INSIDE THE TRADITIONAL BIRTHPLACE OF THE VIRGIN MARY
Near the Pools of Bethesda and the beginning of the Via Dolorosa stands the Church of St. Anne, one of Jerusalem’s best-preserved Crusader churches and an important Catholic pilgrimage site in the Holy Land.
For centuries, Christians have honored this sacred place as the home of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
But pilgrims come here for another reason.
Ancient Christian tradition also remembers this area as the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. Before Our Lady stood at the foot of the Cross, held the Child Jesus, and said yes to God, she was a child raised by Saints Joachim and Anne.
The Church of St. Anne was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century over earlier Christian remains. After Saladin took Jerusalem, it was preserved and used as a Muslim school.
Today, Catholic pilgrims visit this Marian shrine to pray and sing. Beneath the church is an ancient stone grotto honored as the place of Mary’s birth.
Pause and think about that.
Here, Christians remember the beginning of the life of the woman God chose to become the Mother of Jesus Christ.
Mary never leads us away from Jesus. Her whole life points us to Him.
What is your favorite title or devotion of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
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