Fadi Massabki, originally from Damascus, an entrepreneur in the sector of luxury furnishing, is considered the closest descendant to the Massabki brothers. They were the three Maronite laymen who will be canonized in Rome on 20 October, together with eight Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land. The group is better known as the “Martyrs of Damascus”.
Fadi and his family will take part in the offertory procession, during the Mass of canonization of the “Martyrs of Damascus”, on 20 October in St Peter’s Square (Rome). “Saints are a message from the Lord, to remind us of the strength of faith,” he says. “Holiness is a path for every Christian. Especially nowadays, we need faith to fight evil and suffering.”
A family of entrepreneurs
Fadi is the descendant of Francis Massabki, the eldest of the three martyred brothers. He was a silk merchant and the father of eight children. He was known for his virtues, and thanks to his serious and honest work, he was able to acquire fortune, respect and success. Francis was known for his generosity towards the poor and the Church, as well as his profound faith which he nourished with prayer and the sacraments. Francis’s grandchildren included Louis Massabki (1874-1960), Fadi’s grandfather and the founder of “Massabki Furniture”, a company specialized in woodworking and luxury furnishings. Today, Fadi is one of the heirs of the family company as well as of a story of holiness.
Holy Land
When the factory and family properties were destroyed in 2012 by the war that had broken out in Syria, Fadi Massabki emigrated to Odessa (Ukraine) and then to Erbil (Iraq). “I returned to Syria in 2019, to re-establish the family business here,” he says. He splits his time between Aleppoand Damascus, together with his wife, Vilma, an interior designer. He exports to various countries in the Middle East and the USA. His two children, Rhea and Jean, are both students in France. “Life in Syria is acceptable, despite the difficulties. I cannot leave Syria; my roots, the family business and a great deal to construct are here, in this ‘holy land’.”
Laymen and saints
Fadi has inherited from Francis Massabki and his forefathers a passion for work and a great faith: “My faith is based above all on the teaching of helping those in need, and in believing that God is at my side in times of difficulty. This gives me the strength to do good actions. If we sow love, we reap blessings.” Fadi often prays in front of the relics of the Massabki brothers and lingers in the Franciscan church where they were martyred. “I feel their holiness and their closeness. The Massabki brothers were traders, they were laymen who dedicated their lives to the Church: they are my models of reference, because they show that a layman can become a saint through his actions in everyday life.”
Marinella Bandini
