Description
Saint Rafqa of Lebanon (1832-1914) was a Maronite nun whose life included teaching children and, later, many years of illness and blindness. Born in Himlaya, she entered the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1871 and was canonized in 2001. Her story belongs to the Maronite Catholic tradition, an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with Rome.
From teaching to monastic life
Before entering the monastery, Rafqa taught catechism and worked in schools for girls. She made her monastic vows at Saint Simon's in Aito in 1872 and moved to Saint Joseph's monastery in Jrabta in 1897. Her veneration centers on fidelity to prayer through severe physical suffering, not on a promise that devotion will remove illness.
How Rafqa is represented
The icon shows her frontally in a black habit and veil, with a cross at her chest. She holds a closed book marked with a cross and a rosary. These objects evoke spiritual reading and prayer; the cover does not identify a particular text. A halo and gold-toned setting distinguish this devotional portrait from a historical photograph.
Made in Poland on linden wood
Art Christiana makes this icon to order on a linden-wood board with two coats of primer. The image is printed directly onto the prepared surface and finished with decorative gold-tone metal leaf (schlagmetal). A certificate bearing the production year and a hanging fixture are attached to the back.
This image may accompany prayer for someone living with illness or introduce a home prayer space to a saint of the Maronite tradition. It can also be a meaningful gift for a person with Lebanese Christian roots.