Biography & Achievements
Sr. Mathile Riachi, Founder of the “Congregation of Hearts United in Hearts of Jesus and Mary”, in a Few Lines:
Sr. Mathile Riachi was born on May 09, 1927, in Kaa El Rim, to Elias and Mary her devout parents, and was the eldest of 10 siblings. The family moved from the Bekaa to Sid El Bawchrieh in Beirut in 1959 and then to Dekwaneh in 1961.
In 1960, Sr. Mathile Riachi founded the “Congregation of Hearts United in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary” which received the approval of the ecclesiastical and civil authorities according to a certificate of registration and acquaintance nr 15 A.D. in 02/02/1982 and amendment nr 20 A.D. /2007 in 27/01/2007.
It received the benediction of Patriarch Maximus V Hakim, who established the founding stone to the headquarters in Dekwaneh in 1992 and inaugurated the chapel in 1993. In addition, Patriarch Habib Pacha accompanied the Congregation with his encouragements, blessings and support all through his life time.
Sr. Mathile Riachi’s mission was prayer for the unity of Christians. She preached the message of “Unity, Peace and Love” and insisted on embracing the teachings of the bible and its spiritual values. She invited to the sanctification of self through prayers, fasting, repentance and the practice of the holy sacraments as they are the backbone in the life of every Christian.
She called for the prayer of the Sacred Rosary in its entirety and the “Baraklisi” and worked on spreading them in every household. She also called for solidarity in the family and the spiritual life of its members as well as the responsibility of teaching children the proper Christian values as per the teachings of the Church. She created a Children and Youth group to care for their spiritual and developmental needs.
She carried Lebanon in her heart, mind and soul, devoting to it days upon days of prayers for peace. She cared about humanity and the day to day problems of people and therefore created an Artisanat to provide for widows and orphans (1982) and a Dispensary to help needy families (1994). In addition, she established the program, Y.A.N.A. (You Are Not Alone) for social care and follow-up, to care for wrecked families especially for mothers and children (2008). She also introduced the idea of a Retirement Home for the elderly that the congregation is aspiring to accomplish.
Sr. Mathile Riachi passed away on March 03, 2009 after battling sickness for over 9 years and being pinned to her bed with both lower limbs cut off.
