This church in Loire-Atlantique receives “an incredible gift”, relics of the saint of 29,000 miracles

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“This is an incredible moment for Vallet. And exceptional.”

Father Hervé Godin is “a fulfilled priest”.

LNotre-Dame church will receive the relics of Saint Charbel, great saint of Lebanon.

Son of a pious Lebanese peasant family, Charbel Maklouf, ordained priest in 1859, spent sixteen years in the Annaya monastery before retiring to a hermitage.

More than 29,000 miracles

The hermit who died on December 24, 1898 is one of the saints to whom the church attributes the most miracles.

More than 29,000 miracles around the world are attributed to him.

Among the hundreds of extraordinary and, for some, unique facts in the history of Christianity, two have been considered miraculous. And were used for his beatification which took place on December 5, 1965. His canonization took place in 1977.

The fact that a relic of Saint Charbel is given to the Saint-Vincent des Vignes parish “is an immense privilege,” concedes Father Hervé Godin.

To my knowledge, in Europe, relics of the saint are found only in two places in Poland and Belgium.

Why Vallet?

Before explaining “why Vallet was chosen”.

“Two years ago, a resident obtained healing graces through the intercession of Saint Charbel,” explains Father Hervé Godin.

For this healing, the priest makes a wish.

The one to install a statue of the Lebanese saint in the Notre-Dame church.

The statue, blessed by a Maronite priest, and which comes from from the Annaya monastery in Lebanonis today installed in the Saint-Louis chapel of Notre-Dame church.

A portrait painting of Saint Charbel is also placed next to the statue.

After receiving last summer Bishop Samer Nassif, monsignor of the Maronite Church of Lebanon, one of the Eastern Catholic churches, Father Hervé Godin decided to write to the Annaya monastery where the remains of the saint are kept.

Fragments of blood

In his letter, the priest says a request to accommodate a reliquary of the saintobject of veneration.

Supported by Phoenix, an association which helps Christians in Lebanon, the father received a positive response.

These are “very rare” relics of the blood of Saint Charbel that the Nantes Vineyard parish will receive as a donation.

Until his beatification, the saint's body exuded blood. His body remained preserved, intact, warm and supple long after his death.

The remains of the great Lebanese saint have been analyzed several times, at different times. The bleeding has been observed for decades.

Placed in a reliquary in the shape of Lebanese cedar, on which a portrait of the saint will be attached, the blood fragments will be placed in a medallion.

Two days of celebrations

The whole will be installed in a glass shrine, itself placed inside the altar of the Saint-Louis chapel, alongside the statue and the portrait.

To celebrate this “wonderful and incredible” gift, Notre-Dame Church is offering two days of celebrations.

Saturday December 7 at 8 p.m., a large prayer vigil is organized.

On Sunday, December 8, a testimony on Lebanon is planned at the Saint Paul Center.

And a mass at 11 a.m. in the presence of the relics of Charbel presided over by Bishop Samer Nassif.

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