FEAST OF ST. MARON - Father of the Maronite Church

All that is known about Maron, the spiritual father and protector of the Maronites comes from Theodoret, the bishop of Cyr. In approximately 444, Theodoret undertook the project of writing a religious history about his religion. Theodoret never knew Maron personally, but only through the disciples of this holy man. He described Maron as "the one who has planted for God the garden which flourishes now in the region of Cyr." Little is known of the birth or youth of Maron because Theodoret was unconcerned about that aspect of his life. He felt that Maron was a man born not for this world, but for heaven. In his description of the beginning of Maron's life, Theodoret attests that Maron had "already increased the number of saints in heaven." According to history, Maron was never satisfied with the ordinary practices of asceticism, but was "always seeking for new ways to accumulate all the treasures of wisdom." Maron was the spiritual leader not only of the hermits who lived near him, but of all the Christian faithful in the area. He used to counsel them, heal their bodily and spiritual ills. All of these apostolic endeavors manifested wisdom and holiness of the hermit Maron.

Some hold the opinion that Maron and John Chrysostom studied together at Antioch before 398 and that the famous letter sent by John Chrysostom was indeed sent to this hermit Maron and not to some other anchorite with the same name. If the monk referred to in this letter is from the region of Cyr, it is indeed our spiritual father, Maron.

The date of Maron's death is placed somewhere between 407 and 423. Because of his great popularity among the people, riots broke out at the time of his death because everyone wanted to save his remains in their village.

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.

The gospel tells us that a tree is known by its fruits and we know from Theodoret that the garden of Maron flouished after his death. One is able to number approximately twenty saints among Maron's disciples, three whom were women. Theodoret describes these disciples of Maron with these words: "These anchorites were virtuous and heroic, totally dedicated to a life of contemplative prayer. They were strangers to any other consideration in the world. They were obedient to Church authority and tried to imitate their predecessor in their exercises of austerity. At times, their acts of penance and mortification were excessive, but they were always obedient to ecclesiastical authority."

After the Council of Chalcedon, Bishop Theodoret worked to construct the famous Monastery of Saint Maron. In addition to being a stronghold for the defense of the teachings of the Council of Chalcedon, this monastery was for a long time the center of the cultural and theological heritage of Antioch.

Historical Reference

"Historia Religiosa", written by Theodoret of Cyrrhus around 440 A.D. is our only source on St. Maroun’s biography. The author describes the life of hermits in Cyrrhus and vicinity. In chapter 16 the author mentions that St. Maroun was one of those hermits. He had a tremendous influence on his disciples (22).

Geographic Location

The diocese of Cyrrhus is in northern Syria. In those days, the Romans had divided Syria into three administrative regions: Syria Prima (Ca.le-Syria), Syria Secunda (Salutaris) and Syria Tersa (Euphratia) with Antioch, Apamea, and Hierapolis (or Membej) as their capitals respectively. The regions between south of Apamea and the southem Lebanese borders were divided into two parts: Lebanese Phoenicia with Homs - and then Damascus - as the metropolis, and Maritime or coastal Phoenicia with Tyre as the metropolis. The Diocese of Cyrrhus, with Theodoret as its bishop, was west of Euphratia. Cyrrhus was at a distance of two days north east of Antioch and about 70 kms north west of Aleppo. This diocese seat was Antioch founded by St. Peter prior to his departure to Rome. Theodoret mentions that when St. Maroun decided to lead a life of isolation, he went to a rugged mountain half-way between Cyrrhus and Aleppo. There was a huge pagan temple for god Nabo of which was derived the name of the mountain and the neighboring village Kfarnabo.

Exemplarary Life

St. Maroun consecrated the temple for divine christian worship. The pattern of his life had a great influence on his disciples who followed suit and were "as plants of wisdom in the region of Cyrrhus" (23).

St. Maroun’s sainthood became known throughout the Empire. St. John Chrysostom sent him a letter around 405 A.D. expressing his great love and respect and asked St. Maroun to pray for him.

