Lebanon: Our Lady of Waiting’s miraculous smile

Several prominent figures from Saida, the Director of the Ottoman Tobacco Company, his wife, the French consular agent, a priest, Father Nicolas Halabi, and several others, had gone on pilgrimage on Sunday, June 11, 1911, to the shrine of Our Lady of Mantara, south of Sidon, in the Greek-Melkite-Catholic archdiocese of Saida and Deir-Al-Kamar in Lebanon. 

In the evening, before going back down, they wanted to salute the Virgin one last time. "They entered the grotto...when, to their delighted and astonished eyes, the image of the good Virgin smiled, probably to show how pleased and touched she was by their pious visit. She continued to smile like this for ten minutes, during which time those present wept with joy as they looked at each other in surprise and joy. Father Nicolas then turned to the French Consul and asked him for his opinion. The latter took a candle, lit it and approached the image to make sure that it was really smiling... then, turning to the audience, he exclaimed: "I believe! This is a great miracle!""

Several other miracles were recounted in a book by Monsignor Haggiar, Greek-Melkite-Catholic archbishop of Saida in the early 20th century.

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