 On March 25, 2026, the Manila Cathedral welcomed the Pilgrim Relic of Saint Sharbel Makhlouf in a celebration held on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. The Relic visit was made possible through the efforts of The Family of Saint Sharbel in the Philippines, together with Fr. Hans Magdurulang, who brought the relic to the Mother Church for this special occasion. Msgr. Rolly dela Cruz, Fr. Viel, and the cathedral community warmly welcomed the first-class bone relic of Saint Sharbel. From the beginning of the day, devotees flocked to the Manila Cathedral to pray, reflect, and venerate the relic of Saint Sharbel, whose witness of holiness continues to inspire the faithful across the world. Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula presided over the celebration of the Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, welcoming and venerating the Pilgrim Relic of Saint Sharbel. In his homily, Cardinal Advincula reflected on the deep spiritual connection between the Solemnity of the Annunciation and the life of Saint Sharbel. He presented Mary’s fiat, her complete yes to God, as the perfect model of trust, surrender, and openness to divine grace. He then pointed to Saint Sharbel as one who lived that same total offering through silence, prayer, fasting, solitude, and hidden holiness. The Cardinal reminded the faithful that both Mary and Saint Sharbel reveal a path not marked by control or certainty but by faithfulness, trust, and complete belonging to God. He also emphasized that the presence of Saint Sharbel’s relics is not simply a remembrance of a holy monk but a living invitation for all believers to offer their own lives more fully to the Lord. Read the complete homily HERE. Following the Holy Mass, the blessing with the oil of Saint Sharbel was also held, allowing the faithful to participate more deeply in this moment of prayer and devotion.
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The Family of Saint Sharbel celebrated the Birthday of Saint Sharbel on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at the Shrine of Saint Sharbel, at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Emmitsburg, MD.  The celebration started with Confessions, then at 12 PM, Fr. Cesar celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Mary's Chapel. After the Holy Mass, a first-class relic of Saint Sharbel was made available for veneration. Then Fr. Cesar led a procession with the relic, while the faithful followed singing Maronite hymns. At the shrine, they gathered for the final blessing with the relic and individual blessing with the Holy oil of Saint Sharbel. Watch the Celebration Video 
On the 23rd of July 2022, “The Family of Saint Sharbel” in the US celebrated the Feast of Saint Sharbel at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. At 12 PM, Fr. Cesar (IVE), Chaplain at the Shrine, celebrated the Holy Mass in St. Mary's Chapel. The Lebanese community in the area, as well as other pilgrims of the National Shrine, joined “The Family of Saint Sharbel” in this celebration. After the Holy Mass, Fr. Cesar celebrated the veneration of and the blessing with St. Sharbel’s Relic. The celebration video: At the end, Literature on Saint Sharbel were distributed to the faithful.   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. Celebration Video October 9, 2021 is also the 44th memorial of the canonization of Saint Sharbel which took place in 1977.
By Fr. Richard Kunst When Pope John Paul the Great was criticized for canonizing so many saints, he acknowledged that he did, indeed, deliberately raise more saints to the altar than any of his predecessors, because he believed we are living in a time that needs saints as witnesses more than ever. There have been books written about the people he canonized and beatified, and it is quite refreshing to read about many of them, because we can identify with people from our own era who lived a heroic faith life. As much as I like hagiography, the study of the saints, I have to admit that many of them, living in a different era, seem to be a bit untouchable, or even unreal. In many cases they became “kitsch,” entering so much into the piety of worldwide Catholicism that they became little more than statues. I am reminded of St. Therese of Lisieux who has rightly been called the greatest saint of modern times. Her statue seems to be in a majority of churches, but I’d like to know how many people in the pews actually know anything about her life.
Reflecting on the life of St. Charbel calls to mind a common frustration among my brother priests and me. On a regular basis, many people come into Mass late. Often they are so late they miss one or two of the readings. It is even more common for whole portions of the church to be empty after communion. While we are happy that these people at least come to Mass, think of the contrast between our experience and that of St. Charbel, who would spend hours in prayer both before and after receiving communion. We would never go to a movie late, or leave before the story was over. Why in the world, then, would we do that with the Divine Liturgy where heaven and earth meet? St. Alphonsus de’ Liguori (1696-1787), born 130 years before St. Charbel, believed that if we didn’t receive our first communion until we turned 100, we would still not have sufficient time to prepare. At another time, he said that once we receive communion, twelve angels surround us, worshiping what we just consumed. Obviously, that is not dogma, but it is food for thought if we are tempted to leave Mass early. The saints are always icons of having lived the Gospels, including those who seem to be so different from us. St. Charbel is a great example of this. I pray to him that through his intercession more people will grow in awe and reverence for Christ’s Eucharistic presence. —Father Rich
St. Charbel, pray for us! Blessed Pope Paul VI canonized Charbel Makhluf on October 9, 1977.
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. |
Publishing DepartmentThe Family of Saint Sharbel has established a new Publishing Department. More
ProjectsLearn about our ongoing projects to help introduce Saint Sharbel and the Maronite spirituality to the English speaking communities. Check out our YouTube Channels
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