Our school, Besançon Baabdath, 25 kilometres from Beirut, gathered on Thursday 21 May to pay tribute to Saint Jeanne-Antide Thouret, our patron saint and founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity.
To mark her annual feast day and the 200th anniversary of her passing into Heaven, a solemn Mass was celebrated at the school by Fathers Ziad Nassar, Tanios Khalil, Charbel Fayad and Simon Hajj, accompanied by the school choir conducted by Mrs Gisèle Mehawej.
Organised by Sister Christine Helou, the Mass brought together sisters, pupils – from Year 4 to Year 8 –, teachers, parents, former pupils and friends, in prayer and joy, to give thanks for the life of Saint Jeanne-Antide, daughter of the Church and tireless servant.
Thank you to everyone who shared this moment of faith and belonging with us. May the example of Jeanne-Antide inspire us to serve with humility, educate with love and persevere despite everything.
Thank you to everyone who made this ceremony possible through their generous donations: the Municipality of Baabdath for the stage, Mr Abdo Zogheib for the marquee, Mr Rabih Matta for the chairs, Mrs Joelle Abboud Hachem for the decorations, and the Guides of Lebanon – Besançon Baabdath Group for creating the tree.
