Lebanon Travel Diary - Days 7 & 8

The Sisters of Our Lady of Good Help run an orphanage in Jabboulé in the north, embodying Christian charity. During the war, they opened their convent to 850 displaced people, including Muslim families. Mother Joselyne Joumaa told me: “The price of love is high… But God is with us. Whom shall we fear?”

The Sisters’ care saved the life of a three-day-old baby found abandoned in Tripoli, 60 miles away. No local orphanages were able to take her in – but the Sisters made space.

This radical hospitality, this unwavering faith, is the powerful witness of the Lebanese Church. It reminds us of what it means to love without counting the cost, and to believe, not because circumstances are favourable, but because we know God is faithful.

It was such a blessing to finish my trip with a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. The stunning white statue of the Virgin Mary with arms outstretched is perched high on a hill, atop a cedar-shaped pedestal, overlooking the gorgeous Bay of Jounieh.

In 1904, Maronite Patriarch Elias Hoyek and the papal nuncio decided to mark the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception dogma with something special. They commissioned a 15-ton bronze statue, cast in France and painted white. Inaugurated in 1908, the patriarch declared Mary Queen of Lebanon and set the first Sunday in May as her feast day.

Managed by Maronite missionaries, the sanctuary has grown into a beloved pilgrimage site amongst Christians and even Muslims and Druze. The views are absolutely breathtaking. It is a true symbol of hope.