Saint Jacob of Hamatoura
Our Orthodox Church is a living church, for it is founded on the blood of the holy martyrs, whom God sanctified and blessed with His blood shed from His side on the Holy Cross. When we endure His trials and pains, we are glorified with Him and partake life everlasting, just as He did with His saints. These martyrs abound in the church, a treasure trove from which we glean all that is beneficial for our daily lives
God has graciously bestowed upon us, Antiochians, a wealth of holy martyrs from our own lands, whose heroic deeds and selfless acts of sacrifice remain unmatched. As we honour their memory befittingly, we also honour our Lord, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, the ultimate martyr, Who rose from the dead, Who gives us life and continues to infuse our lives with His eternal love, if we strive to follow His commandments, act upon them and honour his saints.
In this light, we are reminded of the illustrious Saint Jacob from the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Hamatoura.
The Discovery of Saint Jacob
Around the 1980s, a record was discovered in the Synaxarion book, in manuscript number 149, housed at Our Lady Monastery in Balamand. It recounts on the 13th of October “the martyrdom of Saint Jacob from the Monastery of Saint George in Hamatoura, who was martyred in the city of Tripoli, near the sea, where his neck was struck, and afterward, his body was burnt, and he departed to the mercy of God" (Balamand Manuscript 149).
In terms of popular piety, most of the local residents around the monastery spoke of a monk named Jacob, at a time when there were no monks living there, and it was a man from a nearby village who cared for the monastery.
The manuscript was discovered by architect Hassan Khairallah (Cyril), known for his love for the saints and his profound knowledge of their lives and the whereabouts of their relics. He spent several years gathering information about them from ancient original manuscripts. He recounts
:the miraculous way in which he found the saint.
The manuscripts of the Hamatoura Monastery were housed in the Archdiocese of Mount Lebanon, and Metropolitan Georges graciously allowed me to photograph them all. I carefully documented what I deemed significant. During a subsequent visit to the monastery with Father Paul Jabbour, I met Father Panteleimon. He mentioned a saint in the monastery named Jacob, documented in a Balamand manuscript that he stumbled upon in the 1980s but was later lost as the library was in a chaotic state during the war. Although Archimandrite Touma also searched, he found nothing.
I went to Balamand, and things were easier than I expected. At that time, Dr. Souad Salim was in charge.
Access to the manuscript repository was granted. Armed with a list, I identified five manuscripts, anticipating that the sought-after reference might be contained within. Opting to begin with Manuscript 149, I started flipping through the pages and remembered that Father Panteleimon said the saint was mentioned in October. Anyway, I started from the beginning, keeping in mind that I face challenges with my eyesight. But I felt that grace had made things easy for me, as I found it quickly, which deeply affected me, as it took only ten minutes. Seeking permission to photograph the page, I encountered no hindrances, promptly informing Metropolitan Georges and Father Panteleimon
of my endeavour.
The Feast of Saint Jacob
Archimandrite Panteleimon wrote to Metropolitan Georges, informing him of the discovery of Saint Jacob's mention in Manuscript 149 and the service and icon to commemorate him. Metropolitan Georges blessed this initiative.
Father Nicolas Malek reviewed the service and carried out the metering and music arrangement of texts.
Consequently, the first vigil to commemorate the saint was held in 2002, drawing a substantial gathering of priests and faithful believers.
Hence, the commemoration was not instituted by a decision from the monastery's then-representative abbot, but rather by the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Georges, may God grant him many years. The feast was set on the 13th of October, echoing the manuscript's account of his martyrdom anniversary.
It's worth noting that on one of Father Panteleimon’s visits to the Archdiocese of Hama, he stopped by the bishop’s residence, where their Eminences Metropolitans Elias of Hama, Georges of Mount Lebanon, Paul Yazigi of Aleppo, Saba Esber of Hauran, and Georges Abu Zakhm of Homs, were gathered. Conversation turned to Saint Jacob, and Metropolitan Georges Khodr testified that God had granted Archimandrite Panteleimon the discovery of the relics of Saint Jacob and the martyrs in the monastery.
