Feast of Saint Sharbel – July 24

Sharbel, a Lebanese Maronite monk and priest, lived a life of devotion to God as a man of prayer. In the Maronite Church, Sharbel is one of the most loved of the saints.

Joseph Antoun Makhlouf was born in 1828 in Lebanon to a poor family. He entered the monastery at the age of 23 and he adopted the name "Sharbel", a second century Christian martyr. He studied with the renowned spiritual master, Father Ni'mattulla al-Hardini (who has also been recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church).

For 16 years, Sharbel was active as a monk priest and with great devotion served the people. However, in 1878 and until his death in 1898 he lived a life in retreat in order to consecrate all his time to prayer. Many people sought him out for his blessing as he was already recognized as a saintly man during his life on earth.

Pope Paul VI beatified Sharbel in 1965 and he was recognized as a saint in 1977 by the Catholic Church.

Video Clip: A song to honor Saint Sharbel with pictures of the monk and the churches that he is associated with.

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