Marian calls from Lebanon
The country of Mary, where the cedars kiss the sky and the Virgin protects the earth
Lebanon is the only Arab country with a Christian president (traditionally Maronite). About 1.5 million Catholics (~ 30% of the population) are distributed in 10 different rites: Maronite, Melchite, Syrian, Armenian, Latin and Caldeo. The most important Marian sanctuary is Our Lady of Harissa, whose 15-metre statue dominates Jounieh Bay with open arms towards the Mediterranean. They follow Our Lady of Maghdouché (Sidon), Our Lady of Bechouat (Bekaa) and Our Lady of Salvation (Mount Lebanon). For its deep devotion, the country is called "the country of Mary."
- Anecdotes and Marian traditions of Lebanon
Our Lady of Harissa (1904). In 1904, the Maronite Patriarch Elias Hoyek placed an imposing statue of the Virgin at the top of Mount Harissa. The image, 15 meters high, looks to the Mediterranean with open arms in reception. The sailors see it from the sea and get used to it when they pass. It is the most beloved Marian symbol in the country, venerated by both Christians and Muslims.
Our Lady of Maghdouché: the Virgin of the Wait. In the cave of Maghdouché, near Sidon, tradition says that the Virgin Mary was waiting for Jesus as He preached in Tyre and Sidon. The Grotto, known as the "Cave of Hope," has been a place of pilgrimage since the early centuries of Christianity. Then there was a basilica that preserved the well where the Virgin drank.
The Cave of Bechouat: an interreligious meeting. In the Bekaa Valley, an image of the Virgin was found by Muslim and Christian pastors in the 18th century. Since then, both groups have venerated her together. It is one of the few places in the world where Muslims and Christians share the same Marian sanctuary, a symbol of Lebanese coexistence.
The Virgin of the Civil War (1975- 1990). During the fifteen years of civil war, the Lebanese of all sides went to the Harissa shrine to pray under the cloak of the Virgin. Christians and Muslims sought spiritual refuge in the Mother of God, and the white statue remained intact as the country was torn apart.
El Rosario libanés. The Lebanese pray the Rosary in three languages: Aramaic (the language of Jesus), Arabic and French. The Maronite community has a tradition of its own with five additional mysteries that meditate on the life of the Holy Family, the baptism of Jesus and the institution of the Eucharist. It is the only rosary with own mysteries outside the Dominican cycle.
The Beirut Explosion (2020). Following the devastating explosion of the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020, the image of the Virgin of Harissa remained intact among the rubble. The Lebanese interpreted it as a sign of divine hope and protection in the midst of tragedy.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon (Harissa)
The great Marian sanctuary of the country, on the top of Mount Harissa, dominates the Jounieh Bay 650 metres above sea level. The monumental statue of the Virgin, of 15 meters and 90 tons, was fused with iron and painted in white. Under it the Basilica of St. Paul rises.
Ntra. Ms. of Lebanon of Harissa
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa is the most important Marian center in the country. The 15-meter statue, with its arms open to the Mediterranean, was erected in 1908 on the initiative of the Maronite Patriarch Elias Hoyek. The Virgin is venerated as a protector of Lebanon and the Christians of the Middle East. Every 1 May, thousands of pilgrims of all confessions go up to the mountain to honor it. The temple also houses a Marian museum with objects donated by pilgrims from all over the world.
"Our Lady of Lebanon of Harissa, pray for us.
Our Lady of Maghdouche (Sidon)
To the south of the country, in the city of Sidon, tradition conserves the cave where the Virgin rested as Jesus preached in the region of Tyre and Sidon. The modern basicle crown the hill with a cocoon-shaped tower that symbolizes Mary's hidden life.
Ntra. Ms. de la Espera (Maghreb)
According to local tradition, when Jesus visited the regions of Tyre and Sidon, the Virgin Mary accompanied him and waited for him to return in a cave outside Sidon. That cave is today the Grotto of Maghdouché. On it was built the Basilica of Our Lady of the Wait, crowned by a tower in the form of a cocoon. The sanctuary retains a well of water that tradition associates with the Virgin. It is a pilgrimage goal for Maronites, mosques and Latinos.
"Our Lady of the Hope of Maghdouché, pray for us.
Bekaa Valley
In the fertile Bekaa valley, to the east of the country, Marian devotion is expressed in shrines shared by Christians and Muslims. Bechouat is the most famous, but not the only one.
