History (our establishment)
 

Run by the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate, Mesrobian Armenian Catholic High School is a co-educational institution that handles all sections, from kindergarten to Lebanese Baccalaureate.

The academic program is offered in a quadrilingual educational system that is in Armenian, Arabic, French, and English. The school’s educational system meets completely with the requirements of the Lebanese state program. Moreover, as a national and Christian educational institution, the school also gives vital importance to the students’ Armenian and spiritual education, through Armenian language, literature, and history courses, and through various extracurricular activities and events.

Mesrobian High School is founded in 1939, by the Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church Krikoris Aghajanian. Born in a modest conditions, the school developed year after year, rising to become a leading educational institution in the Lebanese Armenian community. The school’s principals were: Father Boghos Bezdigian (1939-1951), Father Boghos Aris (1951-1952), Father Mesrob Terzian (1952-1958), Father Clement Maljian (1958-1962), Father Grigoris Gabroyan (1962-1969), Father Mesrob Djourian (1969-1981), Father Yeghia Yeghiaian (1981-1992), Father Kevork Yeghiaian (1992-2001). Mr. Gregoire Kaloust serves as the current principal.

Mesrobian is set in Bourj Hammoud, the stronghold of the Lebanese Armenian community. There, in the 1920s, the school had a leading and significant role in the reformation and the reorganization of the socio-economic and cultural life of the then young Armenian community, displaced because of the Cilician deportation during the years of the Armenian Genocide.

Since 1939, tens and thousands of young men and women have graduated from Mesrobian, continuing their academic lives in outstanding institutions of higher educations, both in Lebanon and abroad. Many of these graduates are highly respected professionals in various fields, and active members of the Armenian community.

The school’s faculty and staff consist of highly qualified professionals and experienced educators, who consistently participate in training programs and conferences, to stay updated and to develop their pedagogical content knowledge. The latest teacher development programs are primarily carried out in cooperation with the Saint Joseph University and Haigazian University, with the latter sponsored by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

For the comprehensive and multidisciplinary education of the students, the school closely cooperates with local and international organizations alike. Merobian students take part in the French DELF exams, the STEM international development program, and the student inter-development program at the Saint Joseph University, as well as the TAMMAYAZ program of knowledge enrichment. Mesrobian has an after-school program to assist the students in their academic progress. The spiritual counselor’s office operates at the school and, in cooperation with the parish of the St. Savior Church, cares for the students’ activities, and their spiritual upbringing.

Mesrobian’s infrastructure is always in the process of continuous improvement. The school’s kindergarten, pre-school, middle school, high school, and technical school operate in their own buildings, endowed with well-equipped classrooms. The school has a kindergarten, named after Alice Nerguizian, two libraries, a laboratory, and two auditoriums. While the school’s secondary classes are equipped with modern audiovisual technology, the kindergarten is equipped with interactive boards, keeping pace with modern educational methods and tools.

The fine arts, gymnastics and physical training, scouting, art workshops and inter-school athletic and educational activities are all necessary ingredients in Mesrobian’s educational system and learning process. Mesrobian's "Dzidzernag" choir and "Shushi" dance ensemble occupy a significant place in the Lebanese-Armenian children's and youth artistic groups. The St. Mesrob Scouts are ever active. Mesrobian’s physical training and art groups have sessions every Saturday of the academic year, at the end of which a special event is held for the public.

From 2001 to 2014, the school’s monthly “Mesrobian Messenger” mirrored Mesrobian’s rich life, and was published and printed in that period, and it is currently being published online. The school periodically carries out a variety of publishing works, one of which was the book that was published on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the school's founding. Thousands follow the school’s news on the official website and on different social media platforms, where Mesrobian regularly informs the public about news and current and upcoming programs.

When it comes to the school’s activity, it is important to note the contribution of its supporting bodies: the parent committee, the alumni association, and the students’ council.

In Mesrobian, the improvement of the buildings’ condition is consistent, while the overall maintenance is always kept in check. In the courtyard stands the statue of Mesrob Mashdots, a unique monument in the Armenian Diaspora. Near the statue stands the "Fountain of Loyalty" dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The school’s administrative section is named after its founder, the then principal and now the Catholicos Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church Grigor Bedros XX.

Over the years, many Armenian, Lebanese and international charitable institutions, such as the Gulbenkian and Boghossian Foundations, World Vision, USAID, CRS, LINCY Institute, Subordinate Institutions to the Vatican Seat, DMS Onlus of Brescia (Italy) , the European “Alliance Armenienne”, the Rafik Foundation, and other bodies, have stood beside Mesrobian as well.

Among the numerous benefactors stands out Mr. Varjouj Nerguizian, whose moral and financial support was essential to Mesrobian’s rise.

In the 2021-2022 academic year, the total number of students at Mesrobian High and Technical school is 1068, while that of the faculty and staff was 137.

Mesrobian enjoys a respected legacy in the Lebanese, the Lebanese Armenian, and the Armenian circles. The expression of this appreciation is seen through the multitude of honorary certificates and awards, granted to Mesrobian, by governmental and academic bodies.

  +961 1 260504 / 262955 / 254940          

  principal@mesrobian.com          

  Bourj Hammoud, Arax street,  Beirut, Lebanon          

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