Saint Rafqa

[walaa farouk]

Saint Rafqa

Rafqa El-Rayess was born on June 29th 1832, in Himlaya, one of the northern Metn villages. She was the only child to her parents Mourad Saber el-Chobok el-Rayess and Rafqa Gemayel.
On July 7th 1832 she was baptized and christened Boutroussieh. Her mother died when she was seven.
Her father sent her to serve at Assad Badawi’s in Damascus in 1843. Rafqa came back after four years; her father was remarried to a woman named Kafa who wanted her to marry her brother, while her aunt wanted her to marry her son. In order to resolve the conflict, Rafqa chose to enter the monastic life.
In Our Lady of Delivrance monastery in Bekfaya and in front of her Icon, Rafqa asked God for help and hears His voice saying: ’’You’re becoming a nun’’.
Rafqa wore the initiation Robe on St Joseph day on March 19th 1861.
On March 19th 1862, Rafqa presented the monastic vows in the monastery of Ghazir. She became a nun in the Congregation of St Mary.
Rafqa stayed in Ghazir’s clericalism, amongst the clergy were Patriarch Elias Houwayek and Archbishop Boutros el-Zoughbi. She studied arabic, calligraphy and calculation.
Rafqa was sent to Deir el-Kamar to teach catechism in 1860. During the bloody event that took place in the Mont of Lebanon back then, Rafqa saw a lot of people getting killed and she saved a child by hiding him under her robe.
In 1864, she was transferred to Maad village where she stayed seven years and established a school to teach girls.
Crisis arises in the Congregation of St Mary in 1871, Rafqa prayed and saw in her dream St Anthony the Great, father of the monks, saying to her: ‘’ Become a nun in the Lebanese Order’’.
In the monastery of St. Simon el-Qam in Aito, Rafqa wore the Initiation Robe on July 12th 1871 and then presented her vows on August 25th 1872.
In October 1885, Rafqa asked God to make her a part of his divine pains. Pain started in her head then in her eyes, an American doctor pulled her right eye by accident while doing a surgery. Doctors considered treatments useless as her left eye was affected too.
She suffered unbearable pains for 12 years in patience, silence and prayer.
In 1897, she was sent to the new monastery of St. Jospeh al-Dahr in Jrabta, Batroun.
In 1899, she became blind. Her right hip and leg were disjointed, her shoulder dislocated.
On March 23rd 1914, Rafqa rested in peace.
Pope John Paul II declared her:
Venerated on February 11th 1982.
Beatified on November 17th 1985.
Role model in the adoration of the Eucharist in the Jubilee year 2000.
Saint for the whole church on June 10th 2001