Feast of St. Maron (Lebanon) - February 9

St. Maroun also known as Saint Maron, was a 5th century Syriac Christian monk who after his death was followed by a religious movement that became known as the Maronites. The Church that grew from this movement is the Maronite Church. St. Maroun, born in the middle of the 4th century in Syria, was a priest who later became a hermit, retiring to a mountain in the Taurus range in the region of Cyrrhus, near Antioch.

St. Maroun was known for his missionary work, healing and miracles, and teachings of a monastic devotion to God.

The Maronite Church formerly celebrated the feast of this great saint on January 5th. (This is the day in which the church of Kfarhai was consecrated in his honor.) However, in the seventeenth century, the feast was transferred to February 9th. Lebanon has proclaimed Maron as its patron saint and Pope Benedict XIV granted a plenary indulgence to everyone who visited a Maronite Chruch on February 9th.

Source: Wikipedia.org, opuslibani.org

If you have any photos you would like to share from your Feast of St. Maron, please submit your link in the comments below.