Saint Charbel Churches Around the World

A global guide to the churches, monasteries, and shrines that carry his name — from Annaya to the diaspora

Saint Charbel is the most beloved saint of the Maronite Church, and his name is written above church doors on almost every continent. Wherever Lebanese families settled, they raised parishes and dedicated them to the hermit of Annaya.

This is a guide to those churches, organised by region. Some are grand monasteries, some are humble parishes converted from older buildings. All of them keep his memory alive far from the mountain where he prayed.

Lebanon: The Heart of the Devotion

Every Saint Charbel church in the world points back to one place. His tomb rests at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, high in the mountains above Byblos, and this remains the principal shrine of the saint.

Charbel entered this monastery as a young monk and lived there for sixteen years. In 1875 he was granted permission to withdraw to the nearby Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul, where he spent his final twenty-three years in prayer and silence. Both places are open to pilgrims today.

His tomb became a shrine after his body was found incorrupt for decades and drew countless reports of healing. Millions now travel to Annaya each year, Christians and Muslims alike. If you are planning a pilgrimage, our guides to the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, the hermitage where he lived, and visiting Annaya cover what to expect.

Australia

Australia is home to one of the largest Maronite communities outside Lebanon, and it holds a special place in the story of devotion to the saint.

St Charbel's, Punchbowl, Sydney. This monastery and parish in western Sydney was the first church in the world dedicated to Charbel outside Lebanon, built while he was still known as Blessed Charbel. In 2024 it received a shrine holding a first-class relic and a replica of his tomb, becoming only the second shrine in the world dedicated to him. Read more in our guide to the St Charbel's Monastery in Punchbowl.

St Charbel's, East Cannington, Perth. Opened in 2023, this was the first Maronite church in Western Australia. A former parish church was lovingly renovated and rededicated under the patronage of Saint Charbel, giving Perth's Maronites their own spiritual home at last.

Both belong to the Maronite Eparchy of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. For the wider picture, see our directory of Maronite churches in Australia.

United States

Maronite parishes across the United States carry the saint's name, often spelled Saint Sharbel in American usage. They are cared for by the two Maronite eparchies in the country, based in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church, Clinton Township, Michigan. Long rooted in the Detroit area, this community began in Warren and later moved to a more central home in Clinton Township to serve Michigan's large Lebanese population.

Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The parish for the Maronite faithful of the Philadelphia region, gathered under the patronage of the hermit saint.

Saint Sharbel Maronite Church, Somerset, New Jersey. A parish serving central New Jersey, part of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn.

St. Sharbel Catholic Church, Portland, Oregon. A stone church in the historic Ladd's Addition neighbourhood, where the liturgy is prayed in English, Arabic, and Aramaic.

Canada

Several Canadian parishes are dedicated to the saint, all under the Eparchy of Saint-Maron of Montreal.

Saint Charbel Parish, Mississauga. Founded in 2010, it serves the western Greater Toronto Area from its own church on West Credit Avenue.

Saint Charbel Parish, Ottawa. The Maronite parish for Canada's capital region and the Lebanese families around it.

Saint Charbel, Oldcastle. A parish just south of Windsor, near the Detroit border crossing.

New Brunswick's Maronites gather at Saint Charbel in Fredericton, which also cares for the wider Atlantic region. For the full list, see our directory of Maronite churches in Canada.

Latin America

Devotion to the saint runs deep across Latin America, where it spread beyond the Lebanese community into the wider Catholic population. In Mexico especially, his image and altars, honoured under the Spanish name San Charbel, are found in churches throughout the country.

Maronite Cathedral of Mexico, Mexico City. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Balvanera and San Charbel, in the historic centre, is the seat of the Maronite eparchy in Mexico and a well-loved shrine to the saint. It is here that the popular custom of tying ribbons with written prayers to him took root.

Eparchy of Saint Charbel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Established in 1990, this is a whole Maronite eparchy placed under his patronage, serving the large Lebanese community that first arrived in Argentina at the turn of the twentieth century.

Beyond these, smaller chapels and side altars devoted to San Charbel are scattered across Brazil, Mexico, and much of the continent, a sign of how far his reputation as a worker of miracles has travelled.

How to Find a Saint Charbel Church

If your city is not named above, you are almost certainly still within reach of a Maronite parish. Many communities that do not have a church of their own gather at the nearest one or are visited by travelling priests.

The surest way to find a liturgy near you is to contact your local Maronite eparchy, which keeps a current list of parishes and Mass times. Details change, so always confirm before you set out.

When you arrive, you will find the same ancient rite prayed in Annaya, Sydney, or Mexico City, rooted in the Maronite tradition that carries the Syriac language of Jesus in its most sacred moments. You do not need to be Lebanese or Maronite to attend. Newcomers are always welcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the main Saint Charbel church?

The principal shrine of Saint Charbel is the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, Lebanon, where his tomb lies. Nearby is the Hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul, where he lived as a hermit from 1875 until his death in 1898. Millions of pilgrims travel to Annaya each year, making it the heart of devotion to the saint worldwide.

Are there Saint Charbel churches outside Lebanon?

Yes. Churches, monasteries, and shrines named after Saint Charbel are found across Australia, the United States, Canada, and Latin America, wherever Maronite Lebanese families settled. Most are Maronite parishes under a local eparchy, and they carry his name because devotion to him travelled with the diaspora.

Is there a Saint Charbel church in the United States?

Yes. Maronite parishes named for the saint, often spelled Saint Sharbel in the United States, serve communities in Clinton Township, Michigan; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania; Somerset, New Jersey; and Portland, Oregon. They belong to the two Maronite eparchies in the United States, based in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

Is there a Saint Charbel church in Australia?

Yes. St Charbel's in Punchbowl, Sydney, was the first church in the world dedicated to him outside Lebanon and now holds a shrine with his relics. St Charbel's in East Cannington, Perth, opened in 2023 as the first Maronite church in Western Australia. Both fall under the Maronite Eparchy of Australia.

Why are so many churches named after Saint Charbel?

Saint Charbel is the most beloved saint of the Maronite Church, and his reputation for miracles spread far beyond Lebanon. As Lebanese families emigrated, they built parishes and dedicated them to him as a way of carrying their faith and homeland with them. His name marks Maronite communities on almost every continent.