St. Charbel (Sharbel) Makhlouf (1828–1898) was a Maronite Catholic monk and hermit of Lebanon, famous for his life of silent prayer and for thousands of healings attributed to his intercession. Pilgrims of every faith visit his tomb at the monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, and many carry blessed oil from his shrine. His feast is July 24.
Below are prayers to St. Charbel for healing, for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East, and for a deeper life of prayer, with the story of his life and the miracles connected with him.
A prayer to St. Charbel for healing
Written for this page:
St. Charbel, you spent your life in silence and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament,
and God has worked many healings through your intercession.
I come to you for (name), who is sick.
Ask the Lord to heal him (her) in body and soul, if it is his will,
and to give us all faith, patience and peace. Amen.
A prayer for Lebanon and the Middle East
St. Charbel, son of Lebanon,
pray for your people and for all the Christians of the Middle East.
Protect families, comfort those who suffer from war and poverty,
and obtain for the region the gift of lasting peace. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
A prayer for a life of prayer
St. Charbel, you found God in silence, work and the Eucharist.
Teach me to make room for silence,
to pray with my whole heart,
and to love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament above all things. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See also Eucharistic adoration prayers.
The life of St. Charbel
Youssef Antoun Makhlouf was born on May 8, 1828, in Bekaa Kafra, the highest village in Lebanon. His father died when he was three, and he grew up in a devout Maronite family, often praying in a cave near his village. At twenty-three he secretly left home to enter the Lebanese Maronite Order, taking the name Charbel, after a second-century martyr. Ordained a priest in 1859, he lived for sixteen years in the monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, then for twenty-three years as a hermit in the nearby hermitage of Sts. Peter and Paul, in prayer, manual work and strict penance.
He suffered a stroke while celebrating Mass in December 1898 and died on Christmas Eve, 1898. In 1950, after a light was reported around his tomb, his body was found incorrupt and exuding a liquid; healings multiplied. He was beatified in 1965 at the close of the Second Vatican Council and canonized by Pope St. Paul VI in 1977. His memorial is now inscribed in the General Roman Calendar on July 24.
St. Charbel’s oil
Pilgrims often receive oil blessed at his shrine, and many apply it with prayer in sickness. Like holy water, it is a sacramental: a sign of faith and prayer, not a medicine or a charm. It does not replace medical care or the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Charbel the patron saint of?
Lebanon, the sick and those seeking healing, and those who live a life of prayer.
When is St. Charbel’s feast day?
July 24. Many Maronite communities also celebrate him on the third Sunday of July.
Do people of other religions pray to St. Charbel?
Yes. His shrine at Annaya is visited by Christians, Muslims and Druze, and healings have been reported among people of many faiths.
More prayers for healing
Sources
- The General Roman Calendar (memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, July 24).
- Paul VI, homily for the canonization of St. Charbel Makhlouf (October 9, 1977).
- The prayers were written for this page.