The Family of St. Sharbel at the Synod in the Vatican - 2023

​The Catholic Church held its sixteenth ordinary general assembly during the month of October 2023 with cardinals and bishops from all over the world participating. This time, the Pope also invited ten representatives from each continent – priests, consecrated persons, and laypeople – to participate in the discussions with the right to vote. Among the representatives from Europe, as one of the five laypeople, was Mr. Alexander Banka, the head of the Family of Saint Sharbel in Poland.

​Mr. Banka had visited Lebanon in late September 2023, prior to his participation in the Synod. There he visited the shrine of Saint Sharbel seeking his intercession and he spent three days in spiritual retreat at the Monastery of Our Lady of Qannoubine, which is located in the Holy Valley of Qadisha in Northern Lebanon.

Mr. Raymond Nader, president of the Family of Saint Sharbel, has visited Poland four times so far.  He is planning to visit again in May 2024, when he intends to tour new parishes in northern Poland and participate in spiritual retreats with the leaders of newly established Family of Saint Sharbel groups.

Click HERE for Mr. Nader's latest visit to Poland.