Later on, Father Panteleimon followed up the initial letter with another, asking his Eminence to reintroduce Saint Jacob to the faithful and include him in the Antiochian calendar according to established norms (with the blessing of the Holy Synod) and in accordance with the apostolic saying: But everything should be done in a fitting
and orderly way.
What's remarkable is that the mention and celebration of this saint are no longer confined to the monastery alone but have extended to many countries, including France, the US, Australia and the UK. The service for his feast and supplication have been translated into English and French. Additionally, he is celebrated in several Arab countries such as Egypt, Jordan and among some parishes in Palestine.
Moreover, Hieromonk Athanasios Simonopetritis, who is the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople’s hymn-writer, composed a service for Saint Jacob in Greek, after Father Makarios Simonopetritis included him in the new edition of his Synaxarion.
Writing the Icon of Saint Jacob
As previously mentioned, the saint had numerous apparitions, including one where he appeared to three young men who were praying in the monastery church. During the night, while they were prostrate in prayer, they felt the presence of a priest passing among them. He stood at the royal doors, blessed them and then departed. One of these young men later became Archimandrite Panteleimon and had a clear vision of the saint's face. (The other two are Father Samir Elias and Mr. Elie Zaidan). This appearance raised significant questions in their minds about who he might be. When Archimandrite Panteleimon asked Saint Paisios about the matter, the latter said it seems he is a holy martyr and will reveal himself when the life of prayer in the monastery intensifies and the time is right. Indeed, this occurred after the monastic life in the monastery became more regular. Father Panteleimon painted an icon of the saint, and the accuracy of his facial features was confirmed by a woman who recognized him when she saw the icon after he appeared to her.
Discovering the Remains of Saint Jacob and the Martyrs
We do not know how the remains of Saint Jacob were brought to the monastery. According to accounts of saints' lives, Christians typically followed martyrs to their sites of martyrdom, sometimes paying for relics, stealing them, or retrieving them if they were cast into the sea and washed ashore. However, there is no mention of how Saint Jacob's relics were obtained. All we know is that his remains were brought and interred in a clandestine location within the monastery, with no written record of the event. Word of mouth suggests that the monastery harbours a hidden treasure.
Before the revitalization of monastic life in the monastery in 1994, many attempted to uncover this supposed treasure, believing it to be made of gold. They dug up nearly every inch of the church floor, except for one area where God preserved the martyrs from the hands of the ignorant
Finding nothing, they haphazardly replaced the tiles, leaving the church floor uneven, warped and difficult to clean. As liturgical services became more regular, the uneven floor made standing in the church tiresome, necessitating repairs. Through divine providence, during this renovation, the remains of the martyrs of the Hamatoura Monastery, including Saint Jacob, were discovered.
On July 3, 2008, during excavation work, skeletal remains were unearthed in an unusual location within the church. With meticulous care and prayerful reverence, four skeletons were unearthed – two in the front section of the church, a child preceding them, and two in the rear section. A medical examination confirmed that part of the child's bones was placed in the holy altar.
Father Panteleimon informed Metropolitan Georges of the matter, prompting the latter to request medical examinations of the bones.
After the bones were prepared and arranged, a time was set for receiving the relics, firstly in the town of Kousba for veneration before their transfer to the monastery. Initially, Metropolitan Georges expressed a desire to attend but later withdrew, fearing sectarian tensions.
The remains were later transferred to the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos amidst a grand ceremony attended by a multitude of priests from the archdioceses of Mount Lebanon, Tripoli, Zahleh, Akkar and other Syrian archdioceses. At the first stop, at the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Kousba, believers flocked for nearly three hours to venerate the relics and seek blessings from them.
