Giacomo from Ghazir

(1875-1954)

Giacomo from Ghazir (Khalil Haddad), founder of the Congregation of the Franciscans of the Cross of Lebanon, servant of God, was born 10 February 1875 in the village of Ghazir of Peter and Shams. Third of 14 children, he was educated above all from piissima the mother, than it was augured that the son became clergyman. After having completed his studies with optimal he turns out to you, in order to earn the life teaching Arabic in Alexandria, Egypt for 17 years. He returned very soon in the country born them with the intention of becoming a Capuchin priest. Gained the opposition of the father, vestí the dress 26 March 1894 and was consecrated clergyman in Beirut on 10 November 1901. Very soon he was named economo and founded and directed a web of missionary schools in the entire territory of the Lebanon. During First World War (1914-18) he carried out an extraordinary activity, then the yields worthy of the maximum admiration and sympathy not only of the Christians, but also of the Muslims and Druses, raising very many out of misery, distributing 18,000 every day meals, contributing to open 24 orphanages which accommodated and trained more than 10,000 boys and girls.

He founded the Terz' Franciscan Order, founding 70 fraternità with more than 8,000 enrolled, and using of these for its multiple works of apostolate. One of the scopes that he followed with great effectiveness was the propagation of the Catholic faith and the conversion of the Muslims. To such scope he opened in the mountainous villages of Lebanon, 163 able schools to receive more than 7,500 pupils, concerned, above all, with their religious instruction. Walking always on foot, also for 30 km. a day, with the saddlebag on the shoulders always full of books of the catechism, he visited continuously these centers of study.

Beyond these every day activities, the servant of God became celebrated for other numerous social works. He built shelters for the aged, beggars, orphans, dispensari for abandoned children, hospitals and houses of cure. Between these the psychiatric hospital is admired, constructed on the hill of Jall-el-Dib, called the ? Small, with approximately 1,000 beds. Also well known it the hostel of "Christ King" for the sick or old clergy of any denominationl, constructed on the hill of Nahr-el-Kalb, that it surpasses the famous valley of the King, where the names of great conquerors from Ramsete II to general H.-j.-e. Gouraud are recorded. One surpasses the building statue of Christ King, 12 meters high. The Tappouni said that every stone of Lebanon speaks about Father Giacomo. He did not have material means, but only the merit of obedience and prayer. Kneeling in front of its advanced one, he said: "I do not ask for monies, but only the merit of obedience". He also said: "Nothing prayer, nothing thanks" and "Prayer without confidence is like a letter in pocket that never reached destination".

In 1930 he founded the Congregation of the Franciscan Nuns of the Cross of Lebanon, that they carried out one of the most useful social mission, dedicating itself to works of charity to benefit of the poor classes and needy, especially in the numerous hospitals he founded, the servant of God. For his high merits, two medals of gold and three of silver were assigned to him from the government and the official decree of the Order of the Cedar.
To the unavoidable ailments, he derived from much laborious one and enlivened a life, joined, in the last years, one fatal lymphatic leukaemia. On 26 June 1954, nearly eighty, after the last kiss to the cross, the Saint died.

His cause for beatification, called for by all the highest Lebanese authorities, even from the Muslims and Druses, was begun in 1960 in Beirut, with the opening of the informative process on the holiness reputation, and finished in 1964. The Decree for his cause of introduction was on 24 February 1979. In years 1979-82 the apostolic process of virtue was instructed heroic. His remains, riesumata in 1982, have been reposited in the old chiesetta, constructed by the same servant of God, "Notre Checkerses de the Mer " to Jall-al-Dib.