Category: St. Sharbel

Fr. Michael Sliney Discovers Lebanon’s Living Faith Along Darb Mar Charbel

8/29/2026

Fr. Michael Sliney, LC, visited Lebanon from July 10 to 19, 2026, at the invitation of five Family of Saint Sharbel USA board members who are also members of the Lumen Institute.

As chaplain to Lumen’s Virginia Chapter, Fr. Sliney provides spiritual guidance to members, encouraging them to deepen their faith and place Jesus Christ first in their daily lives.

Members of the Family of Saint Sharbel USA

After visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa on July 11, Fr. Sliney joined the group on a pilgrimage through northern Lebanon, including the Qadeesha Valley and sections of Darb Mar Charbel, the developing 130-kilometer pilgrimage trail dedicated to Saint Charbel.

The pilgrims stayed at the Monastery of Saint Anthony – Qozhaya, Saint Anthony the Great Monastery at Wata Houb, and the Monastery of Saint Joseph – Tomb of Saint Rafqa in Jrabta. Their journey also brought them to Bkaakafra, Saint Sharbel’s birthplace, sites connected to his early life, and the Saint Maron Monastery and Shrine of Saint Sharbel in Annaya.

Speaking afterward on Radio Maria’s Vigilant Heart, Fr. Sliney described Lebanon as “a beautiful country” with “beautiful people” and “beautiful saints.” What struck him especially, he said, was the Valley of the Saints, its monasteries, silence and landscape: “So peaceful, so quiet, so majestic, and it’s so easy to feel God there.”

That silence became one of the defining experiences of the pilgrimage. “God doesn’t shout, he whispers,” Fr. Sliney reflected. “Going to Lebanon, going to the Valley of the Saints, I think it’s one of the few places in the world where you really can’t hear anything but God’s whisper.”

The journey also allowed him to encounter Lebanon’s Christian heritage not simply as history, but as a living faith. “In Lebanon, the people are living it,” he said. “You’re touching something that’s real, not something that used to be.”

Among the moments that particularly moved him was visiting a cave associated with Saint Sharbel’s youth and vocational discernment. Sitting there, he recalled thinking: “This is where St. Sharbel discovered his vocation. This is where he talked to God.”

Saint Sharbel's Grotto in Bekaakafra-Lebanon

For Fr. Sliney, Darb Mar Charbel was therefore much more than a hiking trail. “The whole trail is to have a spiritual experience,” he said, describing it as “almost a conversion experience.”

His assessment of the pilgrimage was emphatic. “This was my favorite pilgrimage. It was my favorite trip,” he said. “This was the most powerful trip I’ve had.”

Fr. Sliney now hopes more people, particularly Lebanese and Lebanese Americans, will rediscover this spiritual inheritance. “I feel very, very strongly about this mission to promote St. Sharbel’s Trail,” he said, adding that Darb Mar Charbel deserves to stand “on the same level of Santiago in Spain.”

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Feast of Saint Sharbel Celebrated at National Shrine Grotto in Emmitsburg, 2026

7/29/2026

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On Saturday, July 25th, 2026, the Family of Saint Sharbel USA gathered with pilgrims at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland, to celebrate the Feast of Saint Sharbel. Fr. Frank and parishioners from St. John Newman Parish in Philadelphia, as well as members of the Legion of Mary from Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon, Maryland, joined the Family of Saint Sharbel and members of the local Lebanese-American community for the celebration.

The day began at 10:45 AM with Eucharistic Adoration in St. Mary's Chapel, offered in preparation for the Holy Mass that followed at noon. The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Theodore Trinko (IVE).

In his homily, Fr. Trinko reflected on the day's Gospel account of the apostles James and John asking to sit at Christ's right and left hand, contrasting worldly authority with the call to serve.

He turned to the example of Saint Sharbel, who throughout his monastic life sought out the lowliest tasks and avoided any outward sign of honor, recalling an episode in which the saint gently rebuked a visiting priest for wearing an ostentatious fur coat over his cassock. Fr. Trinko closed by inviting the faithful to consider, on this feast of St. James, how they might follow Saint Sharbel's example of humble service to their neighbor. Read the full homily HERE.

