

Although Patriarch Hayek was the actual founder, with the help of Mother Rosemary Nasr in 1895, he consistently regarded God as the true founder of the congregation, defining God’s role in its foundation, continuity, and flourishing. He would say: “Indeed, Almighty God established this cherished congregation through His care and mercy.”

Regarding Mother Rosemary’s martyrdom at the beginning of the congregation’s journey, he considered it “a divine endorsement, showering the sisters and the congregation with abundant heavenly blessings, and her blood, like that of martyrs, is fertile seed for the congregation’s growth.”

5. Regarding Greater Lebanon, after Patriarch Elias Boutros Hayek struggled and secured it—Greater Lebanon, an independent state with natural borders—he worked internally to sustain this entity, fighting from September 1, 1920, until his death on December 24, 1931. In 1930, he issued a proclamation titled “Love of the Homeland.” He opened it by stating that every person has two homelands: the earthly homeland and the heavenly one. God desires us to love our earthly homeland, anticipating our arrival after this life to the blessed and eternal heavenly homeland.

The patriarch pauses to reflect on the reasons for loving the homeland:

Loving the homeland is natural; whoever renounces it becomes a grotesque figure despised by all, because in loving his homeland, he loves himself.

Loving the homeland because it provides everything necessary for life within its natural system.

Loving the homeland because its climate influences the mind and talent.

Loving the homeland because the language spoken on our mothers’ breasts taught us to know God and sing hymns of love to heaven.

Loving the homeland because it offers us examples of our ancestors, the best aid for our progress and righteousness.

Loving the homeland because its governing authority protects it with armed forces, regulates it with laws, and fosters economic life through effort and assistance.

Loving the homeland because it reminds us of our scholars, our saints, our heroes, and everyone who loved this land before us.

Loving the homeland because God divided its land for it; thus, we love it because it is God’s gift, and if we abandon it, we abandon God.

Loving the homeland is precious to Christians, because through its water we are baptized, through its bread and wine we receive Christ’s body, through its oil we are strengthened, through its stones we build our churches, and in its graves we bury the remains of our ancestors.

Loving the homeland because its history reveals God’s care for it across generations.

6. As a man of the Church entrusted with awakening conscience and upholding moral law distinguishing good from evil, he addressed those in power:

“You rulers, you administrators, you judges of the earth, you representatives of the people living off the people who provide your expenses and salaries, enriching your honored persons with special privileges and honorary titles—you are bound by your official status and your mission to pursue the common good. Your time is not yours, nor is your work; it belongs to the state and the nation you represent. You were appointed to serve the nation’s happiness; thus, you cannot sacrifice its interests without dishonoring justice and violating your solemn duty of integrity” (Proclamation of Love of the Homeland, No. 37).

7. Today, August 1st, marks the Lebanese Army’s anniversary. It is a day for all Lebanon, and the military institution represents a national point of unity among Lebanese citizens.

From Aabeyen, and in this Thanksgiving Mass, we send a salute of loyalty, pride, and congratulations to our Lebanese Army—leadership, officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, and martyrs, wounded, and their families. Our army is our dignity and pride; through it, we grow and take pride. It is the nation’s shield, guardian of the land, guarantor of stability, and the institution we always desire strong, united, and capable of fulfilling its national mission. On this day, we pray for every soldier standing firm in his post, carrying Lebanon in his heart, vigilant for the safety of his people.

The country that Hayek believed in today needs a strong state with its institutions, a strong army united by its national creed, and strong citizens grounded in faith in their homeland. Hayek knew a time no less harsh than ours, yet he never surrendered. He did not say Lebanon was finished; he believed in it and worked for it. This is the lesson we need today: never despair of a homeland that produced men like Hayek.

8. Let us pray, dear brothers and sisters, asking God, through the intercession of the new saint, Patriarch Elias Boutros, to make us salt and light in our society. Glory and thanks be to Him now and forever. Amen.

At the end of the Mass, a procession of the relics of the new saint, Patriarch Hayek, took place.

Then, a religious artistic performance was held, hosted by journalist Yara Drgham, featuring live testimonies from sculptor Naif Alwan on the statues of Patriarch Hayek, and screenwriter Suzie Khouri Hanna, author of the film script “Patriarch Elias: God Manages It.”

A 3D animation about Hayek’s life was also presented, accompanied by music from the Lebanese Army and a spiritual evening with singer Christian Najjar.