Under the motto “Choose Life”, Antonine University celebrated the inaugural mass of the academic year 2018-2019. Rector Fr. Michel Jalakh presided the mass accompanied by Fr. Ziad Maatouk, Vice-Rector for Administrative Affairs, and Fr. Jean El Alam, Vice-rector for Integral Human Development. Mass took place at Our Lady of Seeds Chapel, Campus of Hadat-Baabda, in the presence of the entire Antonine community, including the University Council as well as faculties and administrative staff and students.
The mass, animated by the Antonine University Choir, conducted by Fr. Toufic Maatouk and the University Pastoral, was offered for the repose of the souls of Fr. Louis Rohban, Rector-founder of the University and the students Léa Farah, Charbel Jreij, Alfred Roukoz, and Fares El Helou.
During his sermon, Father Jalakh reaffirmed the core mission of the University in being at the service of the students. He invited the faculty and administrative staff to give their full value to the psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions as well as to citizenship, participation, and interaction with others.
He added, "Our mission is significant towards our students. Therefore, as educators, we must go beyond the simple academic and teaching role, to accompany them, to provide them with the very best, and to help them change and choose life".
Addressing the UA community, he encouraged his audience to be positive, enthusiastic, and understanding, but also to work for the general interest.
The mass ended by awarding the Engineering Diploma to the parents of the student Fares El Helou, who died during a car accident last year.