Saint Charbel Makhlouf (1828–1898) was a Maronite monk and hermit from Lebanon. Which places in Slovakia preserve his legacy and allow believers to connect with him more deeply?
St. Charbel (also Sharbel) was born in the small Lebanese village of Bekaa Kafra into a poor farming family. From an early age, he was deeply religious and yearned for a life of solitude and prayer. At the age of 23, he entered a monastery and took the religious name Charbel. After being ordained as a priest in 1859, he spent 16 years at the Monastery of Annaya, dedicated to prayer, work, and study.
In 1875, with the permission of his superiors, he withdrew to a nearby hermitage, where he spent the remaining 23 years of his life in complete solitude and austerity. He passed away on Christmas Eve in 1898 while celebrating Mass. After his death, unexplained phenomena began to occur—his body remained incorrupt, and fluid from his grave was said to have miraculous effects on the sick. He is credited with as many as 60 miraculous healings from physical and spiritual ailments.
Places associated with St. Charbel in Slovakia
Several churches and chapels in Slovakia are linked to St. Charbel:
Churches with relics:
- Roman Catholic Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul in Nitra (relics of bone and confessional stole).
- Roman Catholic Parish Church of St. James the Greater in Želiezovce (relics).
- Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Elizabeth in Košice (first-class relic – a piece of bone).
Churches without relics but dedicated to St. Charbel:
- Roman Catholic Church of St. Charbel in Klokočov, the only church in Slovakia dedicated to this saint.
- Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God in Žilina (offers regular prayers to St. Charbel).
Chapels:
- Chapel of St. Charbel in Pusté Čemerné (located in a private garden).
- Chapel of St. Charbel in Bardejov, in the Vinbarg housing estate.
Anointing with St. Charbel’s holy oil affects both body and soulSome churches housing relics of St. Charbel organize Masses in his honor, during which priests anoint believers with oil and give blessings. The holy oil of St. Charbel originates from Lebanon, from the Monastery of Annaya, where St. Charbel lived. Believers hold that this oil has miraculous effects and helps with various physical and mental difficulties.