We are committed Catholic Lay brothers and sisters, members of the Third Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives. We are helping Father Luis Montes, from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, together with a group of lay missionaries from different parts of the world belonging to the spiritual movement "Persecuted Nazarenes," to run the Santa Germania Home, a shelter in Lebanon with the commitment to receive anyone in need completely free of charge.
At Santa Germania Home, they care for the elderly who are poor or alone, the disabled, the abandoned, war refugees, beggars, women from the streets, people struggling with addiction to alcohol or drugs, and those with mental health issues. They welcome both Christians and non-Christians, of various nationalities: Lebanese, Syrians, Iraqis, and people from several sub-Saharan African countries. In total, they currently care for 26 beneficiaries.
The work at Santa Germania Home began three years ago in a convent lent to them under a commodatum agreement, belonging to a religious congregation that had left it abandoned for several years. Father Luis Montes and his team made basic repairs to make it habitable and were able to have its modest Home there during these years. But as the end of the commodatum approached, the congregation notified Father Luis that they would not renew the contract, so in the coming months, they must leave this place.
Upon hearing of the imminent move, The members of Santa Germania Home began a 30-day prayer to Saint Joseph that they usually pray in times of special need, asking their holy patron to help them find a new home. Saint Joseph’s aid was not long in coming. On the second day of the prayer, they received news of someone who had built a house for the elderly and abandoned but could not find an institution willing to take charge of it — because his only condition was that the work be run completely free of charge. That day also happened to be the feast of Saint Charbel in the Maronite liturgy, a most meaningful coincidence. The members of Santa Germania Home contacted the owner of the house and arranged a meeting for a few days later.
The owner told them he had built this house as a vow to God. With great sacrifice, he personally financed and oversaw the construction because he did not want to accept donations that would impose conditions from donors. The purpose of his project was for it to be a free work, and upon learning about Santa Germania Home, he had no hesitation in deciding to give the the house, with a perpetual contract.
The new house provided by Divine Providence is not yet finished; it requires one last investment with an approximate cost of $75,000 to be put into operation:
• Solar panels to provide energy, as this region does not receive state electricity
• Boilers for heating, as it is a mountainous area where it snows every winter
• Sewer and drainage system
• Basic furnishings (beds, mattresses, wardrobes, tables, and chairs)
We are starting this fund raising trusting that our Lord Jesus Christ and the intercession of our our Holy Mother, the Virgin Mary and that of her most chaste husband, Saint Joseph, will help us obtain the necessary funds to complete this project in time to move by the end of March, 2026.
Jesus, we Trust in You
