Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

"The Queen of Lebanon: The White Virgin who embraces Beirut"

Harissa (Lebanon) (1908)

High atop the mountain overlooking Jounieh Bay in Harissa stands a large white statue of the Virgin Mary, her arms outstretched toward Beirut in a gesture of maternal welcome. It is Lebanon's national Marian shrine, cared for by the Maronite Church and visited by Christians of various denominations as well as Muslims who come seeking protection.

The story is well documented. At the end of the 19th century, it was decided to erect this image as a sign of the country's consecration to the Virgin Mary. The statue, made in France, measures approximately nine meters and weighs around ten tons; it stands on a conical stone base containing a chapel. The sanctuary was officially inaugurated on May 1, 1908, during the jubilee of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Some accounts belong to the realm of poetic and spiritual language, not historical fact: for example, the story that the Virgin Mary "waited" there for Jesus during his visit to Tyre and Sidon, a free interpretation of the Canaanite woman's episode in the Gospel. It is best presented as a devotional meditation, not as a demonstrable fact.

What is attested to by historical accounts is that, during the Lebanese Civil War, Harissa became a meeting point for Christians of different rites and, at times, for Muslims, who came to pray for their families. There are numerous votive offerings and testimonies of gratitude, although there is no official list of canonically recognized miracles. The connection with the Rosary is devotional and liturgical, especially in the month of May, without any recorded apparition or message as the origin of the devotion.