Where Sisters of Mercy Minister: Lebanon (33)

The Sisters of Mercy went to Lebanon in October 1995. They work mainly in Sacramental preparation in schools and parishes. One Sister of Mercy of the Union of Great Britain is currently involved in the education of school children at a school with 1,200 students from pre-school to Grade 12. This school provides Lebanese, American and International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. In addition, the Sisters work with the United Nations – UNIC, UNRWA, UNIFIL, UNESCO, ESCWA – on global and local issues, as well as working with refugees, supporting children with disabilities and providing pastoral support for women.

St. Luke’s Home for Street Children in Kehah provides a sense of home and a safety net for the legions of children in Beirut whose home, school, and place of employment are the city streets. There are approximately 90 children in this home, with most ranging in age from three to 13 years. All of the children come with heart-breaking stories of abuse, oppression, and exploitation that have left deep scars on their bodies and their psyches.

Sisters of Mercy in Lebanon also reach out and support Philippine women and girls who came to Lebanon to work as domestics and subsequently were abused and exploited by their employers. Some of these women and girls have sought refuge in the Philippine Labour Attache’s office where they have become detained for periods exceeding two years while they await their cases to be processed and heard. Sisters of Mercy provide counselling and emotional support for some of these women and girls, and help them purchase material to design and make goods to sell in order for them to earn their fare home and continue to support their families in the Philippines.

The dormitory—St Luke’s Home for Street Children, Kehah, Lebanon		Help and support given to Philippine women, (abused and exploited, and detained) pending court cases
New arrival at St Luke’s Home		Children at St Luke’s Home, Kehah, Lebanon (An orphanage for street children)