Mother of God. It is 8.5 m high, and has a diameter of five meters. The Virgin Mary stretches her hands towards Beirut. The shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon draws millions of faithful both Christians and Muslims from all over the world. The 50th jubilee in 1954 was also the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the Immaculate Conception. During these Jubilee celebrations, Pope Pius XII sent his representative, Cardinal Angelo Roncalli to Lebanon, the later Pope John XXIII. Pope John Paul II visited Our Lady of Lebanon in 1997. The Congregation of Maronite Lebanese Missionaries, responsible for the administration, works at reinforcing relations among all local Churches, Christian communities and apostolic movements. In 2009, the Maronite Patriarch at the time, Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, initiated steps to turn the forest around the church into a nature reserve. Religious significance The pilgrimage site there is a large, 15-ton bronze (and painted white) statue of Virgin Mary, known as Our Lady of Lebanon or Notre Dame du Liban, with her arms stretched. The statue was made at the end of the 19th century and inaugurated in 1908, on land donated by the noble Maronite Khazen clan. Inside the statue's base, there is a small chapel. A huge Brutalist Maronite cathedral built of concrete and glass stands adjacent to the statue. It was completed in 1992, and has a height of 62 metres . Among other churches of various Christian denominations in the vicinity of Harissa are the Byzantine-style, Melkite Greek Catholic basilica of St. Paul, located south of the statue and built between 1948 and 1998, the Apostolic Nunciature (Papal Embassy), as well as the residences of four patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches. On 10 May 1997, Pope John Paul II visited Harissa. On 15 September 2012, Pope Benedict XVI visited Harissa, including a visit to Our Lady Of Lebanon. Twin cities La Garenne-Colombes, France Loreto, Marche, Italy Multimedia High Quality Photo Collection of Lebanon By Paul Saad References External links The Lady of Lebanon – Harissa The Lady of Lebanon – Harissa OpusLibani Pope's visit in Lebanon Our Lady of Lebanon L'Orient Le Jour : L'orgue retentira de nouveau sous les voutes de la basilique de Harissa. Harissa On Google Maps Street View By Paul Saad Populated places in Keserwan District Maronite Christian communities in Lebanon Melkite Christian communities in Lebanon