The Arrival of the Statue of Mary

 

   The arrival of the blessed statue of Mary. Huge crowds filled the streets, and walked from church to church blessing the area.

Saint Nohra

  Statue of Saint Nohra next to our church. Our church is dedicated to Saint Nohra. Also, Saint Nohra or Mar Nohra in Aramaic means Master of Light.  Saint Nohra is a Lebanese Saint that was a Christian missionary of the early centuries. He preached along the Mediterranean coast.
The king at the time was persecuting all Christians, but Saint Nohra was convincing people to stay faithful. When he reached Smar Jbeil, the king found him, executed him, and threw him in well that is today dedicated to him. The holy water from the well has also made many miracles.

One More Picture of my Church

    The Church from Afar. 

Our Church

       Our Church + Attempts To Be Artsy 

The Church Before Mary's Arrival

    This is the area in front of our Church before the arrival of a blessed statue of Mary. Our church is in a     small town in the mountains called Smar Jbeil. The statue came from another church on a peak of a mountain near the city Jounieh. The church on top of the mountain is called Harissa, and is dedicated to Mary. An explanation of Harissa can be found in one of my earlier posts.

   

This is the front of our church, decorated for the arrival of the statue of Mary. 

Harissa, Lebanon

     An explanation of Harissa can be found in one of my earlier posts. 

Harissa, Lebanon

   The view from Harissa, Lebanon. Harissa is a town that is greatly known for its church dedicated to Mary. The church is also known for the large statue of Mary that they have, which can be seen in one of my later posts. This statue of Mary overlooks many small towns and cities of Lebanon. There are also stairs around the statue so visitors are able to climb up, and pray near it. Harissa attracts both religious pilgrims who want to pray near Mary, and tourists who want to enjoy the view.
** This was a very cloudy day. Usually, the view is much clearer.

View of Turkey From The Plane

     I found this one especially beautiful because of the flat layer of clouds over the mountains.

A View of Cyprus From The Plane

Arrival to Lebanon

Key Biscayne, Miami

     Lighthouse at Key Biscayne in Miami.

Miami

Palm Trees in the backyard. Filled with parrots. Absolutely beautiful.

Miami