St. Nimatullah Hardini
                                                           
Youssef  Kassab was born in Hardin, a village in North Lebanon, in the year 1808.  As a young boy, he attended the school run by the monks of the Maronite Lebanese Order of Saint Anthony in Houb.  He was strongly influenced by the monastic tradition of the Maronite Church.  Four of his brothers became priests or monks and in 1828, he joined the Maronite Lebanese Order and put on the novitiate uniform in the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great Kozhaya.  On November 1828, he took the name of Nimatullah ( which means the grace of God).

He spent his time there growing up in holiness and learning some skillful trades, like binding books in the Monastery’s printing house. On November 14,  1830, Nimatullah professed his solemn vows and on December 25, 1833, he was ordained to the sacred priesthood in the Monastery of Saints Qobrianos and Youstina, in Kfifane (Batroun, North Lebanon) and became director of the scholasticate and a professor.

He was appointed as the Assistant General of the Lebanese Maronite Order for three times.  He was a teacher in several schools run by his Order, especially the one annexed to the Kfifane Monastery. One of his best students was Saint Sharbel Makhlouf, who studied with him from 1853-1858.

He lived a very holy life and took his monastic vows of obedience, chastity and poverty to perfection. He spent days and nights in meditation, prayer and adoration of the Eucharist.  He was known as "the Saint of Kfifan", a monk who gave himself completely to his brother monks and neighbors.

On December 14, 1858, he died in the monastery of Saints Qobrianos and Youstina after being severally ill, holding a picture of the Virgin Mary in his hands. His last words were: "O Virgin Mary between your hands I submit my soul." People who were nearby at the moment of Father Nimatullah's death witnessed a heavenly light illuminating his room and an aromatic smell which remained in his room for a number of days afterwards.  Commenting on Father Nimatullah's death, Patriarch Boulos Massad said: "Congratulations to this monk who knew how to benefit from his monastic life."  Through his intercession, God granted His people many healing and miracles.

Saint Pope John Paul II presided  over his beatification on May 10, 1998 as well as his canonization on May 16, 2004 .

Saint Nimatullah, pray for us.