In January
2015, Mr. Joseph el Khoury had a meeting with Bishop Elie Haddad, the Bishop of
the Melkite Greek Catholic Diocese of Saida & Deir El Kamar. During the
meeting, Mr. Khoury presented the idea of establishing a specialized Listening
Center within the Eparchy. The purpose of the center would be to support the
Church in its mission and to respond to the
believers’ need,
regardless of their age, gender, or social status.
Therefore, Metanoia Center was
established in 2015, Co-founder being Bishop Haddad, Mr. Joseph el-Khoury and Mrs.
Patricia Barcha, to become the first Listening Center of its kind within the
Patriarchate of Melkite Greek Catholic.
The
Listening Center operates as an integral part of the Eparchy and is overseen by
a board of directors. Financially, it receives support from the Eparchy through
subsidies, as well as direct donations from private benefactors.
The Logo displays mankind journey.
The word Metanoia means a journey…
a path… a way to discover one’s self and to discern choices which will help
change the way of life or preserve it.
In the logo the word Metanoia comes
in two colors, half blue symbolizing the relationship with God and half brown representing the relationship
with others. The median white line represents the self awareness journey and
relationship with oneself.
In the journey there is a need for a compass to show directions and tell what direction you are heading in at all times which prevents you from getting lost.
The logo reflects a mosaic sun
inspired by the ancient oriental art in
our region and it expresses the services provided by the Center in a symbolic
and beautiful way.
The four peripheral brown dots
refer to the earth’s four cardinal directions and the fifth point is its center. This reflects Metanoia Center aim to extend its vision from
Lebanon and beyond.
The Center is located in the
building complex of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mantara at Maghdouche.
The charm of the location, the
welcoming atmosphere and the well designed facility offer the perfect
environment for people to meet together, meditate and pray or work.
It
presents a workspace, meeting and conferences space and accommodations for
spiritual retreats
