{"id":8,"date":"2008-07-09T05:37:29","date_gmt":"2008-07-09T09:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lebanesesaints.com\/Home\/?p=8"},"modified":"2008-07-10T04:11:36","modified_gmt":"2008-07-10T08:11:36","slug":"abouna-yaacoub-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lebanesesaints.com\/Home\/abounayaacoub\/abouna-yaacoub-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Abouna Yaacoub Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Venerable Khalil (Father Jacques) HAD<\/strong><\/span>\"\"DAD<\/strong> was born on 1 Feb 1875 in Ghazir, Lebanon. He was ordained on 1 Nov 1901 in Beirut, Lebanon. He died on 26 Jun 1954 in Lebanon. Father Jacques attended school in Ghazir, and then at the “College de la Sageese” in Beirut, studying Arabic, French, and Syriac. <\/span><\/p>\n

In 1892 he went to Alexandria, Egypt to be a teacher of Arabic in the Christian Brothers’ College. Itinerant preacher form 1903 to 1914, he walks all over Lebanon proclaiming God’s word. They call him “the Apostle of Lebanon”, but he will be seen also preaching in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1919, he buys land on the hill of Jall-Eddib, 7 miles north of Beirut. He builds a chapel there which he dedicates to Our Lady of the Sea. On a nearby rock, he raises a great Cross 30 feet high. In the 1920’s he forms the “Franciscan Sisters of the Cross of Lebanon” who help the sick and poor. <\/span><\/p>\n

The modest work of Father Jacques aroused the people’s admiration. Soon the Lebanese Government becomes interested and begins to send to the Cross all sorts of ill and infirm; the deat, mute, blind, paralytics, the mad, incurables who are all accepted pell-mell. <\/span><\/p>\n

From 1950 on, the Cross will be exclusively a psychiatric hosptial, one of the most modern of the Near East, where pioneer work is done in psychotherapy. The movement of charity begun at Jall Eddib spread throughout Lebanon. Father Jacques and his sister multiplied their works of social assistance. <\/span><\/p>\n