The Church of St. Catherine

St. Catherine's Catholic Church was built by the Franciscans in 1881 on the foundations of the Monastery of St. Jerome. It displays the approach of worship from the Latin western perspective. It is the Parish church of the Roman Catholic (Latin) community in Bethlehem.

From this Church, Midnight Mass held on the eve of Christmas is broadcasted to all over the World.

Underneath are several caves and chambers, the first of which is dedicated to the Holy Innocents, the little martyrs who were massacred by King Herod and who were the first to shed their blood for Christ. Another chamber is dedicated to St. Joseph in memory of the vision he had when an angel appeared to him in his sleep and ordered him to take the Infant and his mother and fly to Egypt.

Another important cave is the Grotto of St. Jerome, which contains his tomb. St. Jerome, who lived in Bethlehem for 34 years, was one of the most important theologians in the history of the church. His main Contribution was the critical study of the Latin biblical manuscripts and a comparison with the original Hebrew and Greek texts. As a result, he produced the Latin edition of the Bible, the Vulgate.

Entrance to the Church of St. Catherine