About St. Sharbel [Maronite] · Baton Rouge, Louisiana
St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church is a Maronite-rite mission in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, serving Louisiana's Lebanese Catholic community. Pastored by Father Alex Harb, a Baton Rouge native, it belongs to the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon (with offices in St. Louis) under Bishop A. Elias Zaidan. The community worships in the Maronite tradition, an Eastern Catholic rite in Syriac, and offers Mass in English, Spanish, and Syriac chant, along with monthly Healing Masses with relics of St. Sharbel. After years without a permanent home, the mission purchased its own property at 18768 Jefferson Highway in June 2023 and fully paid off its building loans by January 1, 2025.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Sharbel Makhlouf (Youssef Antoun Makhlouf), 19th-century Lebanese Maronite hermit, priest and monk (1828–1898), canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 9, 1977.
- Rector
- Fr. Alex Harb
- Diocese
- Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles (Maronite Catholic); parish is a mission of this eparchy, which is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The eparchy was established February 19, 1994 by Pope John Paul II, and is led by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan. The local mission also maintains a pastoral relationship with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.
Why belong here
St. Sharbel is a small but devoted Maronite Catholic family where worshippers can experience the ancient Syriac-Maronite liturgical tradition in English, Spanish, and Syriac chant, including a monthly Healing Mass with the relics of St. Sharbel on the fourth Thursday. After 18 years of dreaming, the community now finally has its own building at 18768 Jefferson Highway, with kids' faith-formation classes, shared meals, a Lebanese festival, and outreach to the wider Baton Rouge area. It is a place where Louisiana's Lebanese Catholic families — many now in their second or third generation — can pass on their heritage, gather across the state, and serve the broader community together.
Mass times at St. Sharbel [Maronite]
Weekly Mass schedule
Welcome & Identity
St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church describes its mission simply: for over 50 years a Maronite Liturgy has been held in Baton Rouge, seeking the prayers of St. Sharbel that the community might know God intimately. For the past 17 years the community has been organized as St. Sharbel Maronite Mission of Louisiana, and the welcome on the homepage invites all to join in the Maronite liturgical tradition that has been celebrated in Louisiana since the late 1800s.
Who Was St. Sharbel?
St. Sharbel (Youssef Antoun Makhlouf, 1828–1898) was a 19th-century Maronite hermit renowned for his intimacy with God. After his death, his popularity spread as many witnessed or experienced miracles through his intercession. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 9, 1977, becoming the first member of the Eastern Rite to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. He lived as a priest, monk and hermit high in the snow-covered mountains of Lebanon.
- 19th-century Maronite hermit, priest, and monk (1828–1898)
- Canonized October 9, 1977 by Pope Paul VI
- First Eastern-Rite saint canonized by the Roman Catholic Church
- Revered for healing miracles among Lebanon's estimated one million Christians
Maronite Heritage & Liturgy
The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Church dating to the fourth century and named after St. Maron, a Syrian hermit. Parts of the Maronite rite are chanted in Syriac, an ancient dialect of Aramaic — the language many believe was spoken by Jesus Christ. As Fr. Alex Harb has described, the Mass is performed primarily in English, but there is chanting in Syriac to simple melodies with vivid imagery drawn from Maronite and Syriac poetry, with an almost operatic quality. Syriac is now spoken only in very remote rural areas of Lebanon.
- Eastern Catholic rite in full communion with Rome
- Syriac liturgical chant — an Aramaic dialect
- Mass celebrated primarily in English with Syriac chant
Healing Mass & Relics of St. Sharbel
Each 4th Thursday at 5:30 PM the mission celebrates a Healing Mass with the relics of St. Sharbel. After Mass, the faithful come forward to be anointed with healing oil and to venerate the relics. Healing Masses with relics are also taken on the road to Covington, Lafayette and Sulphur, allowing Maronite Catholics across Louisiana to experience the same devotion.
