Messenger of Saint Charbel’s Miracle, Nohad Al-Chami, Enters Eternal Rest

Leaving a Legacy of Faith

Nohad Al-Chami, the Lebanese woman whose miraculous healing is regarded as the most famous miracle attributed to Saint Charbel, passed away on Wednesday.

Her extraordinary story forever linked her to Saint Charbel Makhlouf, the 19th-century Maronite monk revered for his holiness and miraculous intercessions.

On the night of January 22, 1993, while suffering from severe paralysis and other debilitating health problems, Chami had a remarkable dream. Two Maronite monks appeared at her bedside—one of them placed a pillow behind her back to ease her pain, while the other performed what seemed like a surgical procedure on her neck.

To her astonishment, she awoke the next morning with two long surgical scars on either side of her neck—and even more miraculously, she found herself completely healed. The hemiplegia that had paralyzed her was gone. She could move freely and walk again.

The following night, Chami had another vision—this time of Saint Charbel himself. He spoke to her, saying: "I performed the surgery to show people and lead them back to their faith. I ask you to visit my hermitage in Annaya on the 22nd of each month and to attend Mass regularly for the rest of your life."

It was later revealed that the second monk in her dream was Saint Maroun.

Chami honored Saint Charbel’s request throughout her life. Her experience inspired a tradition that continues to this day: on the 22nd of each month, thousands of pilgrims from Lebanon and abroad visit the saint’s shrine in Annaya to pray and commemorate the miracle.

Born in 1828 in the mountain village of Bekaa Kafra, Saint Charbel devoted his life to prayer, solitude, and service. After his death in 1898, he became known for countless miracles—especially healings—that have drawn millions of faithful over the years. Among them, Nohad Al-Chami’s story remains one of the most powerful and enduring testimonies to his legacy.