Abouna Antoun
- Gabriel (Father Antonius) is born in Tannourine 1911 to a Maronite family. His parents Yusuf Sadiq Kanaan Tarbih and Badwiyya As’ad Rashed Trabiyeh from Tannourine Valley.
- His brothers George, Michael and Boutros. His sisters Mariyam, Warde, Boutrosia, Naifah, Shams and Khazun.
- Fearing he might die, his parents bathed him in holy water at birth. He was Baptized by Father Boutros Tarabay at Our Lady of Ain Al Raha church, in the presence of his god father Tannous Ameen Tarabay and his godmother Heleneh, the wife of Gerges Boutros Kanaan Tarabay both are from Ain EI Raha-Tannourine.
- After the death of his parents, his uncle Boutros Tarabay who returned from Africa in 1922 looked after his education until he pledged to embrace the monastic life.
- On November 12th 1928, the young Gabriel Youssef Tarabay entered the Maronite Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He received the novice’s habit and took the name of Brother Iklimos in the Monastery of Our Lady of Louaize-Zouk Mosbeh.
- On November 25th 1929, he was transferred with his novice brothers to the monastery of St. Alichaa in Becharri to complete their novitiate.
- On April 1st 1930, he pronounced his vows and wears the monastic vests (Eskim) along with his companion Estephan Tabet al-Ashkouti. The ceremony was held by Father Youssef Marabes, Secretary General and Junior’s Instructor, at the monastery of St. Alichaa.
- He was called Brother Boutros, then Brother Antoun, according to the identity card given to him in Zouk Mosbeh on March 30th 1933.
- In 1930 he was appointed into the monastery of St. Elias Choya and pursue his philosophical and theological studies, from 1930 to 1935, at the school of the Lady of Louaize – Zouk Mosbeh.
- In 1934 Brother Antoun Tarabay, along with four of his brethrens, Boulos Elwan from Aito, Neemtallah Lichaa’ from Memneh, Estephan Tabet from Achkout, and Aghnatios Salameh from Jdidet Ghazir, were raised to the Subdeaconate at the hands of Archbishop Youhanna El Hajj, Maronite Metropolitan of Damascus.
- With the permission of Patriarch Antoun Aarida, the deacons Antoun Tarabay, Estephan Tabet, and Aghnatios Salameh were ordained priests by Archbishop Youhanna El Hajj, in the church of the monastery of Our Lady of Louaize on February 1935.
- As a newly-ordained priest he celebrated his first Mass in the church of the Monastery of Saint Doumit, taking the four lines of Psalm (83, 3) as a motto for his priestly service:
“As the sparrow finds a home an the swallow a nest to settle her young, My home is by your altar, Lord of hosts, my King and my God”. (Ps 83, 3)
- 1935-1949: He was appointed as a guide to the nuns of St. John the Baptist – Hrash, during the superiorate of Mother Maria Maalouf.
- 1949-1981: He was a member of the community of monks in the monastery of St. Alishaa-Becharri during the superiorate of Abbot Boutros Saab. With the permission of the monastic authority, he moved to the old monastery in the Holy Valley, succeeding the hermit father Antonios Gerges Ghosn from Deeman who died on September 17th 1949. The monastery was restored by Father Tarabay between 1950 and 1964 from the funds of benefactors, residents and immigrants especially his brother Georges and sisters.
- 1981-1990: After his health deteriorated, by order of the ecclesiastical authority, he was sent to the infirmary of ‘’Christ the King’’ in Zouk Mosbeh for treatment.
- 1990-1994: After being unable to stay in ‘’Christ the King’’ for security reasons during the last war in Lebanon, he was transferred to the Monastery of Saints Sarkis and Bacchus in Achkout in 1990.
- 1994-1998: He was transferred again, on June 3rd 1994 to the infirmary of Christ the King to follow his treatments.
- On June 5th 1998, Father Antonios entered the intensive care room No.106 at the Saint Louis-Jounieh Hospital, where he lived until his last breath on Friday night June 20th 1998.
- His funeral was held in the Church of Lady of Louaize Monastry and was presided by Bishop Bishara al Raii, pastor of the Maronite Diocese of Byblos and scion of the Maronite Mariamite Order.
- He was buried, that evening, in an outside grotto adjacent to the old monastery of St. Alichaa in the Holy Valley, where he had lived as a hermit for 32 years.
- A committee from the Lebanese Mariamite Order collected the testimonies of the people he cured and prepared a file for sanctification. The final hearing was held in Bkerki under the chairmanship of Patriarch Mar Bishara Boutros-Raii.
- The file was sent on April 3rd 2012 by the calligrapher Father Francois El Hajj hoping that Father Antonius will be elevated to the degree of honour, rectification and sanctification in Rome. “Our father Antoine will become a saint for the whole world and will rise to the slaughter,” Sabella said.
