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Saint Charbel Makhlouf

Saint Charbel Makhlouf (1828-1898) was a Lebanese Maronite monk and hermit. He lived the last 23 years of his life in a hermitage near Annaya and died on December 24, 1898. Pope Paul VI canonized him on October 9, 1977. His feast is July 24, and people pray to him for healing.

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Key Facts

Dates checked against the sources listed below, using the Vatican where it states them. Where sources disagree, the note says so.

Born: May 8, 1828, in Bekaa Kafra, in the Bsharri region of North Lebanon, as Youssef Antoun Makhlouf. See Bekaa Kafra.
Monastic life: joined the Lebanese Maronite Order at age 23 and took the name Charbel (Vatican). The history page gives 1851.
Ordained a priest: July 23, 1859, in Bkerke.
Hermitage: from 1875 he lived at the hermitage near Annaya. See the hermitage.
Died: December 24, 1898. He was struck ill while celebrating Mass on December 16 and died eight days later (Vatican). See how he died.
Beatified: December 5, 1965, by Pope Paul VI, at the close of the Second Vatican Council.
Canonized: October 9, 1977, by Pope Paul VI. He was the first Lebanese saint recognized in modern times (Vatican).
Feast: July 24 in the Roman calendar, and the third Sunday of July in the Maronite calendar. See the feast day.

His Life in Brief

Charbel was a farmer's son who lost his father at the age of three. He longed for the monastery and entered it at 23. He spent years at the Monastery of Saint Maron at Annaya, and from 1875 lived as a hermit in prayer, fasting and work. After his death, crowds came to his tomb. The full story, with the timeline, is on the history page.

Why People Pray to Saint Charbel

Pilgrims ask his intercession for healing and for peace. At Annaya, the monastery keeps a register of reported favors. More than 29,680 have been recorded since his death, according to Father Louis Matar, the monk who assesses and records them, as reported by CNEWA in March 2026. This is a monastery record, distinct from the Church's formal miracle approvals. See the miracles page and the register.

Prayer asks, and God remains free. Start with the prayers, the novena, the litany or the chaplet, or read about the oil.

Everything on This Site About Saint Charbel

Life and legacy

Miracles, tomb and relics

Prayer

Places and pilgrimage

The wider story

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Saint Charbel?

A Lebanese Maronite monk and hermit, born Youssef Makhlouf on May 8, 1828. He died on December 24, 1898, and Pope Paul VI canonized him on October 9, 1977.

When is Saint Charbel's feast day?

July 24 in the Roman calendar, and the third Sunday of July in the Maronite calendar.

Where is Saint Charbel buried?

At the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, Lebanon. See the tomb and how to visit.

Why is Saint Charbel called a wonderworker?

Because of the favors reported after his death. The Church formally approved miracles for his beatification and canonization, and the monastery keeps a wider register, which is not the same thing.

Is Saint Charbel the same as Saint Sharbel?

Yes. Charbel and Sharbel are two spellings of the same name, from Arabic.