On the north-east
side of Ghosta there is a summit overlooking this
township with a name redolent of divinity and glory,
and its hotel, restaurants and cafés. If one
turns right as one approaches, one comes to a great
monastery, that of the Armenian Catholics. When Bzommar
is mentioned, it is of the monastery that one immediately
thinks, for it has an international reputation as
a center of religious, cultural and commercial importance,
drawing many visitors. It is about fifteen miles from
the coastal town of Jounieh and about twenty from
the capital Beirut.
The origin of the name Bzommar is Syriac and Hebrew
and means a player of the flute or of cymbals, and
imitates the sound of the instruments.
The monastery dominates the heart of Kesserouan and
is reminiscent of the medieval abbeys of Europe. One
can see it from afar rising out of the rich verdure
of the surrounding woodland with its dominating red-tiled
roofs and belfries. It draws the eye and intrigues
the spirit This
monastery is the cradle of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate
and its historic seat. Here are formed missionaries
and apostles who spread the Catholic faith and bear
the torch of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.
It was on August 27th, 1749, that Abraham Ardzivian
expressed the wish for the monastery to be named as
that of the Holy Mother and Ever-Virgin Mary.
In September, 1749 the hill destined to become the
site of the monastery was acquired by the Armenians
thanks to Maronite Patriarch Simaan and the Khazen
family. The purchase price was nine hundred pounds,
paid half in kind and half in prayers and Masses.
Building began in 1749 and in 1750 a few rooms became
available for occupation. 1751 saw the construction
of cells, a a hall, and a stairway leading to the
future church and the excavation of a large cistern
to collect rainwater. The work progressed as plans
continued to be drawn up. There were extensions and
the construction of a second floor reflecting the
resolve to create a beautiful House of the Lord. Prelates
and monks moved in and a rule was drawn up to link
those in residence forming future missionaries and
new vocations with those in the missions preaching
the Catholic faith and exercising the priestly ministry.
In 1940 the members of the Congregation built a chapel
as a shrine for the miraculous image of Our Lady of
the Sorrows. This image measures twenty-two inches
by nineteen. The artist is unknown, but the work is
of great perfection and beauty, an artistic marvel,
given to Abraham Ardzinian after his decease. Our
Lady of Bzommar is certainly miraculous and is known
as the defender of lost causes. There are also several
chapels and altars dedicated to various beatified
priests and martyrs.
The monastery includes a building dedicated to Armenian
culture with a spiritual and cultural center comprising
a museum, reading- and exhibition-rooms, archives,
documents and photographs. There are private collections
and treasures of the national heritage, with two thousand
manuscripts and nine hundred ancient books. The library
contains many thousands of precious works, many of
them catalogued and published.
The monastery museum gives a general view of eastern
profane and religious art, particularly Armenian.
There are souvenirs of Emir Bashir, who whenever he
traveled entrusted all his possessions and fortune
to the monastery. On the monastery lands there are
well tended vines which give an excellent and famous
wine; visitors taste it and buy it. All the year round
the monastery warmly receives groups of tourists,
students, researchers, scouts and faithful come as
pilgrims. There is a church dedicated to the Glorious
Assumption of the Virgin Mary with a vaulted roof
and a tower with appropriate ornamentation. There
are often holiday youth camps for which an area has
been laid out where people may relax and restore their
feeling of well-being. By the chance of history, Bkerki
the seat of the Maronite Patriarch, Our Lady of Lebanon
at Harissa, the Syrian Catholic monastery, the Kreimist
Monastery of the Holy Savior, the Papal Nunciature
and other religious establishments are all to be found
within ten minutes of one of the most picturesque
sites in Lebanon!
Joseph Matar - Translation from the French:
Kenneth J. Mortimer
- Monastery of Bzommar: >> View
Movie << (2013-06-15)
