Known for their unshakable optimism, resourcefulness and resilience, the Lebanese have endured countless hardships over the past 50 years and the recent blast from Beirut’s port on August 4th 2020 is yet another blow to the cumulative challenges the country was already facing.
But in the thick of suffering and pain, hope and faith prevail.

For the multiconfessional state, unity and solace can be found in their shared devotion to the Virgin Mary. Adored and celebrated by Christians and Muslims alike, the Heavenly Mother provides a source of comfort, strength and harmony in times of trouble.

At the back of cars, niched upon building entrances, next to ATMS or elevated at the top of mountains, statues of Mary can be observed on every corner. Mentioned 72 times in the Bible, Lebanon is considered a Holy Land by Christians, the cities of Tyre and Sidon are often referenced in the Bible as places Jesus travelled to. According to Pope Jean Paul II during his visit to Beirut in 1997, “Lebanon is more than a nation, more than a country. It is a message”.

Of the country’s 3000 concentrated religious sites, the Marian Shrines of Harissa and Maghdouché, draw thousands of pilgrims every year. Known as Our Lady of Lebanon, the Shrine of Harissa belongs to the Maronite Patriarchate and is situated 550m above sea level in a small village half an hour from Beirut.

The Shrine is surrounded by 5 churches and is highlighted by a 15 ton bronze statue of the Immaculate Conception facing the sea with her arms stretched, embracing and protecting Beirut from harm. For many Lebanese, the very existence of Lebanon is linked to the Virgin Mary and the construction of Our Lady of Lebanon illustrates this belief as the Shrine was built in 1904, following the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 by the Pope Pie IX, when Lebanon was still under Ottoman domination.