- 4th Thursday Healing Mass at the church — 5:30 PM
- Anointing with healing oil after Mass
- Veneration of relics of St. Sharbel
Our Building: A Dream Come True
For 18 years the members of St. Sharbel Maronite Mission desired a church home of their own. In June 2023 that dream came true when the community purchased the property at 18768 Jefferson Highway — a building with a large sanctuary, a large hall, a kitchen, two bathrooms, classrooms, and a parking lot. The property was purchased with $280,000 in loans and a Christmas-season fund drive; as of October 6, 2023, $220,000 remained outstanding, $65,000 as of March 1, 2024, and $21,000 as of July 1, 2024. As of January 1, 2025, all church loans were paid off, with total move-in expenses of $30,000.
- 18768 Jefferson Highway purchased June 2023
- Includes sanctuary, hall, kitchen, two bathrooms, classrooms and parking lot
- All building loans paid off by January 1, 2025
- Now hosts kids' classes, shared meals, and community outreach
Expansion: 11525 Blanton Ave
In the summer of 2024 the mission had the opportunity to purchase 11525 Blanton Ave for $215,000 as an expansion of the church property. The vision is to free up space inside the church building and to host events, classes, services, meals, tutoring, weddings, funerals, baptisms, parties, and community programs for both the parish and the wider Baton Rouge community.
- Listed at $215,000 in summer 2024
- Vision: events, classes, meals, tutoring, weddings, funerals, baptisms
Annual Lebanese Festival
The parish's Lebanese Festival started out of an idea to bring the community together to introduce and celebrate Lebanese food, entertainment and culture. The Third Annual Lebanese Festival is October 4, 2025, 11 AM–8 PM, held at the Baton Rouge Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Boulevard (free admission, free parking). Food vendors include Serop's Café of Corporate Blvd. (shawarma, gyros, hummus, pita), Marlene's Traditional Lebanese Saj (flatbread), and Lebanese pastries such as Baklava and Namoura. A portion of the net proceeds is donated to St. Jude.
- Third Annual Lebanese Festival — October 4, 2025, 11 AM–8 PM
- Venue: Baton Rouge Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd
- Free admission; tickets $1 each for food, drinks, activities
- Vendors: Serop's Café, Marlene's Saj, Lebanese pastries
- A portion of net proceeds donated to St. Jude
Community & Getting Involved
The mission keeps in daily contact with parishioners through the St. Sharbel Community Group on WhatsApp (email [email protected] to be added). The festival is run by volunteers, and student volunteers can receive service letters. Donations to the mission and building fund can be mailed to St. Sharbel Maronite Mission, 18768 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70817, or given anonymously through the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon (St. Sharbel Louisiana building fund).
- St. Sharbel Community Group on WhatsApp
- Festival volunteer sign-ups (student service letters available)
- Donations by mail to 18768 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70817
- Anonymous donations through Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Clergy & Eparchy
St. Sharbel is pastored by Fr. Alex Harb, a Baton Rouge native and son of community leader Charbel Harb. He was a seminarian of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon and served a pastoral internship in St. Louis before returning to lead the Louisiana mission. The mission belongs to the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles (headquartered in St. Louis), led by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan. The eparchy was established February 19, 1994 by Pope John Paul II, comprises some 34 parishes and eight missions, almost 50,000 faithful, and about 51 priests. St. Sharbel also maintains a pastoral relationship with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.
- Fr. Alex Harb — Pastor
- Bishop A. Elias Zaidan — Bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
- Eparchy headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri
- Pastoral relationship with the Diocese of Baton Rouge
Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Sharbel Maronite Mission at 225-337-0395 or [email protected]. The official website is http://www.sharbel.org/, with updates and community news posted to the official Facebook page.
- Phone: 225-337-0395
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.sharbel.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StSharbel/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Alex Harb2022–present
Baton Rouge native and son of local Maronite community leader Charbel Harb; was a seminarian at the Eparchy serving a pastoral internship in St. Louis before ordination. Celebrated the 43rd annual St. Sharbel Mass in the Diocese of Baton Rouge on Oct. 16, 2022.