September 24, 2020 – Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) held a Memorial Mass to pray for the soul of our beloved student Joe Elias Akiki, who tragically passed away in the Beirut Explosion on August 4, 2020.
The Mass was attended by Akiki’s family, fellow students and friends, members of the Faculty of Engineering, the NDU Board of Trustees, and other faculty and staff.
“We grieve because we lost a young man in search of his dreams and determined to accomplish them, who sought to make a change in the country he loved so dearly,” said NDU President, Fr. Pierre Najem, in his homily. “We grieve because corruption and negligence have endangered the lives of our loved ones, stripping them of their right to happiness, peace, safety and hope.”
Fr. Najem continued, “NDU mourns Joe alongside his parents, family and friends, but prays to Our Lord that by the sorrow we have experienced, He grants us the grace to share with our Sorrowful Mother, in the suffering of Christ at the foot of the cross.”
Joe Elias Akiki was awarded an honorary engineering degree, which was presented to his mother after the Mass.