Lebanon
3rd Sunday in July
May 8, 1828
December 24, 1898
9 October 1977
Saint Charbel (Youssef Antoun Makhlouf) was born on May 8, 1828, in the small mountain village of Bekaa Kafra, North Lebanon, the highest inhabited village in the Middle East.
He grew up in a poor but deeply devout Maronite family. From a young age, he was known for his prayer life, silence, and love for the Virgin Mary.
At 23, Charbel left his family home secretly and walked to Our Lady of Mayfouq Monastery, then later to St. Maron Monastery in Annaya, where he became a monk in the Lebanese Maronite Order.
After years of humble service in the monastery, he asked for permission to live as a hermit, which was granted in 1875.
Saint Charbel lived the last 23 years of his life in the Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul in Annaya, devoted entirely to: Eucharistic adoration, Prayer and fasting, Manual labor, Silence and obedience, Daily sacrifice for the salvation of souls
His life became a model of Christian holiness and monastic purity.
While celebrating the Divine Liturgy on December 16, 1898, he collapsed during the consecration.
He died on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1898.
Soon after his burial, a mysterious light was seen surrounding his tomb for weeks, drawing people from all over Lebanon.
Saint Charbel is widely regarded as one of the most miraculous saints of the modern era – with over 33,000 miracles officially documented, and many more unofficial testimonies worldwide.
On 1 December 2025, Pope Leo XIV made history as the first pope ever to visit the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf, in the Monastery of Saint Maron at Annaya, Lebanon. In silence and prayer, before thousands of pilgrims, the Pope entrusted the needs of the Church, of Lebanon, and of the world to Saint Charbel’s intercession, offering a lamp as a symbol of hope and light.
Credit: Vatican News Instagram page
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