Béchara Abou Mrad, B.S.O., (19 May 1853 – 22 February 1930) was a

Melkite The term Melkite (), also written Melchite, refers to various Eastern Christian churches of the Byzantine Rite and their members originating in West Asia. The term comes from the common Central Semitic root ''m-l-k'', meaning "royal", referrin ...

priest and

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

He is

venerated Veneration (; ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Veneration of saints is practiced, ...

by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

especially in

Melkite Greek Catholic Church The Melkite Greek Catholic Church (, ''Kanīsat ar-Rūm al-Malakiyyīn al-Kāṯūlīk''; ; ), also known as the Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See as part of the worldwide Catho ...

, having been declared

Venerable ''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom. Catholic In the Catholic Churc ...

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

Early life

He was born on 19 May 1853 at Zahleh, Al Beqaa’,

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. His birth name was Selim Jabbour Abou-Mourad. His Mother's name was Elisabeth Al-Kach or (Ash).

Religious life

He entered St. Savior's Monastery on 5 September 1874. He entered the novitiate of the

Basilian Salvatorian Order The Basilian Order of the Most Holy Saviour () abbreviated BS, also known as the Basilian Salvatorian Order, is an Eastern Catholic monastic order of Pontifical Right for men of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church. The name derives from its mothe ...

on 19 September 1874. He took the name 'Béchara' meaning "Good News" as his religious name. Took his vows on 4 November 1876. He was ordained deacon on 26 March 1882 in the chapel of Holy Savior Seminary by Msgr. Basilios Hajjar. Monk Béchara was ordained to the priesthood on 26 December 1883 in the Church of Holy Savior Monastery by Msgr. Basilios Hajjar. He worked as Director of Discipline,

confessor In a number of Christian traditions, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism, a confessor is a priest who hears the confessions of penitents and pronounces absolution. History During the Diocletianic Persecut ...

and

spiritual director Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divinity, divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters ...

in the seminary of the Salvatorian Fathers. Between 8 November 1891, and 4 December 1922, he served as itinerant missionary in the district of

Deir al-Qamar Deir al-Qamar () is a city south-east of Beirut in south-central Lebanon. It is located five kilometres outside of Beit ed-Dine in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate at 800 m of average altitude. History Crusader period The ol ...

Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round. Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...

. He served as a parish priest and confessor at Sidon Cathedral in

South Lebanon Southern Lebanon () is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa districts, the southernmost distr ...

from 4 December 1922 till 1 February 1927.

Death

He died on 22 February 1930 at the Holy Savior Monastery, near

Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...

. Funeral service and burial were celebrated at the Holy Savior Church. He is buried at the Holy Saviour Church, Sidon Al-Janub,

Cause of beatification and canonization

issued a decree on Saturday, 11 December 2010, naming Monk Béchara as

among others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mrad, Béchara Abou Venerated Catholics by Pope Benedict XVI 1853 births 1930 deaths Melkite Greek Catholic Church Salvatorians Lebanese Christian monks People from Zahle 19th-century Christian monks 20th-century Christian monks