Our Lady of Lebanon
The Story of a modern Shrine
Lourdes, Guadalupe, Fatima—the world reveres these Marian shrines, but over a century ago, a new Marian shrine rose in the hills of Lebanon to take its place among the world’s foremost sites dedicated to the Mother of Jesus—the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon.
The story of Our Lady of Lebanon actually begins during the lifetime of Jesus—who visited Lebanon during his ministry with his mother. 18 centuries later, a Dogmatic proclamation by Pope Pius IX, coupled with biblical history would inspire the building of Our Lady of Lebanon.
The Bible records that Jesus preached and healed in the pagan cities of Tyre and Sidon. Today, in Maghdousheh, southern Lebanon, the Shrine of Our Lady of Mantara (meaning "Waiting" in Arabic) marks where Mary stayed in a grotto while Jesus was preaching.
Jewish women, including Mary, remained outside these cities to avoid ritual impurity. The healing of the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter (Mark 7:24–30, Matthew 15:21–28) occurred in this region. In 326 AD, St. Helena donated an icon of the Virgin to the sanctuary, which still resides in the Shrine of Our Lady of Mantara today.
About 40 miles north of Mantara in the hills north of Beruit rises a much more recognizable Marian Shrine—in fact it is one of the world’s foremost devotional sites dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Beyond the historical travels of Jesus & Mary, the shrine’s creation directly ties into the 1854 dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX. This proclamation ignited worldwide devotion, which was reinforced by Mary’s 1858 Lourdes apparitions, where she identified herself as “the Immaculate Conception.”
This fervor in the Catholic world set the stage for the shrine’s construction decades later when the Maronite Patriarch Elias Hoyek, who dreamed of a grand shrine in Lebanon, decided that the approaching 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Conception Dogma was the perfect time for the shrine to become a reality.
Today, that vision is perched 2133 feet above sea level & known as the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. It features a 15-ton bronze statue of Mary, arms outstretched toward Beirut. The French-made statue, 27.9 feet tall on a 65.6-foot cedar-shaped base, crowns the skies over Harissa.
Chosen for its stunning view over Jounieh Bay, Harissa draws pilgrims via a 9-minute Téléphérique (cable car) ride from Jounieh. This slow journey upward calms the soul for what awaits.
At the top, visitors find a chapel—called “Mother of Light—carved with cedar wood. The adjacent basilica, which can accommodate 3,000 believers, hosts 9 daily Masses & 24-hour adoration. After its completion In 1908, the Maronite Patriarch crowned Mary “Queen of Lebanon.”
Popes have honored Hoyek’s dream: Pius XII sent a legate in 1954, John Paul II visited in 1997, and Benedict XVI prayed for peace there in 2007. The shrine is as a global Marian landmark.
Each first Sunday of May, the Feast of Our Lady of Lebanon draws pilgrims to open-air Masses. Many climb the spiral staircase, leaving flowers and prayers at the statue’s base in devotion. The shrine is a hub for Maronite Catholics.
Today, the bronze statue at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon gazes over Jounieh Bay with arms open to all—and each May, pilgrims climb the spiral staircase, leaving prayers & flowers at Mary’s feet, joining a legacy that spans biblical times, papal blessings, & Maronite devotion.
𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻
O Mary, you who are called the Cedar of Lebanon, look down upon your children who today and always beg your guiding hand. Grant us the faith to withstand the sweeping blows of life as the cedar stands strong against the wind. Develop in us the hope of the resurrection. Dear Mother, increase our love: the love we should have for the Blessed Trinity, our filial love for you, and the love for our neighbor: not in theory, but in solid prayer and practice. We now kneel at your feet, dear Lady, begging for your blessing and beseeching your intercession to your Divine Son for all our church and government authorities, for ourselves, all our relatives and friends, and especially for (request).
Our Lady, Queen of Lebanon, America, and the Universe, pray for us.