It is worth mentioning that in our monastic tradition, we are usually buried in the ground, and then the remains are exhumed after decomposition, washed and then laid to rest in the ossuary. While Father Panteleimon was attending to the washing of the unearthed relics of the saints, blood stains appeared on the bones, along with the lingering scent of myrrh, which continues to emanate especially from the bones of Saint Jacob and the young child.
Miraculous Deeds
There are numerous miracles attributed to Saint Jacob, some of which have been recorded. What we have heard about the saint is that, just as he remained hidden in the earth all these years, he continues to strengthen, assist and heal believers in a humble and discreet manner. He has performed many healings from cancer and he intercedes for those struggling with infertility. Many children have been named after him. Below are some of his wonders.
A woman, informed by her doctor that her unborn child would be disfigured, felt unsettled and decided to visit the monastery with her husband. After praying before the relics of Saint Jacob, they decided to keep the child. Jacob was born perfectly healthy.
On the first anniversary of the discovery of the relics of the Hamatoura martyrs, a Syrian priest and his family attended the feast day. While his three-year-old son was playing near the bookshop, he slipped in a slippery spot. Suddenly, someone grabbed him at the edge of the rock, preventing him from falling into the valley. A monastery visitor hurried over, navigating a perilous path, and rescued the child. When asked later about the incident, the boy said he fell and the Father held him. It's worth noting that the individual who came to his aid was a secular visitor to the monastery, not one of the monks.
A miracle on Mount Athos: Father Panteleimon brought relics of Saint Jacob to the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. On that day, hieromonk Theophanes had lost his voice. The abbot called upon him and blessed him with the relics of Saint Jacob, and his voice was miraculously restored, allowing him to resume his service, glorifying God.
A priest in the Archdiocese of North America has recorded several miraculous healings attributed to Saint Jacob in his parish.
People bear witness to the miracles performed by this saint and his intervention in resolving issues and dilemmas that they were unable to solve without his prompt assistance. He has emerged as a beacon of inspiration, solace and motivation for the monks, urging them to persevere patiently in their spiritual journey within this sacred monastery amidst challenging times.
May his blessings protect us.
The Martyrs of Hamatoura.
On July 3, 2008, while tile renovation works were underway, human bones were discovered beneath the ground of the church. A small grave containing two skeletons was found, bearing signs of torture and beating, along with traces of frozen blood and some liquid blood on the skull. Additionally, part of a three-year-old child's skull and some of his bones were found. Two other skeletons were identified after modern laboratory examinations conducted by Dr. Naji Saibi, a forensic specialist, indicating that these skeletons dated back to around 650 years. One of them showed signs of burning, having its head cut and the second vertebra of its neck missing. According to the specifications mentioned in the manuscript of the Balamand Synaxarion, these are believed to belong to Saint Jacob of Hamatoura, who was in his fifties, and his friend, who was in his forties. The other skeletons dated back approximately 450 years.
Our predecessors considered these relics sacred, so they were not buried in ordinary graves but in the centre of the church, hastily due to pressures and persecutions. Bones of the child's skull were also found under the holy altar, indicating that our predecessors considered them martyrs. When the church was vandalised, it was reconsecrated on November 16, 1894.
Many believers pilgrimage to the monastery, seeking blessings through the prayers of the Theotokos and Saint Jacob of Hamatoura.
Today, the veneration of our saint has become more widespread than ever before. Many who have been blessed by the saint and his companions return to the monastery to testify, expressing their gratitude to Saint Jacob and love for God Who bestowed upon us the saint and his companions as beacons guiding us to obedience to God and love for our neighbours through abundant healings and blessings.
Following the blessing of his Eminence Metropolitan Georges, we are now able to include in our prayers and commemorations the phrase "The Martyred Fathers of Hamatoura", whose bones were found in the monastery church. We will commemorate them, along with Saint Jacob, on the anniversary of the discovery of their sacred remains on the third of July.
May their prayers be of benefit to us, and may the Lord be glorified through his holy saints, Amen.
