Monday 6 August 2012
Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ

For the Feast of the Lord’s Transfiguration, H.B. Gregorios III, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem, presided at 10a.m. on Monday 6 August at Holy Saviour Monastery Church, Joun over the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by the Superior General of the Salvatorian Basilian Order, Archim. Jean Faraj, together with attendant Salvatorian priests and fathers, in the presence of a large congregation of the region’s faithful.

Very many distinguished persons attended the celebration, including the Archbishop of Sidon and Deir al-Qamar, Elie Beshara Haddad, B.S., the Archbishop of Zahleh, Furzol and All Beqaa, Issam John Darwish, the Bishop of Canada, Ibrahim Ibrahim, the Superior General of the Society of Paulist Fathers, Elie Aghia and the Mother General of the Salvatorian Basilian nuns, Theresa Keyrouz.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude, the bishops, the Superior General of the Basilian Order and the monks of Holy Saviour Monastery received good wishes for the feast from the faithful, before lunching together. In the afternoon, His Beatitude visited the Salvatorian Basilian sisters of the Annunciation Convent.

Later that day, at six in the evening, also at Holy Saviour Church, the Patriarch presided again at the Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Superior General of the Aleppine Basilian Order, Archim. Najib Tobji together with other priests and fathers from the monastery in the presence of the Mother General of the Aleppine Basilian nuns, Christina Toum.

After the Divine Liturgy and before presiding at dinner, the Patriarch and the Father General received delegations of well-wishers in the great hall.