In Lebanon, Some Turn To Beloved Local Saint For Solace And Protection From COVID-19
St. Charbel is revered for his healing miracles. "He gives us faith and strength, especially in this time of sickness," says a pilgrim visiting his tomb. "He is the only cure, in my opinion."
High above the Mediterranean Sea, up a mountain wreathed in springtime mist and drizzle, is the monastery where the beloved Lebanese St. Charbel is buried.
A hermit who died in 1898, Charbel was canonized in 1977. He is revered for his healing miracles among Lebanon's Christians, who likely number at least a million. In a country where a financial crisis has left health care threadbare and unreliable, many have begun turning to the saint to ward off the coronavirus.
"He gives us faith and strength, especially in this time of sickness," said Elie Badr, standing by the tomb outside the monastery
