On the occasion of its Patronal Feast Day, the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) organized a ceremony on Saturday June 11, 2011 on the eve of Pentecost.
The ceremony started with a mass presided by Reverend Abbot Tannous Nehme, Superior General of the Lebanese Maronite Order, and served by the USEK Choir conducted by Rev. Fr. Youssef Tannous. Following the mass, a documentary film on USEK was projected, shedding light on its various projects and activities achieved throughout the 2010 – 2011 academic year. Then, Fr. Hady Mahfouz, USEK President, delivered his annual address entitled “USEK: The Union of Education and Human Dignity”. He began his address by stressing that “We celebrate 50 years of institutional and individual history and, above all, we celebrate hope, happiness and success. It is this human dimension, open to God, which we will rejoice on USEK’s 50th anniversary, for the history of this institution consists of multiple stories which share a common authentic passion for the human being and the service of the other”.
Fr. Mahfouz considered in his address that “We are all called today to revive in ourselves an emphatic consciousness and a spirituality enriched by Christian values which focus on what the Church has repeatedly called “the integral human development.” These values not only embrace an instrumental knowledge, but they also defend human life, the family, the vulnerable, the marginalized, the victims and the “wounded in life”. It is about the development of all people, without discrimination, and of the whole person, in all his/her dimensions, including spirituality”.
Furthermore, Fr. Mahfouz underlined that “On the eve of its 50th anniversary, USEK reaffirms its openness to the world and its international recognition while it remains passionately attached to its identity as a Maronite Catholic University. Thanks to its family, USEK is more determined than ever to positively assert itself in the world and to take education in Lebanon and the Middle East to new heights”.
Towards the end of his speech, Fr. Mahfouz concluded by reiterating that “Thanks to the zeal of its faithful, thanks to the blessing of the Maronite Saints Charbel, Rafqa, Nehmtallah, and Estephan, USEK, proud of its past, will embark on the future with confidence. It will always symbolize hope, optimism and enthusiasm of a community and a nation. Do not worry about the future. Our faith in God and our quest for human dignity will sustain us: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12: 32)”.
At the end of the ceremony, a traditional dinner was held in the outdoor esplanade of the campus.