​On Saturday October 15, 2022, The Family of Saint Sharbel celebrated the fifth anniversary of the dedication of Saint Sharbel's Shrine at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes (Emmitsburg, MD).

Father Theodore Trinko (Institute of the Incarnate Word, IVE- http://ive.org/en/) celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating with him was Rev. Youssef Keikati (Pastor of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Easton, PA) and Fr. Cesar (IVE), Chaplain at the Shrine.
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Fr. Keikati came with 40 people from his parish.

The choir chanted in English and Arabic the proper traditional Maronite hymns for parts of the liturgies.

​After the Divine Liturgy, the Fathers led a procession with the relic of St. Sharbel (placed in a cedar-shape reliquary) while the faithful followed singing the traditional Maronite hymns. At the Shrine, the celebration concluded with the blessing with and the veneration of the relic of St. Sharbel.

​After the celebration, the Family of Saint Sharbel offered to pilgrims sweets and complimentary prayer cards.

Watch Full Video of the Celebration

​"Holiness is the most attractive face of the Church" (Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate, 9).

In the midst of the darkness that our world has been enduring for more than two years, and in the face of an uncertain future, the Lord generously offers us two new blesseds: Thomas and Leonard of Baabdat. They come from a biblical land - certainly - but also from a region of the world that has known only war and persecution. Lebanon, a small country that has already given to the Order Blessed Abouna Yacoub (Jacob of Ghazir), Apostle of the Cross, will have the joy of celebrating the beatification of two more Capuchins who were both missionaries and martyrs, this June 4, 2022 in Beirut...

My dear brothers, the two blesseds, Thomas and Leonard, who died in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith), during the worst genocide of the twentieth century, are a wonderful example of charity and fraternal self-denial. Amid this persecution, which claimed two million victims, the first sacrificed himself for an Armenian priest; the second, for a brother."
An excerpt from the letter by Br. Roberto Genuin, General Minister of the Capuchin Friars Minor.

Click HERE to learn more about these new blesseds.

A group of the Family of Saint Sharbel, USA, attended a Christmas retreat (December 9 to 12) at Most Holy Trinity Monastery (Maronite Monks of Adoration ) in Massachusetts.

​On Friday, Fr. Robert gave one of the talks on the Visitation and the Magnificat. On Saturday, Abbot Patrick gave a talk on the birth of our Lord.

​On Sunday, the retreatants attended the Divine Liturgy for the Revelation to Joseph, received from the monks the blessing for the travel and left back home.

​On the 9th of October 2021, “The Family of Saint Sharbel” in the US celebrated the fourth anniversary of the Shrine of Saint Sharbel at the National Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

​On this occasion, Fr Cesar celebrated the Holy Mass in St. Mary's Glass Chapel. “The Family of Saint Sharbel, USA” participated in the celebration along with the Lebanese community in the area, as well as other pilgrims. Arabic Maronite hymns were incorporated into the anniversary Mass.

​After the Mass, Fr Cesar led a procession with the relic of Saint Sharbel (placed in a cedar-shape reliquary) while the faithful followed singing the traditional Maronite hymns. At the shrine, they gathered for the final blessing with the relic. In conclusion of the celebration, the faithful approached to venerate Saint Sharbel’s relic placed in front of the statue.

​October 9, 2021 is also the 44th memorial of the canonization of Saint Sharbel which took place in 1977. 

A group from the Family of Saint Sharbel, USA, attended a retreat (August 19 to 22) with the Maronite Monks of Adoration at the Most Holy Trinity Monastery in Massachusetts.

​The Divine Liturgy for this feast was celebrated by Father Theodore Trinko (Institute of the Incarnate Word). “The Family of Saint Sharbel” participated in the celebration along with the Lebanese community in the area, as well as other pilgrims of the National Shrine.

​Father Trinko concluded: “Everything in him was God’s and because of his generosity he received the promise of our Lord, a hundred times more than he gave up in his life, and eternal life and in the age to come. We can imitate Saint Sharbel’s generosity, and all of us can say yes to God no matter what He asks and no matter what He expects from us. Cheap souls will never make it to Heaven, and we will never save ourselves if you continue to put limits on what we will give to God.

​At the shrine of Saint Sharbel, the Family of Saint Sharbel offered complimentary prayer cards to pilgrims.

Watch the video.

The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes & The Family of Saint Sharbel, USA invite you to the Celebration of the Feast of Saint Sharbel at the National Shrine Grotto, on Saturday, July 18, 2020.

​Confession:    10:45-11:45 am
​Holy Mass:    12 pm, followed by the Blessing with the Relics of Saint Sharbel

​All Masses will be held outdoors at the Grotto Cave and we can only accommodate 350 attendees per Mass. Please bring hats, water, and umbrellas, and follow ushers' seating directives. In the event of inclement weather, Mass may be cancelled and will be announced. Please keep checking the announcement on the website of the Shrine.
Hope you can join us in prayer on this blessed feast of Saint Sharbel.