Saint Maron, the hermit, lived in the second half of the 4th century A.D. (350-410) on “Mount Napo” in a region called “Cyrrhus”, situated between Antioch and Aleppo. He opted for life in the open air, day and night, in summer and in winter. He relinquished everything, living a life full of sacrifices, fasting and prayers. Saint Maron became famous and his holy reputation spread all over the region. Saint John Chrysostom wrote to him from his exile in the Caucasus asking for his blessings and prayers. His bishop, the theologian Theodoret of Cyrrhus, called him “Maron the Divine” because through his prayers, he healed all who came to him with physical or mental diseases.
Upon his death, Saint Maron was buried in a neighboring town. The locals considered his corpsea precious treasure and built a church in his name.
They chose the invincible mountains of Lebanon as their refuge to preserve their faith in God and their freedom to live in dignity. Once the elements of “independence” were founded, Saint Maron’s followers elected John Maron as their patriarch. They founded an autonomous Maronite Church as part of the Antiochiene Church. They continued their deployment to southern Lebanon, Cyprus, the Arab regions and other countries of diaspora, while preserving the inherited religious rituals from the founding fathers. The Maronites had a leading role in the creation of Lebanon, the homeland of the Christian mission, of values and of democracy; they were also essential in preserving it as a harbor to any oppressed or persecuted human being in his/ her journey on this earth.