Statue of Catholic monk to be erected in Armenia 

ArmInfo.A statue of Saint Charbel, a famous monk of the Catholic Church, has been delivered to  Armenia from Lebanon. Its opening is scheduled for September 22.  According to the Arevelk publication, the transportation of the statue took seven days.

The ten-meter statue will be installed in the Yeghvard region and  will become the first pilgrimage site to Saint Charbel in the  Caucasus. However, the installation of the statue in Armenia has  sparked discussions on social networks regarding the significance of  the Maronite saint of Lebanese origin for Armenia.

It is known that the initiative to install the statue belongs to a  group of Lebanese businessmen, including Nicholas Abu Faisalin, the  founder of the Lebanese company . According  to the information, it was he who initiated the creation of a  pilgrimage site to Saint Charbel in Armenia as part of a large  investment project. The businessman ordered the statue from the  workshop of the famous Lebanese sculptor George Makhlouf. It is made  of fiberglass, resin and other materials. It is planned that the same  workshop will make a statue for placement in Georgia. As noted in the  report, the company has planted gardens in Yeghvard and Bagratashen,  including previously uncultivated tree species (elder, chestnut,  etc.).  A place for pilgrimage will be created on the territory of  these gardens. According to the project, the sculpture will become a  place of tourist pilgrimage in the country.

This initiative was welcomed by the Catholic Church of Armenia and  the Maronite leadership of Lebanon.  Many clergy and high-ranking  guests from Lebanon were invited to the unveiling ceremony of the  statue.  Saint Charbel is a Maronite priest and monk. He was born  into a poor Christian family in Bekaa-Kafra (northern Lebanon). At  baptism he was named in honor of St. Joseph, and bore the surname  Makhlouf. At the age of three, he lost his father and was raised by  his uncle. At the age of 23, he entered the monastery of St. Maron in  Annaiya. While studying at the seminary, he was a disciple of St.  Nimatullah Kassab al- Hardini. He took his final vows in 1853, was  ordained to the priesthood in 1859, and from 1875 led the life of a  hermit. He died after a short illness on Christmas Eve, December 24,  1898. He is known for his miracles in healing people.