Our Lady of Mantara
Maghdouché, Lebanon (1721)
While Jesus preached in Sidon, Mary is said to have waited here in the cave of Mantara. Emperor Constantine’s mother Helena established the shrine. Three centuries later, after takeover by an Arab ruler, Christians sealed up the cave and fled Maghdouché. In 1683, descendants of the exiles returned to their homeland.
On September 8, 1721, when a goat fell through a gap in the rock, the herder went down the hole. The boy found the icon, later recognized as St. Helen's. Christians now celebrate its rediscovery annually on September 8. On June 11, 1911, 400 people saw a silent apparition of the Madonna and Child near the cave. Our Lady of Mantara is invoked for the healing and protection of children, so the shrine is a popular baptismal site.
Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill
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