Christian Holy Places

Tomb of Saint Rafqa

2011-09-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Tomb is located in the St. Joseph's Monastery, Jrabta, Batroun. Also there is a Museum with some of her belongs and photos.

Rafqa was born in Himlaya, one of the villages of Northern Metn (Lebanon), on June 19, 1833.
Saint Rafqa had a beautiful but very difficult life, facing always all problems with faith and patience. Her life is an example for all, Christians or Non-Christians. She was Beatified on November 17, 1985 by Pope John Paul II.

About her Sickness she said:

"When I saw that I'm healthy and I never witnessed sickness in my whole life, I asked God: "God, why are You distant from me? Why are you leaving me alone? Why have You spared me any disease? Have You forgotten me, after I adored You?" When i slept, I felt terrible pain in my head, which spread above my eye until I became like this... blind and paralyzed".

In this Journey we have been in many other Christians Sites, but this one was really very special, when I enter in the Chapel where her tomb is, even without knowing her biography I felt a great emotion that I could not explain,and there I was, a muslim crying in Saint Rafqa's Tomb.

After when I read her biography, I could finally understand why such emotion. Despite of religion, beautiful acts are lessons for the entire World.

Our Lady of Lebanon

2011-08-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Harissa hill is located above Jounieh, is 24 kilometers from Beirut, at 600m altitude. There is the Monastery of Patriarchal Maronite, at the top, the convent of the Paulist Greek Melkite Catholic Fathers.

At a small distance the summer see of the Apostolic Nuntio in Lebanon, and near there is the convent for the Franciscan Fathers. A lit bit far from there, the convent of Charfeh, the see of the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate and on the hill of Bzoummar the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate and off course the most attractive thing there, the Sanctuary vowed to the Virgin, the Queen of Lebanon.

The most amazing in Harrisa is the diffirent sects of Chritianism that we can find there.

Even for those not so religious, the site is very beautiful especially for the views of Jounieh, for the touristic attractions, and for the Teleferique(gondola-lift).

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mantara

2011-08-01T06:17:00.000-07:00

The Lady of Mantara(our waiting Lady), it is very near to Sidon, in the village of Maghdouche.This place is a Sacred place that Christians and Cuslims visit.The Virgin Mary waited for her son Jesus in this cave in Maghdouche, because the Roman Road which led from Jerusalem to the Lebanese Coast went through this village. While waiting she prayed and meditated there.

Also there is a small tower and above the statue of Virgin Mary holding her son, and inside, there are many important religious paitings, and a chapel. The place is beautiful with gardens and also a very big church is being built.This site is a must for those who are looking for religious sites in Lebanon.

The Shrine of St. Elias

2011-07-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

People say that the St. Elias the living( he didn't die), has passed by this land and specifically by this part of Saida in Lebanon, that is why they built this temple in order to remember St. Elias and get blesses , and to glorify and worship God.

Wadi Qadisha

2011-07-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Wadi Qadisha, lies within the Becharre and Zgharta Districts of the North Governorate of Lebanon which also has a river, called the Nahr Qadisha. There are many religious sites like, caves, chapels and monasteries and some really requires long walk for their difficult access.

The word Qadisha comes from a Semitic root meaning "Holy" and Wadi Qadisha is the "Holy Valley". Since the Early Middle Ages generations of Monks, hermits, ascetics and anchorites found asylum there. These religious men, who belonged to the various confessions that grew out of medieval controversies over the nature of Christ, included the Nestorians, Monophysites, chalcedoniansand Monothelites. Even Muslims Soufis were found in this valley. They prayed in many languages: Greek, Arabic, Syriac and Ethiopian.

The Valley is nearby the Forest of the Cedars of God( The cedars used in order to build the Salomon’s Temple in Jerusalem).

The Qadisha Valley is some of the most ancient Christian monastic communities of the Middle East, including Deir Qannoubine(where seventeen Maronite patriarchs are buried in a chapel near the monastery), Deir Mar Elisha(where the Lebanese Maronite Order was founded in 1696) and Deir Mar Antonios Qozhaya(home to Lebanon's first printing press), and chapels like the Chapel of Mart Chmouni, Chapel of Lady Hawqa.

At the entrance of Becharre Lady Qadisha stands on the top of the valley. This village is also the birthplace of Gibran Khalil Gebran, and where his tomb is present nowadays in the Mar Sarkis Monastery.

Saint Nimatullah & Saint Estephan Nehme

2011-07-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

Youssef is known as the Saint Nimatullah who died in the monastery of Saints Qobrianos and Youstina, in December 14, 1858, after being severally ill for years.

His Tomb is in Batroun, in a small village called Kfifan. In the same Monastery of Saints Cyril & Justin it is the tomb of the Saint Estephan Nehme.

Also the Monastery is a beautiful place with gardens, and fonts of water. A museum displaying where the saints lived and study, and their actions of worship.

The Tomb of Saint Charbel

2011-07-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Declared Blessed in 1965 and a saint in the October 9, 1977. His tomb is located on Annaya, District of Byblos where also is the Monastery of Mar Maroun and a museum displays the objetcs that belonged to the Saint.

Many people visit this place and also the grotto of Mar Charbel where he used to go and pray, which is situated in Bekaakafra, in Ain Al Hawr place.

Temple of Saints- Jezzine

2011-07-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

Jezzine, is a town located 22 kilometers from Sidon. Saints Charbel, Rafqa and Nimatullah they passed by Jezzine and used to pray there. Also there, is located a beautiful river and the church, which in 1860 was place for the wheat mill and olive press which can be seen until today inside the church.

Qana

2011-07-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Qana, is a village in Southern, Lebanon, located 12 kilometers of the city Tyre. The population of the town is divided into Shiias Muslims and Christians. But was in this place that in the Gospel of John, Jesus is said to have performed his first miracle of turning water into wine.

St. Nicholas Cathedral

2011-07-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

It is a small Cathedral in Old Saida, where St. Paul slept there for some nights, it is a Sacred Place for Christians. Close to this Sacred Place is the Mosque of Abou Nakhle where people say that one of the Son's of Imam Ali(pbuh) is buried there.
The day we went there the Cathedral was closed.

We will continue to search for more Sacred Places soon, just wait!