Convent of Christ the King

The Convent of Christ the King in Zouk Mosbeh was founded through the vision of Blessed Jacques of Ghazir (Yaacoub al-Haddad), who, while passing the ancient inscriptions of Nahr el-Kalb on his way to religious life, resolved that Christ deserved a monument overlooking the historic valley. He later acquired the hilltop site, where the church was completed in 1951. The monumental 12-meter statue of Christ the King, sculpted by an Italian artist, was erected and solemnly crowned on 1 December 1952. A natural grotto discovered nearby was transformed into a Marian shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, Blessed Jacques of Ghazir devoted his life to founding hospitals, schools, and charitable institutions throughout Lebanon. Today, the sanctuary remains one of Lebanon's most recognizable Christian landmarks, overlooking the ancient stelae of Nahr el-Kalb.