In 1980, a group of Lebanese priests from the Maronite Church in the Holy Land came to Bethlehem and established a convent and church, which were inaugurated in 1983 under the name of Mar Charbel. Since then, the convent has offered accommodation to pilgrims as well as study rooms for students of Bethlehem University.
This was not the first time the Maronite community had a presence in Bethlehem. In 1908, Maronite monks had previously come to the city of Jesus' birth and founded a monastery and church dedicated to Saint Charbel.
The continued Maronite influence in Bethlehem was marked in 2015, when on December 26th the relics of Saint Charbel were brought to the Mar Charbel convent and church. This allowed the faithful to venerate the remains of the renowned Maronite saint within the sacred space of Bethlehem.
St. Charbel Street -Bethlehem