Br. Charbel Salhab

Br. Charbel Salhab was born in Dallas, TX in 2001 and since then he has never left Texas for long. His family immigrated from Lebanon, and he has been fortunate to visit his relatives there many times throughout his life. Otherwise, he is a proud Texan. He attended St. Monica Catholic School before attending Cistercian Preparatory School from 5th-12th grade, graduating in 2020. He attended Texas A&M University in College Station, graduating in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry.

Br. Charbel grew up in the Maronite Church, so ever since he was a child, he was surrounded by images of Lebanese saints, such as St. Charbel, a Lebanese Maronite monk and hermit who faithfully lived out his vocation and, since passing away in 1898, has been responsible for countless miracles. Br. Charbel remembers fondly being taken as a child to St. Charbel’s monastery in Lebanon, where he saw a representation of the saint’s face, which looked so serene.

Throughout his life, Br. Charbel was attracted to different aspects of the life at Our Lady of Dallas. While he was attending Cistercian, he was inspired by the example of the monks and began to think that he too might be called to the monastic life. While at Texas A&M, and with guidance from the St. Mary’s Catholic Center, he discerned a call to the priesthood but did not feel he was meant to be a diocesan priest. During this time, his Form Master, Fr. Philip, invited him to a discernment retreat at Our Lady of Dallas. There, within the monastery, Br. Charbel saw in a new light the union of monastic and priestly life and felt a deep sense of peace. The following semester, he began to feel attracted also to the life of a teacher, and two years later he entered the monastery along with six other young men, including another member of Class 2024, Br. Michael.