This October, Catholics across Illinois are invited to a profound spiritual encounter as a First Class relic of St. Charbel Makhlouf is brought to the United States for the first time directly from Lebanon. The relic of this miraculous Maronite saint will be available for public veneration at two special locations: the Sanctuary of the Sorrowful Mother in Vandalia on Oct. 7-8 and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield on Oct. 19 following the 10 a.m. Sunday Mass.

St. Charbel, a Lebanese priest, monk, and hermit, is known for his deep holiness and the extraordinary miracles associated with his life and intercession. Born in 1828, he was drawn to silence, solitude, and prayer from a young age. After entering monastic life and becoming a priest, he eventually lived as a hermit in the mountains of Lebanon, dedicating himself entirely to the Eucharist and union with God. He died in 1898, and since then, over 33,000 miracles have been officially recorded at his tomb and through his intercession. He was canonized in 1977 by Pope Paul VI, who called him “an admirable flower of sanctity blooming on the stem of the ancient monastic traditions of the East.”

The Vandalia event will include Mass at 5 p.m. on both Oct. 7 and 8, with doors opening at 4 p.m. and relic veneration continuing until 8 p.m. The Springfield event will follow the 10 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral on Oct. 19, offering another chance to venerate this sacred relic and seek God’s grace through the prayers of St. Charbel.

Visitors will also have the chance to venerate additional First Class relics of other holy men and women, including Blessed Anna Marie Taigi, the blood of St. Padre Pio, Father Peter Rookey’s Cross with a piece of the True Cross, St. André Bessette, the three Fatima children, and St. Carlo Acutis.

This unique opportunity invites the faithful to bring their intentions, their burdens, and their hopes, and to draw near to a powerful intercessor. Many who have sought St. Charbel’s prayers have experienced healing, peace, and even the miraculous.

For more information, contact [email protected]  or visit OSMM.org. No R.S.V.P. is required.