Geographical Location 

It can be seen from afar, perched on one of the hills of Jal el-Dib overlooking the sea, north of Beirut. It is accessible via the main Beirut–Tripoli road, by taking the Jal el-Dib turnoff and ascending for a distance of 2 km. Its cross dominates the vast horizon at its feet, blessing and protecting the pilgrims.

Hospital Design The Founder 

“Abouna Yaacoub” (Father Jacques) is the founder of the Monastery of the Cross in 1919. He transformed it into a hospice in 1937, then in 1951 into the Hospital of the Cross for mental and psychological illnesses.

Hospital Pavilions

Saint Michael Pavilion 

This pavilion can accommodate 125 beds for female patients, covered by the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Agency, and the fourth class.

Notre-Dame Pavilion 

This pavilion has 425 beds for male patients, also covered by the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Agency, and the fourth class. It includes seven floors, among them a pharmacy and reception rooms for new female patients, who stay there for about a week under observation. Each floor or section has a dining room, at least one lounge with a television, video player, recreation room, and a large room for receiving visitors. Each pavilion also has its own outdoor garden.

Psychotherapeutic Care 

Psychotherapeutic care includes:

• Individual psychological therapy
• Group psychological therapy
• Institutional therapy
• Art therapy

In institutional therapy, discussions among patients revolve around a given theme. The goal is to create dialogue among the patients themselves and with the professionals accompanying them: psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, psychomotor therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers.

Saint Jacques Pavilion 

The Saint Jacques Pavilion has 130 beds. It welcomes patients at their own expense as well as those covered by:

• The Ministry of Defense
• The Internal Security Forces
• General Security
• State Security
• The National Social Security Fund
• The Customs Administration
• The Solidarity Fund of the Lebanese University
• The Tobacco and Blond Tobacco Administration

Saint Elias Pavilion 

This pavilion accommodates 150 female patients, covered by the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Agency, and the fourth class. It is composed of four sections, one of which is called “the pharmacy,” intended for the reception of new patients who stay there for about a week before being assigned to the other sections. Patients are followed by a multidisciplinary team composed of:

• Psychiatrists 

• Psychologists 

• Nurses 

• Social workers (one per section) 

• Psychomotor therapists 

• Occupational therapists

The Spirit of the Founder 

He desired it in the name of the Cross, for it is his messenger and his beloved, and because the Cross is the cornerstone of his heart. In it, he found his peace and his pride. He taught his religious sisters, the Sisters of the Cross, to turn toward the Crucified through prayer and toward the human being through service, especially toward the most deprived and the most needy.

Father Jacques was not sectarian, but Christian in soul. He never reserved the benefits of the Cross project for a single community. In his eyes, differences of religion, gender, or color faded before true humanity. “Look at the fountain: it does not ask the thirsty from which country he comes.”

Current Capacity 

The hospital currently has around 1,055 beds and welcomes nearly 2,200 patients each year.

Specialized Services

Saint Dominic Pavilion 

This pavilion accommodates 75 underage boys. It is managed by a multidisciplinary team composed of:

• Doctors
• Specialists in special education
• Psychologists
• Psychomotor therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Nurses and nursing assistants

Central Pharmacy 

The central pharmacy provides therapeutic medications to all hospital departments.

Dental Clinic 

The dental clinic offers care to patients.

Theater and Cinema Hall

The theater can accommodate 300 people. It serves all academic, scientific, cultural, administrative, spiritual, and recreational meetings and gatherings.