Church of Saint Catherine, Bethlehem

The Church of Saint Catherine[1] or Chapel of Saint Catherine (Latin: Ecclesia Sanctae Catharinae, Arabic: كنيسة القديسة كترينا‎, Hebrew: כנסיית קתרינה הקדושה‎) is a religious building that is affiliated with the Catholic Church[2] and is located adjacent to the northern part[3] of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem[4] in the West Bank in the Palestinian territories.[5] It works as a parish church[6] and Franciscan monastery.[7] There is a complex of caves underneath the church.[6]

Church of Saint Catherine
Ecclesia Sanctae Catharinae
31°42′16.4″N 35°12′28.0″E
LocationBethlehem
CountryWest Bank
DenominationCatholic Church

Is administered by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, follows the Roman Rite, and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2012 as part of the "Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route in Bethlehem".

History

Byzantine period

St Jerome's monastery was possibly located at the site of the medieval cloister, its foundations laying hidden under the current pavement laid by Barluzzi.

Crusader period

Augustinian monastery.

Mamluk period

A small chapel, located near the site of the current altar of St Catherine of Alexandria, was dedicated to the Alexandrine saint in 1347 as part of the Franciscan monastery.[8] The church is first mentioned in the 15th century.[7]

Late Ottoman period

The church in its current shape is the result of work from the 19th century.[6] It is built in Neo-Gothic style. It was extended in 1881 with funds provided by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary.[7]

After World War II

It has since been modernized several times according to the approved liturgical trends after the Second Vatican Council (Concilium Vaticanum Secundum Oecumenicum). The Crusader-period cloister was restored in 1948 by Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi.[7]

Connection to St Catherine

The medieval chapel was built at the alleged site of Jesus' apparition to St Catherine, where he announced her of her coming martyrdom.[7]

Televised Christmas Mass

This is the church where the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem celebrates Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.[6]

  • Catholic Mass in the church
  • The organ of St. Catherine
  • One of the stained glass windows
  • View from the main altar
  • Restored medieval cloister
  • Restored medieval cloister and courtyard

See also
  • Roman Catholicism in Palestine

References
  1. Church of St. Catherine in Bethlehem at GCatholic.com
  2. Cornell, George W. (1 January 1966). Voyage of Faith: The Catholic Church in Transition. Odyssey.
  3. Rapp, David (28 November 2015). The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Hanan Isachar Photography. ISBN 9789657000083.
  4. Wareham, Norman; Gill, Jill (30 November 2011). Every Pilgrim's Guide to the Holy Land. Canterbury Press. ISBN 9781848251045.
  5. Isaac, Rami; Hall, Colin Michael; Higgins-Desbiolles, Freya (1 January 2015). The Politics and Power of Tourism in Palestine. Routledge. ISBN 9781317580287.
  6. "Church of St Catherine of Alexandria". See The Holy Land. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  7. "Church of St. Catherine - Bethlehem". www.sacred-destinations.com. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  8. "Church of St. Catherine". www.bethlehem.custodia.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
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