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St. Charbel has become a very popular saint among Roman Catholics, as well as those who follow the Maronite tradition. When St. Paul VI canonized him in 1977, he singled out the role his family had in developing his vocation to the priesthood.
St. Paul VI chose to first highlight St. Charbel's family in his homily for the canonization.
According to the website Family of St. Charbel USA, "Youssef was very pious, so much so that his fellow villagers used to call him 'the Saint.' Daily he used to take his small herd to the fields where he would let them graze while he went to a nearby grotto to fall into deep prayer in front of an icon of the Virgin Mary. This grotto became his altar and his first hermitage."
St. Charbel's father died when he was young and it was up to his mother to bring him up in the faith.
St. Paul VI praised St. Charbel's mother and quoted her in his homily.
The example of St. Charbel's family reminds us how important the family is in fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life. A family's faith can propel a young child to embrace their vocation at a young age and maybe even to lead a life of extraordinary holiness.