St. Maroun died around 410 A.D. and willed to be buried in St. Zabina’s tomb in Kita in the region of Cyrrhus. However, his will was not executed because people from different villages wanted to have him buried in their towns. Theodoret’s description of St. Maroun’s burial place<.4) points to the populous town of Barad in the proximity of Kfarnabo. A huge church was built in that town around the beginning of the fifth century A.D. (25).

Inside this church there was a sarcophagus, which possibly contained St. Maroun’s body. According to a Maronite tradition, the followers of St. Maroun carried the relics of the Saint, especially the skull, to St. Maroun’s Monastery or "Beit Maroun" built in 452 A.D. between Hama and Aleppo in Syria.

Relic of Saint

The skull was carried to St. Maroun’s Monastery in Kfarhai, Batroun - Lebanon around the turn of the eighth century. Patriarch Douaihy mentions: "When Youhanna (John) Maroun settled in Kfarhai, he built an altar and a monastery after St. Maroun’s name and put St. Maroun’s skull inside the altar to heal the faithful. That’s why the monastery is called "Rish Mro" (Syriac) meaning "Maroun’s head"(26) .

Later, St. Maroun’s skull was taken to Italy. In 1130 A.D. one of the Benedictine monks came tc the region. This monk was the rector of the Cross Afonastery near Foligno-Italy. During his visit he heard about St. Maroun’s skull, and upon retuming home he publicized St. Maroun’s virtues. As a matter of fact, a church was built after St. Maroun’s name in Foligno. The Bishop of Foligno carried the skull to the city in 1194 A.D. and put it in the church of the diocese. The faithful in the city made a statue of silver for St. Maroun and put the skull in it. During his stay in Italy in 1887, Bishop Youssef el-Debs was given some relics of St. Maroun’s skull by the Bishop of Foligno(27).

Volperino, Italy, Celebrates Saint Maron's Feast Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

By Maria Rita Parroni Marzetti
A school teacher and a member of the parish of Saint Maron in Volperino

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Volperino, on the feast day of its patron saint, Saint Maron, arose again in praise and celebration! It has been the tradition of this village to celebrate the feast of Saint Maron on August 17 and 18 of every year since the twelfth century. This year the feast was tinged with sadness for it was the first anniversary after the 1997 earthquake, which ravaged the town and the whole region of Umbria.

The Mass and the celebrations took place outside the damaged church of Saint Maron. Instead of coming out of their homes, the people of Volperino left their tents and car caravans because their homes had been severely damaged by the tremors. The atmosphere was sad but emanated faith, courage and hope. Saint Maron has such an effect on people, whether in Lebanon or in Volperino, that his followers are firm-willed.

The damaged bell tower of St. Maron's Church in Volperino.
Photo courtesy of Maria Rita Parroni Marzetti (Italy, 1997)

Tents and car-caravans became the new homes of the people of
Volperino after thedevestating 1997 earthquake.
Photo courtesy of Maria Rita Parroni Marzetti (Italy, 1997)

One year ago this fall, repeated earthquakes devastated the region of Umbria. Many villages and towns were greatly damaged if not completely destroyed. Volperino’s church and homes suffered enormous damage.

Skull of St. Maron in its reliquary in Foligno Italy.
Photo by MARI (Italy, 1997)

Fresco of St. Maron (left) and St. Rocco (right) at
Saint Maron's Church in Volperino, Italy.
Photo by of MARI (Italy, 1997)

On the night of August 17, Father Umberto, our village priest, brought the skull of Saint Maron in its reliquary to Volperino from Foligno where it is housed. A large crowd followed the relic in a procession in Volperino. The procession did not move through the village as in the past because most sections of the village are off-limits because of the danger posed by the damaged structures. They stayed close to the church and the housing provided for the people of Volperino.

Near the church the people prayed to the Lord with hearts that were broken yet open and receptive. The words of Father Umberto Formica touched all those gathered and reminded them of the wonderful feasts, celebrations and processions held in happier times. On Saint Maron’s feast day on August 18, Father Umberto celebrated an open air High Mass attended by four priests who were former rectors of Saint Maron’s church: Fathers Gianni Nizzi, Dino Ambrogi, Giuseppe and Domenico. Also attending were the Mayor of Foligno, Avv.Maurizio Salari, and several people from Valdarno, a small area of Tuscany which helped Volperino during the emergency following the devastation.

