2. Saint Charbel Makhlouf
1828 - 1898
Canonised a Saint by
Pope Paul VI October 9, 1977
Who is Saint Charbel?
He was born May 8, 1828 in the
little village of Biqa-Kafra which
is situated in the high mountains
of northern Lebanon.
His parents were poor and he
was the last of five children.
He was baptised with the name
of "Joseph".
3. As a young boy, he was
responsible for caring for the
family's small flock. He would
take the flock to a grotto nearby,
where he had installed an icon of
the Blessed Virgin Mary. He
would spend the day in prayer.
In 1851 when he was twenty-
three years old he decided to leave
home to discover his religious
vocation as a monk and hermit.
That is where he took his name
Charbel.
4. In 1875, Charbel was given the
privilege of living as a hermit at
the Hermitage of Saints Peter
and Paul in Lebanon. He spent
the next 23 years living as a
solitary hermit.
To live as a hermit means you
live in a cave in the mountains
with no contact from anyone, you
pray and devote your life to being
more like God.
He died from a stroke on 24
December 1898. Hermitage of Saint Peter and
Saint Paul in Lebanon
5. Saint Charbel was a priest for 39
years during which he celebrated
the Holy Mass every day.
He took a long time to prepare for
Holy Mass; and afterwards he
remained in thanksgiving for as
long as two hours.
6. The Miracles of Saint Charbel that made him become a Saint
Among the many miracles related to Saint Charbel the Church chose two of them
to declare the beatification, and a third for his canonization.
These miracles are:
1. the healing of Sister
Mary Abel Kamari of
the Sacred Hearts
2. the healing of Iskandar
Naim Obeid from
Baabdat
3. the healing of Mariam
Awad from Hammana.
A Photo taken of some priests
after Saint Charbel’s death, and
he appears in the photo.
7. The Most Famous Miracle
The most famous miracle that Saint Charbel performed is that of Nohad El
Shami, a 55-year-old woman at the time of the miracle who was healed from a
partial paralysis.
She tells that on the night of January 22, 1993, she saw in her dream two
Maronite monks standing next to her bed. One of them put his hands on her
neck and operated on her, relieving her from her pain while the other held a
pillow behind her back.
When she woke up, Nohad discovered two wounds in her neck, one on each side.
She was completely healed and recovered her ability to walk. She believed that
it was Saint Charbel who healed her but did not recognize the other monk.
Next night, she again saw Saint Charbel in her dream. He said to her: "I did
the surgery to let people see and return to faith. I ask you to visit the hermitage
on the 22nd of every month, and attend Mass regularly for the rest of your life”.
People now gather on the 22nd of each month to pray and celebrate the Mass in
the hermitage of Saint Charbel in Annaya Lebanon.
8. The ceremony in which the Blessed Charbel was then declared a saint took
place in the Vatican on 9 October 1977.
Saint Charbel Church in Lebanon
