The Maronite Patriarch Béchara Raï celebrating Mass in Bkerkeh, in front of the relics of Saint Theresa of Lisieux, on June 15, 2025. (Credit: NNA.)
BEIRUT —Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai led a mass on Sunday in Bkerkeh to mark the visit of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus’ relics to Lebanon. In his sermon, he said the country is now “at a crossroads” and urged leaders not to miss the “real opportunities” currently available.
Lebanon has faced multiple crises in recent years—including an economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut port explosion. Most recently, it is recovering from the war between Hezbollah and Israel (October 2023 to November 2024), which left over 4,000 dead and caused billions in damages. Still, there is cautious hope, as newly elected President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam say they plan to move forward with long-stalled reforms.
Reforms, youth, and confidence in the Lebanese state
For Archbishop Rai, the country's "mission of diversity and communion" is currently "threatened by divisions." But "this small country by its size, great by its heritage and humanity, is today at a crossroad: either it continues to stagnate in the impasse of divisions, or it recovers," he said in his homily. According to him, "there are concrete opportunities that should not be overlooked." He specifically mentioned "possibilities for reform and economic recovery, honest citizens working silently, youth who still believe in this country, chances to emerge from the logic of conflict, the possibility of building effective public institutions founded on the will to serve and not to dominate, and the possibility of restoring trust between citizens and the state."
The Patriarch also stated that the religious service celebrates "the reception of the relics of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, nicknamed 'the little flower,' whose presence is a sign of grace and blessing." These relics, which arrived in Beirut on June 13, were transported to Bkerkeh just before the mass, where they were received during a solemn ceremony.
The end of 'devastating wars'
"May the intercession of Saint Theresa shower us with a rain of graces, may the presence of her relics be a heavenly blessing for Lebanon, its people, and its leaders, and may her intercession put an end to the devastating wars between Israel and Gaza, Israel and Iran, and Russia and Ukraine," the patriarch added.
The relics of the saint, who died in 1897 and was canonized on June 17, 1925, in Rome, will be exhibited from June 16 to 20 in the regions of Kesrouan, Jbeil, and Batroun. They will then be displayed in North Lebanon from June 21 to 27, in the Bekaa from June 27 to 29, in Chouf from June 30 to July 3, in South Lebanon from July 4 to 7, and in Beirut, Baabda, and Metn from July 8 to 17.