Ntra. Ms. de Bechouat
According to local tradition, in 1741, pastors discovered an ancient Byzantine-style wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in a mountain cave that dominates Bechouat. The image was found by Muslim and Christian pastors, who have since venerated it together. The Shrine of Bechouat is a symbol of Lebanese interreligious coexistence: Muslims and Christians come together to ask for the intercession of the Virgin.
"Our Lady of Bechouat, pray for us."
Cave Sanctuary (Saydet el-Mantara)
In Jounieh, next to the Harissa shrine, the rock keeps another Marian treasure: the excavated shrine of Saydet el-Mantara, one of the oldest in the country.
Ntra. Ms. de la Cueva (Saydet el- Mantara)
The Saydet el-Mantara Sanctuary, excavated in the living rock, is one of the oldest Marian shrines in Lebanon, with origins in Byzantine times. His name means "Our Lady of the Cave" and retains a living Maronite devotion. The pilgrims come to pray in the cave where - according to tradition - the Virgin poured special graces on the faithful who visited her.
"Our Lady of the Cave, pray for us."
Other Marian Advocations in Lebanon
In addition to the great sanctuaries, the Lebanese geography is sown of churches, monasteries and hermites dedicated to the Virgin. Here we collect the most outstanding claims.
Ntra. Mrs. de Nourieh
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nourieh, whose name means "light" in Aramaic, is a Maronite spiritual center with views of the Mediterranean. Tradition tells that the Virgin appeared in this place surrounded by a heavenly light, hence her name. The sanctuary is a pilgrimage goal for the Maronites of the north of the country.
"Our Lady of Nourieh, pray for us."
Ntra. Mrs. de las Promesas (Bzoummar)
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Promises in Bzoummar was the former seat of the Maronite Patriarchate. It has an image of the Canonically crowned Virgin in 1908. The sanctuary is famous for the "promises" that the Virgin would have made to those who visited her - hence her name - and for the beauty of her mountain environment. It is one of the most beloved spiritual centers of the Maronite Church.
"Our Lady of Promises, pray for us."
Ntra. Ms. del Amparo (Monte Lebanon)
The advocation of Our Lady of Amparo is much loved by the Maronite communities of Mount Lebanon. Various hermitage and rural churches are dedicated to the Virgin under this title, which expresses the confidence of the Lebanese people in the maternal protection of Mary in the midst of the country's historical difficulties.
"Our Lady of Amparo, pray for us."
Immaculate Conception (Maronite Monastery)
The Immaculate Conception is one of the most venerated asvocations in the Maronite monasteries of Lebanon. Several religious communities - including the Maronite Lebanese Order - have churches and chapels dedicated to this Marian dogma, which was solemnly defined in 1854. The Maronites, faithful to their tradition of love for the Virgin, celebrate the feast with special solemnity.
🙏 Immaculate Conception, pray for us.
Ntra. Ms. de la Salvation (Mount Lebanon)
Our Lady of Salvation is a historic apvocation of Mount Lebanon, linked to the protection of the Maronite community during the periods of persecution. Many churches bear this title, recalling the intercession of the Virgin to save the Lebanese people from the adversities. The devotion dates back to the 17th century, when the Maronites found refuge in the mountains.
"Our Lady of Salvation, pray for us.
Ntra. Sra. del Rosario (Maronita)
The Maronite Rosary is one of the most beloved expressions of Lebanese popular piety. The Maronites pray the Rosary in Aramaic, Arabic and French, and have added 5 mysteries of their own to the traditional 15: the Annunciation to Zechariah, the Birth of John the Baptist, the Baptism of Jesus, the Wedding of Cana and the Institution of the Eucharist. Many parishes and shrines are dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary.
"Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
Ntra. Ms. de la Cave de Tyre
In the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre, the tradition conserves a cave where the Virgin Mary would have taken refuge during her visits to the region. The place, known as the Cave of the Virgin in Tyre, is venerated by local Christian communities. The city of Tyre, a World Heritage Site, was an important center of early Christianity where St. Paul spent seven days (Acts 21: 3-4).
"Our Lady of the Cave of Tyre, pray for us.
Lebanon in figures
Links about Marian devotion in Lebanon
Sources: Maronite Patriarchate, Catholic Church in Lebanon, Lebanese oral tradition, pilgrimage chronicles, international press (Beirut 2020 explosion).
← Back to all invocationsIs the advocation of the Virgin Mary of your people missing?
Si no encuentras la advocación mariana de tu ciudad o pueblo, cuéntanosla: la investigaremos para ubicarla y darla a conocer en este mapa del amor de la Madre por el mundo.
Propose an apvocation →