The Community of the Beatitudes is sowing hope in Beirut
Father Rachad Jaber: Our hope is to live the values of love, Brotherhood, tolerance and supporting others
Report by Elia Nasrallah
“We felt the monastery building shaking, and we got bombarded by phone calls, no one knew what happened until we learned about the disaster on TV. We started to receive videos on our mobile phones; we could not believe the horror and destruction scenes! At first, everyone thought it was fake news, but to our shock, it was all true! The moments of terror witnessed by Fr. Rachad Jaber, a priest at the Community of the Beatitudes in Gharzouz region, Jbeil - Lebanon, were memories that were added to the series of painful stories that the Lebanese lived on August 4, 2020.
The level of destruction did not leave any neighborhood in Beirut intact. The disaster left the capital tremendously devastated and hit its people physically and morally. In the few days following August 4, local and international NGOs dispatched their teams to give much needed support to the affected people around the blast zone. However, the presence of ecclesiastical institutions was also noticeable in the field. For example, the Community of the Beatitudes participated in the relief operations and stood by the injured people and the ones who lost their loved ones or their home. Fr. Rachad Jaber, who lived painful memories following the Blast, informed us on how this Community have faced the tragedy’s repercussions and how they supported the Beiruties.
The Community of the Beatitudes: a mission of hope
This community was established in the seventies in France then in the eighties in Lebanon. Concerning its spiritual and humanitarian mission, Fr. Rachad explained that its main vocation lies in the life of prayer and contemplation, and in the common life of a group including nuns, priests and secular members. He also referred to its multifaceted mission in the world; for example, this community has a free school in Vietnam, a semi free hospital in Africa, and in Lebanon, a reception center for individuals, groups, and for spiritual retreats, in addition to a spiritual library. Moreover, it offers online prayers and spiritual retreats due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Fr. Rachad also pointed out that following the Beirut Blast, the Community is helping people affected by the disaster or by the economic crisis, through the limited resources it has.
Humanitarian aid on various levels
“The first response was cleaning the streets and homes from glass debris and rubble...” Father Rachad explains, “As for the second phase, random field tours were done by the Community’s volunteers, after nearly a week, and in cooperation with the university pastoral work, to visit the damaged houses for condolence and consolation and to check on the individuals and families.” Jaber added that the Community pursued this initiative through organizing these visits to reach a bigger number of residents in the neighborhoods organized by the Mar Mikhael Parish, which suffered heavy losses. He also referred to the spiritual and psychological listening sessions that he held with a group of Jesuit priests and therapists to treat the posttraumatic symptoms that many affected people still suffer from, even after more than a hundred days following the Blast. He explained that some cases require several visits in order for them to recover.
Fr. Rachad also spoke about to the donation campaigns carried out by the Community of the Beatitudes’ friends on their own, as they called from different regions of the world in order to offer their aid and support to the Lebanese people. So, through its limited capabilities and the small amount of money it received, the Community was able to participate in the process of restoring the windows and doors... Moreover, Jaber stressed that, to this date, many homes are still terribly damaged and unsafe, “as if the explosion happened yesterday," he said. Amidst the economic crisis, he added that even wealthy families are unable to restore their homes.
The Church’s presence in the field: a source of strength for the affected people
In Fr. Rachad’s opinion, the Church's role today has different aspects. He notices the initiatives launched by the Patriarchates and Archdioceses of Beirut following the Blast, with a complete absence of the government: On one hand, the process of the houses restoration that is still ongoing until today, despite the enormous damage that the Churches of Beirut have faced along with their affiliated institutions. On the other hand, he praised the presence of the Church spiritually through the condolence visits that priests, nuns, and members of the community to help the affected citizens. Fr. Rachad considered that Beiruties are in dire need of this spiritual presence in order to alleviate their severe grief and pain.
Fr. Jaber concluded by saying: “The real hope lies in our work in the field and in our human and spiritual experience, for the Lord is always present with us in the entire personal and collective crisis we are experiencing […] Our hope is tied up in heaven, in the home of the Saints; our hope is to live the values of love, Brotherhood, tolerance and supporting others". Jaber also expressed his surprise and his happiness to the scenes of the Lebanese who are making efforts to help their brothers, even the poor who are sharing their daily needs with each other.
Communication and Public Relations Department