Saint Nimatullah Hardini

ST NIMATULLAH HARDINI

Youssef Kessab was born to a devout Maronite Catholic family in Hardine, North of Lebanon in1808. His father Gergis Kessab and mother Mariam Raad.
He joined the monastic life in the Maronite Lebanese Order and put on the novitiates uniform in the monastery of Saint Anthony the Great Kozhaya.
On November 1828 he took the name of Nimatullah (which means the grace of God). He worked in binding books.
On November 14^th 1830, Nimatullah professed his solemn vows.
On December 25^th 1833, he was ordained to the sacred priesthood in the monastery of Saints Qobrianos and youstina, Kfifane-Batroun.
He was elected a Counselor (Provincial) by his Order’s chapter for three times: 1845-1848; 1850-1853 & 1856-1858.
He was a teacher in several schools run by his Order, especially the one annexed to the Kfifane monastery. One of his best students was Saint Charbel Makhlouf, who studied under Saint Nimatullah from 1853-1858.
Nimatullah died in the same monastery in December 14^th 1858.
After an order from Patriarch Boulos Massad, and because of the demands of the increasing visitors, his uncorrupted body was closed in a sealed coffin and moved to a separated cell in the monastery in 1862.
On May 14^th 1926, his beatification case was presented to the Holy See in Rome.
On September 7^th 1989, he was declared honorable.
On May 10^th 1998, he was beatified by the Pope Jean Paul II.
On May 16^th 2004, he was canonized by the Pope Jean Paul II.