Who is Saint Sharbel?

Saint Sharbel Makhlouf (1828–1898) was a Maronite monk and priest from Lebanon, known for his life of profound prayer, silence, and total union with God. After living the last 23 years of his life in a hermitage, he died on Christmas Eve—surrounded by miraculous light. Since his death, untold thousands of miracles have been attributed to his intercession—healings of the body, conversions of the heart, and spiritual awakenings.

To this day, people from all backgrounds and nations continue to experience powerful graces through Saint Sharbel’s prayers. His incorrupt body, the stream of oil from his tomb, and the countless testimonies of healing have made him a radiant sign of God’s love in the modern world.

Saint Sharbel: A Saint for Our Times

A Hidden Life of Holiness

Saint Sharbel Makhlouf was born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf in 1828 in the small village of Bekaa Kafra, Lebanon—the highest inhabited village in the Middle East. From a young age, he was drawn to solitude and prayer. At 23, he entered the Lebanese Maronite Order and took the name “Sharbel” in honor of a second-century martyr.

After years in monastic life, he was granted permission in 1875 to live as a hermit at the Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul in the mountains of Annaya. For the next 23 years, Saint Sharbel lived a life of radical silence, intense prayer, and complete detachment from the world. He ate only one meal a day, slept on the ground, and spent hours in Eucharistic Adoration.

A Holy Death—Bathed in Light

Saint Sharbel died on Christmas Eve, 1898, after suffering a stroke while offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. But his death was only the beginning.

In the nights following his burial, a mysterious light was seen shining from his grave, visible to villagers and clergy. When his body was exhumed months later, it was found incorrupt, exuding a blood-like, sweat-like liquid that has continued to flow from his remains to this day.

His tomb became a place of pilgrimage, and soon, extraordinary healings began to occur—spiritual, emotional, and physical.

---

A River of Miracles

The miracles attributed to Saint Sharbel’s intercession are too numerous to count, spanning every continent and background. Many are medically documented and humanly inexplicable. Among them:

• A woman in Lebanon cured of total paralysis.
• A Muslim man in the Middle East healed of a deadly tumor after praying to “the man in black robes” who appeared to him in a dream—later identified as Saint Sharbel.
• A woman in the U.S. with advanced cancer declared healed after placing a relic of Saint Sharbel on her body.
• Countless conversions, reconciliations, and deep interior healings from despair, addiction, and trauma.

To this day, thousands flock to his shrine in Annaya, and over 29,000 miracles have been officially recorded by the monastery. While hundreds of thousands of other miracles have been reported, only a select few undergo the rigorous scrutiny required for official recognition by the Church. The exact number of cases currently under investigation remains undisclosed. Many more go undocumented.

---

Why the World Loves Saint Sharbel

Saint Sharbel speaks to the modern heart.
In a noisy, restless world, he reminds us of the power of silence.
In a culture driven by self, he shows us the beauty of hidden holiness.
And in a time of suffering and doubt, he offers us healing, hope, and faith in Christ.

He is a universal saint—beloved not only in Lebanon, but across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and now in Ireland and the UK, where many are discovering his miraculous intercession for the first time.

---

“What the world needs today is a Saint Sharbel in every home.”
— St. Pope Paul VI