Two new miracles attributed to St. Charbel Makhlouf have been reported since the beginning of 2026 — one in the United States and one in Lebanon — each involving the healing of a woman against all medical expectation.

Revered by the faithful as the “doctor of the sky,” St. Charbel, a Lebanese Maronite monk and priest, is now associated with more than 30,000 reported miracles. From his hermitage in the mountains of Lebanon to hospital rooms across continents, his intercession continues to reach those in need, transcending borders, cultures, and generations.

A healing case from the United States

Attorney Georgianne Walker, born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1975, reported that she underwent abdominal surgery in December 2024, which was soon followed by a serious infection in the lower abdomen. The infection caused severe pain and persistent anxiety, requiring six weeks of antibiotic treatment. While the symptoms gradually subsided, the surgical wound remained open, inflamed, and unhealed.

Despite close monitoring by her surgeon and other medical professionals, the wound showed no improvement. For 10 months, Walker changed her dressings daily due to continuous bleeding. With no progress, her surgeon ultimately concluded that a second operation was necessary to remove the inflamed tissue and scheduled a new surgery.

In September 2025, Walker said she was visited by George Issa, a Lebanese friend who had been healed through the intercession of St. Charbel Makhlouf three years earlier. Issa brought with him a small vial of oil associated with the saint and encouraged her to pray for his intercession and anoint her wound with the oil.

The use of blessed oil has long been an established practice in the Eastern Christian tradition and continues to this day. In the case of St. Charbel, this ancient custom remains actively observed. Monks at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya continue to bless oil using the saint’s relics and distribute it to the faithful who request his intercession for healing and other graces.

Walker stated that she prayed and applied the oil to the wound, after which it healed completely. She reported a full recovery and no longer required the scheduled surgery. She said she believed the healing occurred through the intercession of St. Charbel and expressed gratitude to both the saint and Issa for what she described as a life-changing event.

The healing was officially recorded on Jan. 17.

A recovery without medical explanation in Lebanon

The second reported miracle of the year was recounted by Racha Charbel (no known relation to St. Charbel) born in 1987 in Jezzine, a mountain town in south Lebanon.

Racha was admitted to the hospital on Oct. 1, 2025, after experiencing severe back pain. An MRI scan conducted under the supervision of her treating physician, Dr. Christian Atiya, a specialist in neurosurgery and vascular surgery, revealed a tumor on the spinal column identified as a meningioma, measuring 2.3 centimeters in length and 0.3 centimeters in thickness.

According to her physician, the tumor was unresponsive to medication, posed a risk to the spinal nerves and blood vessels, and could only be treated through surgical removal. A follow-up MRI was scheduled three months later to monitor its progression, and a provisional hospital admission date of Jan. 7, 2026, was set should surgery be required.

Racha reported that on the night of Jan. 6, a picture of St. Charbel was hanging above her bed. She said she placed her hand on the image and asked for healing before falling asleep.

On the morning of Jan. 7 she returned to the hospital for the repeat MRI. She was informed that the examination would take approximately 45 minutes and could take longer if needed. The scan was completed in about 20 minutes and revealed an unexpected finding: The tumor had completely disappeared.

According to Racha, her doctor told her that there was no medical explanation for the disappearance and that such a tumor could not vanish without surgical intervention.

On Jan. 17, Racha Charbel made a thanksgiving visit to the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya, where she officially registered the healing and submitted the relevant medical reports. She later stated that the experience marked a turning point in her life and deepened her faith.

A saint and a river of mercy

The Lebanese saint, a priest and hermit monk of the Maronite rite, was widely known for intercessions attributed to him by Catholics, Muslims, and followers of other religions like the Druze.

St. Charbel died on Dec. 24, 1898. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI on Dec. 5, 1965, and was canonized by the same pontiff on Oct. 9, 1977.

In December 2025, Pope Leo XIV became the first pope to visit St. Charbel’s tomb during his trip to Lebanon.

During the visit, the pope described the saint’s intercession as “a river of mercy,” recalling in particular the monthly pilgrimage held on the 22nd of each month in memory of a miracle granted to a woman named Nouhad El Chami — a devotion that continues to draw thousands of pilgrims.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.