As previously discussed in Panel 12, the Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM), formerly known as the Monks of the Congregation of Saint Anthony of Mount Lebanon (Skordi, 2021), established a school in Metochi/Agia Marina, Cyprus, in 1735. This initiative was a part of the OLM’s broader educational mission, which had begun with the Order's founding in 1695 (Rizk, 2000).

The establishment of this school is well-documented in the History of the Lebanese Order by Fr. Louis Bleibel. According to Bleibel (1934), Abbot Mikhayel Iskandar (Mikhā'īl Iskandar), the General Superior of the Lebanese Maronite Order, sent two monks to Cyprus in 1735: Fathers Botros al-Musawer and Makarious al-'Ashqouti. Their primary mission was to establish a school devoted to "spiritual education and reading for children from all the villages and regions where Maronites reside." Most notably, the General Superior gave the monks the following instruction:



""... If the child’s family can provide for his needs, that is well and good. However, for a poor child whose family lacks the means to support him and provide sustenance, you should offer food from the bread that God provides you. We trust in God and the generosity of kind-hearted individuals that this school will achieve even greater success than the ‘Aintoura school." (Bleibel, 1934).

To fully grasp the significance of this mission, it is imperative to understand the historical context. By the early twelfth century, the Maronites had already established a presence in Cyprus, well before the island came under Lusignan rule. Various historical documents, including a Syriac manuscript from 1121-22 AD housed in the Vatican Library, attest to this early Maronite presence. Specifically, the manuscript titled Syriac Manuscript Vat. Syr. 118, folios 261v and 262r, records that Maronite Patriarch Boutros (Peter) from Lebanon appointed a monk named Sema'an to lead the Monastery of Saint John in Koutzoventi, Cyprus. Additionally, records from Florence's Laurentine Library and the Vatican Library further confirm that the Maronite Patriarch consistently supported and appointed leaders for this monastery throughout the 12th century. These documents highlight not only the early Maronite presence and organizational structure in Cyprus but also their enduring spiritual and ecclesiastical ties with the Maronite Patriarchate in Lebanon (Hourani, 2009).

Thus, the establishment of the school in 1735 by the Lebanese Maronite Order reaffirmed the Maronite Church's commitment to supporting its parishioners, whether in Lebanon or elsewhere. This dedication to education and the community was further reinforced by the Nicosia Synod of the Maronite Church in 1738, held at the Holy Cross Church of the Franciscans in Nicosia on March 7, 1738. Following the completion of Giuseppe Simone Assemani’s (Yūsuf Simʿān al-Simʿānī, 1687–1768) mission to the Synod of Mount Lebanon in 1736, he proceeded to Cyprus, where he visited the Maronites on the island. Observing the community’s needs, Assemani convened a synod, attended by two patriarchal vicars, two bishops, and heads from the Custodian of the Holy Land [The Franciscans], as well as all parish priests on the island. One of the significant outcomes of this gathering was the third decision, which concerned the opening of two new schools by the monks of the Lebanese Maronite Order (Al-Samarani, 1979).

The Synod concluded that more schools should be established, either in Marghi or at the Church of Mar Elias al-Mtoshi, to instruct students in reading and writing in Syriac, Arabic, and Greek, as well as in Christian doctrine and grammar. Additionally, there was a recommendation to open another school in the community of Saint Anthony of Kefalovriso or in Saint Maria in Kythrea (Skordi, 2021).

It is important to highlight that the founding of this school in Cyprus occurred before the Synod of Mount Lebanon in 1736 (discussed in Panel 14), which officially mandated the opening of schools and the compulsory education of the youth.

Photo Credits

Fig. 13.1: MS NDU Rome CH13. (18th century). Collection of Touma al-Lbudi, Letter de M. Iskandar to A. Iskandar, September 13th, 1735 (f. 70r).
Fig. 13.2: USEK Library Archives. (Early 20th century). Collection Riad Allam, photo n° 65, no title, Keserwan region.

References

• Al-Samarani, Ph. (1979). الموارنة في جزيرة قبرس (The Maronites on the Island of Cyprus). Beirut.
• Bleibel, L. (1934). Tārīkh al-Rahbānīyah al-Mārūnīyah (History of the Lebanese Maronite Order) (Vol. I). Joseph Kawwa Press.
• Hourani, G. G. (2009). The Maronites of Cyprus under Ottoman rule. In A. Varnava, N. Coureas, & M. Elia (Eds.), The Minorities of Cyprus: Development Patterns and The Identity of the Internal Exclusion (pp. 111–135). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
• Rizk, K. (2000). Milestones in the history of the Lebanese Maronite Order. Journal of Maronite Studies, Maronite Research Institute. Retrieved from https://www.maronite-institute.org/MARI/JMS/july00/Milestones_In_The_History.htm
• Skordi, M. (2021). The 1738 synod of Nicosia: A synod for the Maronites of Cyprus. CHRONOS: Revue d’Histoire de l’Université de Balamand, 42, 139-163. https://scholarhub.balamand.edu.lb/handle/uob/6127