The Church of the Pater Noster is rooted in the very heart of the New Testament. Although the Gospel of Matthew has Jesus teach the Lord’s Prayer in the Galilee, adding to it the immortal words “for thine is kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen”, Luke’s version places the event somewhere in Jerusalem.
Tradition has long seen that as being on the Mount of Olives, and Constantine built a church here named the Eleona – of the olive tree.
Following the country-wide pattern, this church was destroyed by the Persians and on its ruins the Crusaders erected a new one that they called Pater Noster. It was built over two grottos – one where Jesus “revealed to his disciples inscrutable mysteries”, the other called the Grotto of the Pater.
After the expulsion of the Crusaders the area fell into ruin once again until the mid-19th century when the Princess de la Tour D’Auvergne arrived from Italy. She purchased the site and lived there in a wooden chalet for eight years, before building a convert which she gave to the Carmelite Sisters. The princess returned to Florence where she died in 1889. Her last wish was to be buried in the cloister. This wish was fulfilled in 1952.
*And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of the disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Luke 11:1-4
This page is part of the book The Holy Land of Jesus
Follow News from JerusalemShare this page with your friends