The beatification of Patriarch Estephan Doueihy was celebrated by Lebanon and the Maronite Church during a mass consecrated by the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Béchara Boutros Rai, in Bkerké, in the presence of the representative of Pope Francis, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, former presidents Amine Gemayel and Michel Sleiman, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab, outgoing ministers including Information Minister Ziad Makary, Education Minister Abbas Halabi, Economy and Trade Minister Amin Salam, Industry Minister George Bouchikian, Telecommunications Minister Johnny Corm, and Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General Joseph Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, and the head of the Marada Movement, former MP Sleiman Frangieh, were also present.

Several ambassadors, representatives of security services, a multitude of official, political, diplomatic, and spiritual personalities, as well as believers from across Lebanon, gathered in large numbers at Bkerké.

This first beatification of a Maronite patriarch was approved by Pope Francis on March 14, following the authentication of a miracle attributed to the "Venerable" Patriarch. On August 2, the Holy Father summoned Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, to announce his decision.

The official ceremony took place on Friday evening at Bkerké, in the presence of Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai and thousands of faithful who had already begun gathering in the courtyard of the patriarchate, where thousands of chairs had been set up to accommodate the crowd.

The mass took place last Saturday in Ehden, the birthplace of the newly beatified and the summer retreat for the inhabitants of Zgharta. Large crowds also attended the event.

In 2019, Father Boulos Azzi, responsible for introducing the cause of saints in the Maronite Church, submitted a dossier to the Vatican for a healing miracle attributed to the intercession of Doueihy.

Doueihy, born in 1630 in Ehden, served as patriarch from 1670 until his death in 1704. He was considered the "pillar" and "glory" of his church, establishing many schools and convents, and was regarded as one of the greatest religious historians. Declared Venerable in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI, he is buried in the patriarchal convent of Qannoubin in the Holy Valley, near the hermitage of Saint Marina, one of Lebanon's most revered saints.

One of Doueihy's main legacies was the organization of the Maronite Church. Before him, the Maronite community and its church were dispersed, following various customs and references.

The new blessed was also a scholarly and open-minded spirit who believed in the mission of the Maronites in their Arab-Muslim environment, particularly an essential mission of communication in the region. He wrote several works on the history of the Maronites and the role of Christians in the Orient.

Doueihy joins a list of saints, blessed, and venerable figures in Lebanon, including Saint Charbel, Saint Rafqa, and Saint Nehmatallah Hardini.