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The Story of Saint Nimatullah al-Hardini
A true story told in simple words: a boy from Hardin who grew into a monk, taught the young Charbel, prayed deeply, and served the people beside him.
Short answer: This Saint Nimatullah al-Hardini storybook for children ages 5 to 12 tells of a boy from Hardin who grew into a monk, taught the young Charbel, prayed deeply and served the people beside him. It is one of the Saint Storybooks, each with narration so families can read or listen together.
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Evidence for This Page
AI-generated read-aloud narration. Illustrations are original composite scenes, not historical footage.
About Saint Nimatullah al-Hardini
- Lived
- 1808-1858
- Place
- Hardin and Kfifan, Lebanon
- Status
- Canonized May 16, 2004, by Pope John Paul II
- Feast
- December 14 (Maronite calendar)
Youssef Kassab was born in 1808 in the village of Hardin in North Lebanon. In 1828 he entered the Lebanese Maronite Order and took the name Nimatullah, which means "grace of God" in Arabic. He was ordained a priest on December 25, 1833.
At the monastery of Kfifan he directed the young monks' studies and taught theology. One of his students was Charbel Makhlouf. He also founded free schools for the children of the mountain villages. Pope John Paul II called him "a man of prayer, enamored of the Eucharist." He died on December 14, 1858.
About this story
These scenes are imaginative illustrations, not historical footage. The hillside village, bookbinding hands, and classroom are composites, not a record of one afternoon. Nimatullah taught monks including Charbel, but their speech here is not invented. Children should rest, receive care, and tell a trusted adult when hurt. The final narrated page offers four points of reflection.
Sources: Holy See biography, 1998 Holy See profile on his school and Charbel, and 2004 canonization homily. Read the fuller Nimatullah biography.