Wednesday 18 March 2026 
On December 3, 2025, Our Lady of the Well Convent in Bkennaya hosted the first meeting of the FLFS-Lebanon Association, under the patronage of the General Superior, Mother Marie Makhlouf. The meeting was attended by the President of the Association, Dr. Cezar Bassim, Mrs. Rita Makhlouf and her husband Mr. Khalil Kanaan, founders of the same initiative in USA. Approximately 35 members from diverse professional backgrounds participated in the gathering, which was honored by the blessing of His Excellency Bishop César Essayan, Apostolic Vicar of the Latins in Lebanon.
This meeting marked a foundational step in strengthening support for the human and spiritual mission of the Lebanese Franciscan Sisters of the Cross. A presentation highlighted the breadth of their services across 19 institutions in Lebanon and abroad, as well as the essential role they play in caring for and accompanying the human person, particularly the most vulnerable and those in need. Mrs. Rita Makhlouf also retraced the development of the initiative, which was launched in the United States in 2021, and now expanded to Lebanon with the aim of building a local support network for this mission. A three-year strategic vision was presented, structured around four main pillars: resource development and fundraising, the provision of in-kind assistance, support for students attending the schools of the Congregation of Lebanese Franciscan Sisters of the Cross, the rehabilitation of institutional infrastructure. To support the implementation of this vision, four specialized working committees were established. Subsequently, the attorney Roy Abou Chedid presented an update on the progress of the procedures related to the legal registration of the Association.
The meeting concluded in an atmosphere of gratitude and hope, with a renewed commitment to transparency, structured work, and cooperation, in order to strengthen the mission of the Lebanese Franciscan Sisters of the Cross in service of the human person.