The original Maronites were Christians who gathered around a monastery called the House of Maron (Bet Maroun), built in 452 AD on the Orontes River in what is now Turkey. They defended their faith in Jesus Christ as true God and true man, and were called Maronites after the hermit priest St. Maron, their spiritual father. Eventually the Maronites had to escape persecution following the Council of Chalcedon, and they sought refuge in the mountains of Lebanon.
Throughout history, the Maronites have survived persecution and martyrdom for the sake of the true faith, whether it came at the hands of non-Chalcedonians or later the Muslims. To learn more about our beloved Maronite Saints who pleased the Lord by their upright and holy lives, follow the links below.