Volperino is a village in the Umbria region of Italy. The history of Saint Maron and Volperino became intertwined in the twelfth century when the holy skull of the Saint was brought as a relic from the East. According to oral and written history, Michel degli Atti, a noble and then Count of Oppello in the Foligno District, was abbot of the Holy Cross Monastery of Sassovivo. He was one of a large number of Crusaders from Foligno who came to the East to rescue Christ's holy sepulcher from the Muslims. Upon his return to Italy in 1130 A.D., crusader Count Michel brought with him a very precious cargo -- the skull of Saint Maron.

Count Michel promoted reverence for Saint Maron --rendered as Saint Mauro from Italian-- and his relic to such an extent that a great devotion to the saint sprang up throughout all of Italy and spread to Eastern Europe. For centuries, Volperino was the scene of great pilgrimages during the saint’s feast day in August. Since Volperino was part of Count Michel's feudal holdings, it became the center of the religious devotion, especially after the village built a church in the name of the honored saint and adorned with several frescos depicting the Patron Saint.

Consequently, Michel gave Saint Maron's relic to the new church. The first available reference to the church of St. Mauro (Maron) was made in the Bull of Pope Innocent II of 1138 A.D.

In 1490, Bishop Luca Cibo [also spelled Cybo] decided to honor even more the relic of Saint Maron. He appropriated it from the people of Volperino and had it placed among the sacred relics in Saint Feliciano’s Cathedral in Foligno. The precious relic was then placed in a valuable silver reliquary. Its fine workmanship, dating to the fifteenth century, is the work of Foligno goldsmith Roscetto who was a student of fifteenth-century engraver, goldsmith and minter Emiliano Orfini.

Although the relic remains housed to this day in the Cathedral in Foligno for viewing by request, it is returned to Volperino for veneration every year on the feast of the saint in August. This year's two days celebration of Saint Maron's feast brought mixed feelings to all the people of Volperino and the area. They remembered how Volperino was before the quake and after it.

There is the danger that the village will fall into obscurity and be forgotten if only large churches and cathedrals are repaired but not the small churches like Saint Maron’s. The bishop is waiting for donations from the state and from other contributors to make the repairs. Without the church there will be no village and the thousand-year devotion to Saint Maron will cease.

This past August, the people of Volperino prayed to Saint Maron for his help in rebuilding their small village as a place of communal love, faith and hope again and a place where he is honored and where his relic is revered.

If you are ever in Italy during the month of August, come and celebrate Saint Maron's day with the "Maronites" of Volperino.

Mother of the Light

February 9 is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Maronite Church. Pope Benedict XIV granted a plenary indulgence to everyone who visited a Maronite Chruch on February 9th.

The Maronite Church professes the same faith and beliefs of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. It also administers the 7 Sacraments instituted by Christ, and obeys all the moral and dogmatic norms issued by our Holy Father the Pope, the successor of Saint Peter in the Vatican. The liturgy, itself, is known as the Syriac liturgy of Antioch, ascribed to St. James the Less, "brother of the Lord", Apostle and first Bishop of Jerusalem. The ritual formulation expresses the spirit of Eastern monasticism. The liturgical language used in the Maronite Mass is Syriac-Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ. Incense is used during the Liturgy to signify that our prayers go heavenward to God as the sweet-smelling smoke of incense rises up. In the Liturgy, the words of consecration are traditionally chanted in Aramaic, the same language our Lord spoke. Communion is received by intinction, after the priest dips the Host in the Chalice. This is the only form prescribed for reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Maronite Church. Maronites cultivate profound adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, seeing in the Holy Eucharist the Risen Christ who sent to us the Sanctifying Spirit. They are also deeply devoted to Mary, The Mother of the Light, hailing her strength and fidelity in the title of "Cedar of Lebanon."

To locate a Maronite Catholic Church in your community, follow the following link:

Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.

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