However, a fire in 1919 damaged the chapel and destroyed the Byzantine icon. Following this loss, the faithful turned to the “Blue Virgin,” entrusting Her with their needs and paying their homage to Her. On August 21, 2004, young Muhammad AlHawadi and his father, both Sunni Muslims from Jordan, visited the little Marian shrine with a friend, a Maronite Christian, as their guide. It was the first time Muhammad had ever entered a church. Suddenly, when he came before the statue of Our Lady, the child asked two questions which were thoughtprovoking for his father and his Maronite friend: “Who is this woman smiling at me? Is this statue electrically animated?” The guide answered from a distance: “It is just a plaster statue. It does not move, nor does it smile.” But already Muhammad could no longer hear him. His gaze fixed with wonder on the “Blue Virgin,” he recited the following prayer, which witnesses described as “too lofty, too mature for his age”: “Peace upon You, O Virgin, Queen of the world, I have come to ask You for Your peace, Your tranquility, Your love. O Virgin, you see what is happening: old men, children and women are falling all over the world. Establish peace, love and freedom upon the face of the earth, O Virgin, Queen of the world.” As he spoke, Muhammad saw the statue blink. Its pupils moved horizontally and then vertically, “as if to evoke the sign of the cross.” The child was not the only one to see this: among the pilgrims present, several perceived the supernatural phenomenon. His own guide, coming near to him, saw the Virgin praying Her rosary slowly. That evening and during the following days, the statue exuded a fragrant oil. This event of August 21 was the origin of the large influx of pilgrims from all over Lebanon and neighboring countries: Syria, Egypt, Jordan. A true place of faith and prayer, the “extraordinary improvements in health and inner healings” are numerous. There are also countless testimonies of supernatural phenomena. Let us mention that these phenomena, like the healings, affect Christians and Muslims alike.5 In January 2005, Father Claude Poussier, rector of the shrine of Pontmain, made a pilgrimage to Bechouat and revealed the French origin of the statue. On this occasion the message of Mary in Pontmain, translated into Arabic, was inscribed on the church at Bechouat. 5. Nevertheless, many Muslims who are favored with heavenly graces do not dare to testify publicly about it for fear of reprisals. The humble chapel of Our Lady of Bechouat The new church Interior of the little chapel – In the niche to the left of the altar, the statue of Our Lady of Bechouat. Long exposed to the veneration of the faithful without any protection whatsoever, it had to be constantly restored because it was continually being touched. Today it is protected by an armored window. – In the niche to the right of the altar, a replica of the Byzantine icon that disappeared in the fire in 1919. Due to the influx of pilgrims, construction of a larger sanctuary was deemed necessary for worship services. The new church opened its doors to the public in 1966.
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