Church of the Pater Noster
Encyclopedia
The Church of the Pater Noster, also known as the Sancturay of the Eleona , is a partially reconstructed Roman Catholic church located on the Mount of Olives
, north of the Tombs of the Prophets
, in Jerusalem. It stands on the traditional site of Christ
's teaching of the Lord's Prayer
.
designed by Constantine I
to commemorate the Ascension of Jesus Christ. It was built under the direction of Constantine's mother Helena
in the early 4th century, who named it the Church of the Disciples. The pilgrim Egeria was the first to refer to it as the church of the Eleona, meaning olive grove in the late 4th century. The church is mentioned by the Bordeaux pilgrim in the Itinerarium Burdigalense
circa
333, and the historian Eusebius of Caesarea
recounts that Constantine constructed a church over a cave on the Mount of Olives that had been linked with the Ascension. The 2nd century Acts of John
mention the existence of a cave on the Mount of Olives associated with the teachings of Jesus, but not specifically the Lord's Prayer. The church survived intact until it was destroyed by Persians in 614. The memory of Jesus' teaching remained associated with this site, and during the crusades it became exclusively associated with the teaching of the Lord's Prayer. Christian crusaders constructed a small oratory
amid the ruins in 1106, and a full church was constructed in 1152 thanks to funds donated by the Bishop
of Denmark
, who is buried inside the church. The crusader era church was heavily damaged during the Siege of Jerusalem
in 1187, eventually being abandoned and falling into ruin in 1345. In 1851 the remaining stones of the 4th-century church were sold for tombstones in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The site was acquired by the Princesse Bossi Aurelia, de la Tour d'Auvergne in the late 19th century and a search for the cave mentioned by early pilgrims began. In 1868 she built a cloister modeled on the Campo Santo at Pisa
, Italy
and founded a Carmelite convent in 1872. In 1910 the foundations over the cave were found partly beneath the cloister. The convent was moved nearby and reconstruction of the Byzantine
church began in 1915. The church remains unfinished.
his prophesy of the destruction of Jerusalem and the second coming. Unfortunately the cave containing the grotto partially collapsed when it was discovered in 1910. It also cuts partly into a 1st century tomb. Left of the church's south door is a baptistery paved with mosaic. The cloister is of European style and contains plaques that bear the Lord's Prayer in over 100 different languages. A road to the right of the convent leads to the Russian Church of the Ascension and Byzantine tomb chapels where some Armenian mosaics are preserved in a small museum.
Arabs, with a small Christian minority.
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
, north of the Tombs of the Prophets
Tomb of the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi
The Tomb of the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi is located on the upper slope of the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem...
, in Jerusalem. It stands on the traditional site of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
's teaching of the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
.
History
The modern church is built on the site of a 4th century basilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
designed by Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
to commemorate the Ascension of Jesus Christ. It was built under the direction of Constantine's mother Helena
Helena of Constantinople
Saint Helena also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople was the consort of Emperor Constantius, and the mother of Emperor Constantine I...
in the early 4th century, who named it the Church of the Disciples. The pilgrim Egeria was the first to refer to it as the church of the Eleona, meaning olive grove in the late 4th century. The church is mentioned by the Bordeaux pilgrim in the Itinerarium Burdigalense
Itinerarium Burdigalense
The Itinerarium Burdigalense is the oldest known Christian itinerarium, written by an anonymous pilgrim from Burdigala...
circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
333, and the historian Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon...
recounts that Constantine constructed a church over a cave on the Mount of Olives that had been linked with the Ascension. The 2nd century Acts of John
Acts of John
The Acts of John is a collection of narratives and traditions concerning John the Apostle, well described as a "library of materials" , inspired by the Gospel of John, long known in fragmentary form...
mention the existence of a cave on the Mount of Olives associated with the teachings of Jesus, but not specifically the Lord's Prayer. The church survived intact until it was destroyed by Persians in 614. The memory of Jesus' teaching remained associated with this site, and during the crusades it became exclusively associated with the teaching of the Lord's Prayer. Christian crusaders constructed a small oratory
Oratory (worship)
An oratory is a Christian room for prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray.-Catholic church:In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is a structure other than a parish church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass...
amid the ruins in 1106, and a full church was constructed in 1152 thanks to funds donated by the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, who is buried inside the church. The crusader era church was heavily damaged during the Siege of Jerusalem
Siege of Jerusalem
The Siege of Jerusalem can refer to several historical events:*Sack of Jerusalem by biblical pharaoh Shishaq, identified as Shoshenq I of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt....
in 1187, eventually being abandoned and falling into ruin in 1345. In 1851 the remaining stones of the 4th-century church were sold for tombstones in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The site was acquired by the Princesse Bossi Aurelia, de la Tour d'Auvergne in the late 19th century and a search for the cave mentioned by early pilgrims began. In 1868 she built a cloister modeled on the Campo Santo at Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and founded a Carmelite convent in 1872. In 1910 the foundations over the cave were found partly beneath the cloister. The convent was moved nearby and reconstruction of the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
church began in 1915. The church remains unfinished.
Design and Layout
The 4th-century Byzantine church has been partially reconstructed and provides a good sense of what the original was like. The churches dimensions are the same as the original and the garden outside the three doors outlines the atrium area. The church is unroofed and has steps that lead into a grotto where some Christians believe that Jesus revealed to his disciplesDisciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
his prophesy of the destruction of Jerusalem and the second coming. Unfortunately the cave containing the grotto partially collapsed when it was discovered in 1910. It also cuts partly into a 1st century tomb. Left of the church's south door is a baptistery paved with mosaic. The cloister is of European style and contains plaques that bear the Lord's Prayer in over 100 different languages. A road to the right of the convent leads to the Russian Church of the Ascension and Byzantine tomb chapels where some Armenian mosaics are preserved in a small museum.
Location
The church is located in the At-Tur district of Jerusalem which has a population of about 18,000 mostly MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Arabs, with a small Christian minority.