Lebanon's Zahle, dubbed "The City of 52 Churches," witnessed a grand gathering of Christians on May 30 to commemorate the Feast of Corpus Christi, marking the 199th anniversary of a miraculous event credited with saving the city from a bubonic plague outbreak.

Preparations for the festivity commenced a week prior, leading up to a solemn candlelit procession on the eve of Corpus Christi. Starting from St. Elias Al-Touak Monastery and concluding at the Melkite Cathedral of Our Lady of Deliverance, the procession was a moving display of faith, with worshippers walking and praying together, accompanied by the resounding notes of trumpets. Melkite Patriarch Youssef al-Absi and Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim bestowed blessings, concluding the procession.

On Thursday morning, churches across Zahle were filled with worshippers attending early Masses, followed by a massive procession through the city streets, momentarily halting traffic due to its size. The procession ended at the Government Seray, where priests and bishops from different denominations blessed the gathered crowds.

Melkite Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim underscored the significance of the day, highlighting the unity among Christians in Zahle, transcending denominational differences to honor God present in the Eucharist. The tradition of Corpus Christi in Zahle traces back to 1825 when fervent prayers before the Holy Eucharist purportedly spared the city from the bubonic plague.

Despite its origins in Belgium in 1246, the celebration of Corpus Christi has been embraced by Eastern Christians, passed down meticulously through generations in Zahle since the miraculous event.

Bishop Ibrahim emphasized the enduring role of the Church in Lebanon amidst contemporary crises, likening prayers for the nation's "salvation" from corruption to the historical deliverance from the plague, stressing the Church's vital role in Lebanon's spiritual well-being through prayer.