Following the Holy Mass, Fr. Trinko led a procession with a first-class relic of Saint Sharbel to his shrine at the Grotto. There, the faithful venerated the relic and received individual blessings with Saint Sharbel's holy oil.

The celebration concluded with the distribution of prayer cards and traditional Lebanese sweets to those in attendance.

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Growing Devotion to Saint Sharbel at St. Joseph Parish in Astoria, NY

4/25/2026

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Devotion to Saint Sharbel has been steadily growing at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Astoria, New York, where parishioners continue to gather in increasing numbers to honor Saint Sharbel and seek his intercession.

This special devotion to the beloved Lebanese saint took root in 2022, when the parish received a first-class relic of Saint Sharbel following the miraculous healing of Deacon Michael Chirichella from bladder cancer through the saint’s intercession. The first Mass in honor of Saint Sharbel was celebrated on October 24th of that same year.

Deacon Michael’s journey later led him to connect with the Family of Saint Sharbel USA, who reviewed his medical records and recognized his healing as one of Saint Sharbel’s many intercessions.

Since then, St. Joseph Parish has established a monthly Saint Sharbel Mass on the third Monday of every month. The celebration is followed by veneration of the Blessed Sacrament, anointing with the holy oil of Saint Sharbel, and veneration of the saint’s first-class relic.

The parish’s devotion was further strengthened on July 24, 2023, when St. Joseph Church consecrated a new statue of Saint Sharbel among its shrines.

Today, devotion to Saint Sharbel continues to flourish at St. Joseph Parish, with participation growing month after month as more faithful are drawn to prayer, healing, and the powerful intercession of Saint Sharbel.

A short clip from the Saint Sharbel Mass celebrated at St. Joseph Parish on April 20, 2026.

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Feast of Saint Sharbel Celebrated at the National Shrine Grotto, July 12th, 2025

7/24/2025

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On Saturday, July 12th, 2025, the Family of Saint Sharbel USA gathered with pilgrims at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland, to celebrate the Feast of Saint Sharbel.

The day’s events began at 10:45 AM with a time of Eucharistic Adoration in St. Mary’s Chapel in preparation for the Holy Mass that would follow at noon, celebrated by Fr. Mariano. Among those in attendance were members of the local Lebanese-American community, visitors to the shrine, and Mr. Raymond Nader, President of the Family of Saint Sharbel.

Following the Holy Mass, a solemn procession took place with a first-class relic of Saint Sharbel. The faithful were then invited to venerate the relic and receive individual blessings with Saint Sharbel’s holy oil, administered by Fr. Mariano.

The celebration concluded with the distribution of prayer cards and traditional Lebanese sweets.

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Celebration of the Birthday of Saint Sharbel, May 10th, 2025

5/15/2025

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On Saturday, May 10th, the Family of Saint Sharbel USA celebrated St. Sharbel’s birthday at the National Shrine Grotto in Emmitsburg, MD! Participants gathered for adoration, confession, and a Divine Liturgy, in St. Mary's Chapel, celebrated in honor of both St. Sharbel and Pope Leo XIV, who was elected to the papacy on St. Sharbel's birthday (May 8th).

During his homily, Fr. Trinko highlighted the presence of Catholics from both Eastern and Western rites at the liturgy, and he emphasized that our unity comes from being under one Pope. When presenting prayer intentions, he prayed for unity of all Christians under Pope Leo XIV.

Following the liturgy, which included St. Sharbel hymns, Fr. Trinko led a procession with Saint Sharbel’s 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.

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<<Previous

Fr. Michael Sliney Discovers Lebanon’s Living Faith Along Darb Mar Charbel

Feast of Saint Sharbel Celebrated at National Shrine Grotto in Emmitsburg, 2026

Growing Devotion to Saint Sharbel at St. Joseph Parish in Astoria, NY

Feast of Saint Sharbel Celebrated at the National Shrine Grotto, July 12th, 2025

Celebration of the Birthday of Saint Sharbel, May 10th, 2025

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