Lebanese American Festival Las Vegas
Middle Eastern / Mediterranean Warm Spirits with Flavorful culture.


© 2009 Lebanese American Festival Las Vegas  All Rights Reserved.
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St. Sharbel Mission  10325 Rancho Destino Rd.  Las Vegas, NV 89183  Phone   (702) 616-6902  Fax (702) 616-4032
Youssef Antoun Makhlouf was born in 1828, in Bekaa Kafra (North Lebanon). He had a true
Christian upbringing, which had given him a passion for prayer. Then he followed his two hermit
uncles in the hermitage of the St Antonious Kozhaya monastery and was converted to
monastic and hermetical life.In 1851, he left his family village and headed for the Our Lady of
Maifouk monastery to spend his first monastic year, and then he went to the St Maron
monastery in Annaya, where he entered the Maronite Order, carrying the name Charbel, a name
of one of the Antioch church martyrs of the second century. On November 1st. 1853, he exposed
his ceremonial vows in St Maron's monastery - Annaya. Then he completed his theological
studies in the St Kobrianous and Justina monastery in Kfifan, Batroun.He was ordained a priest
in Bkerky, the Maronite Patriarchate, on July 23rd, 1859. He lived 16 years in the St Maron's
monastery - Annaya. From there, he entered, on February 15th, 1875, the St Peter & Paul
hermitage, which belongs to the monastery. He was a typical saint and hermit, who spent his time
praying and worshipping. Rarely had he left the hermitage where he followed the way of the
saintly hermits in prayers, life and practice.St Charbel lived in the hermitage for 23 years. On
December 16th, 1898 he was struck with an illness while performing the holy mass. He died on
Christmas' eve, December 24th, 1898, and was buried in the St Maron monastery cemetery in
Annaya.Few months later, dazzling lights were seen around the grave. From there, his corpse,
which had been secreting sweat and blood, was transferred into a special coffin. Hordes of
pilgrims started swarming the place to get his intercession. And through this intercession, God
blessed many people with recovery and spiritual graces.In 1925, his beatification and
canonization were proposed for declaration by Pope Pious XI. In 1950, the grave was opened in
the presence of an official committee which included doctors who verified the soundness of the
body. After the grave had been opened and inspected, the variety of healing incidents amazingly
multiplied. A multitude of pilgrims from different religious facets started flocking to the Annaya
monastery to get the saint's intercession.Prodigies reached beyond the Lebanese borders. This
unique phenomenon caused a moral revolution, the return to faith and the reviving of the virtues
of the soul.

May 8th, 1828
May 16th, 1828
1851
1852
1853

1853-1859
1859
1859-1875
Feb. 15th, 1875
Dec. 24th, 1898
1899
1927
1950
Dec. 5th, 1965
Oct. 9th, 1977

His birth date in Bekaa Kafra
His baptism
First year of novitiate in Maifouk
Second year of novitiate in Annaya
His first vows in Annaya
His theological studies in Kfifan
His priestly ordination
His life at the Annaya monastery
His entering the hermitage
His death
The changing of the tomb
The corpse was transferred to a third grave
The grave was opened and the body was exposed to visitors. A distinguished year full of miracles around his grave
His Beatification in Vatican
His Canonization in Vatican


St Charbel's life in stages
Hotel Code is:
LEB1008