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I have a story you two might like. I got married on the 14th and we just got back from our honeymoon.

My wife and I attend daily mass so for our honeymoon we searched for an all-inclusive resort on a beach within walking distance of a church that had daily mass. Finally, we decided on Playa del Carmen in Mexico.

Playa del Carmen roughly translates into "the beach of Our Lady of Mount Carmel". The parish church was Our Lady of Mount Carmel and had mass every night, as well as Eucharistic adoration and benediction on some nights. The church was nice -- it had a great crucifix, statues of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the child Jesus, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Fatima, Lourdes, the Little Flower, and of course an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

But there was one statue that stood out from the rest. The statue was larger than life size of a man in a black robe with his hands outstretched as in a blessing. The statue was totally covered in ribbons, hundreds of long colorful ribbons. On each of the ribbons was written a thanksgiving for a miraculous cure brought on by the saint's intercession.

We read a lot of the cures and thanksgivings. Some of them had pictures of the people (usually children) that were cured. The stories were very touching and inspirational, and there were hundreds of them. The statue was of Saint Charbel.

I have no idea why he would be so popular in southern Mexico, but the poor people of that parish have a tremendous love and appreciation for him.

Saint Charbel pray for us.

I got married on the 14th and we just got back from our honeymoon.

Congratulations and many blessings on your marriage!

The statue was larger than life size of a man in a black robe with his hands outstretched as in a blessing.

St. Charbel Makhlouf

The stories were very touching and inspirational, and there were hundreds of them.

Saint Sharbel has been healing and curing people for one hundred years or so. Through prayers and belief one could be granted health with Saint Sharbel’s intercession. Hundreds of thousands of people have received grace through this Maronite Lebanese Saint. I believe you will find the following to corroborate your experience.

In 1997, we printed a photo of Saint Sharbel with information about his live and sainthood. We asked our readers to share information in case the Saint helped them get rid of their ailments. Frankly speaking, there was hardly any belief in this miraculous power of healing, especially that the Russian people have become alien to such belief due to the years of religious oppression. However, we were in for a surprise, soon letters started pouring in from all corners of Russia, from Voronezh, Tambov, Penza, Moscow, Ekaterinburg, Kamchatka, Perm, Yakutia, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Mahachkala, Kaliningrad, and Tula to name only a few even from the city of Vladivostok which is 12,000 km from the city of Lipetsk. The newspaper received thousands of letters with a request for a picture of Saint Sharbel. In response to this outpouring of demand, Saint Sharbel's portrait was produced five times in the newspaper and three times in a booklet with either five or seven pictures. The booklet contained excerpted translations from letters received by the editorial staff.

Saint Sharbel’s Phenomenon In Russia

I have no idea why he would be so popular in southern Mexico, but the poor people of that parish have a tremendous love and appreciation for him.

As Pyro pointed out, there is a large community of Maronite Catholics in Mexico.

Saint Charbel pray for us.

Father of Truth

(The Last Prayer of Saint Charbel before he died)

Father of truth,

Here is your Son,

The sacrifice in which you are well pleased.

Accept him for he died for me.

So through him I shall be pardoned.

Here is the offering.

Take it from my hands

And so I shall be reconciled with you.

Remember not the sins that I have committed

In front of your Majesty.

Here is the blood which flowered on Golgotha

For my salvation and prays for me.

Out of consideration for this,

Accept my supplication.

I have committed many sins

But your mercy is great.

If you put them in the balance,

Your goodness will have more weight

Than the most mighty mountains.

Look not upon my sins,

But rather on what is offered for them,

For the offering and the sacrifice

Are even greater than the offences.

Because I have sinned,

Your beloved bore the nails and the spear.

His sufferings are enough to satisfy you.

By them I shall live.

Glory be to the Father who sent His Son for us.

Adoration be to the Son who has freed us and ensured our salvation.

Blessed be he who by his love has given life to all.

To him be the glory.

from the Maronite Liturgy.