The Mar Abda Church in Bikfaya (Mount Lebanon) was built in 1587, on land tied to the Gemayel family; construction was led by Father Antoun Gemayel with financial support from the community. Patriarch Sarkis later elevated him to Archbishop in recognition of his contributions.

The building was restored in 1875, and a clock dome was added in 1903 under Monsignor Youssef Dagher. The church contains two paintings of Mar Abda: one old work from the town of Jag, and an Italian painting by Josty from around 1860.

The church was founded in 1592, following a conflict in 1590 between Patriarch Sarkis el Rezzi and Bishop Antoun Gemayel, who barred the patriarch from visiting Bikfaya. In solidarity, supporters of the patriarch from the Gemayel clan, together with Father Issa Kharrat, built a new church dedicated to Saint Michael.

It underwent major expansions and renovations in 1887, when it was re‑dedicated by Bishop Nematullah Salean, and After the Lebanese Civil War, restoring it to its former glory

The church features a neo‑Gothic bell tower dome, topped with a statue of St. Michael, a notable painting of St. Michael by a German orientalist named William, dating to 1839 and a painting of the Madonna, painted by Habib Khoury in 2006.

The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in the Mhaydseh area of Bikfaya was first built in 1638 and then rebuilt in a bigger size in 1805. It is one of the most prominent and symbolically significant churches in the region. It has long held a special place in the hearts of local families—including Lebanon’s musical and cultural icons like Fairouz and Ziad Rahbani, who spent summers in Bikfaya and chose this church for major family occasions.

The church serves both liturgical and communal roles, regularly hosting Masses and important religious ceremonies tied to the Orthodox and Greek Catholic traditions of the area

Established in 1833, the Jesuit Fathers founded a monastery on the ruins of an ancient Antonine hermitage in Bickfaya, Mount Lebanon. In 1834, they brought an icon of Our Lady of Deliverance—a reproduction of a work by the Italian painter Sasso Ferrato—which quickly became the spiritual centerpiece of the site.

By 1837–1838, local Marian confraternities began celebrating May as the “Month of Mary” at the monastery, amplifying its religious prominence. When construction of a larger church was completed in 1856, the original plan dedicated it to Saint John Francis Regis.

Throughout the 1860 massacres and the 1867 cholera epidemic, local tradition holds that the Virgin Mary miraculously protected the people of Bickfaya—a belief that deeply solidified her veneration in the town.

Another milestone came in 1873, when the Congregation of the Blessed Hearts was founded at the convent. It also holds significance to Maronite spirituality: Saint Rafqa (Boutrosia el-Rayes), as a young woman, received her calling there—her mystical vision urging her to enter religious life on 9 February 1855

In 1726, the Basilian Chouerite Order received permission to construct a Greek-Catholic church in Bickfaya, dedicating it to St. Georges.

The church underwent significant restoration and expansion around 1900, and again in 2011, preserving its historical architecture.

Inside, it houses a splendid collection of icons, including works from the Jerusalem school and locally crafted pieces dating back to the late 18th century.

As the oldest Greek-Catholic parish in the area, it serves as a mother church to surrounding communities and remains a central spiritual landmark in the region.

Annual Access & Religious Significance

• The small sanctuary of Mar Elias el-Chir in Bikfaya is notably open to the public only once a year, on July 20, the feast day of Saint Elie (Prophet Elijah). A Greek Catholic archbishop typically celebrates a special mass around that date—recently on July 19.

Miraculous Traditions

• According to local tradition, the church is associated with two miraculous apparitions of Prophet Elijah:

  • In 1861, he reportedly announced the end of the Druze–Christian conflict.

  • In 1918, he is said to have foretold the conclusion of World War I.