The town of Cana in Galilee was the site of Jesus' first miracle, the turning of water into wine (John 2:1-11). While today's Cana may not be the village Jesus' visited (recent excavations on a hill just north of Nazareth have uncovered ruins of a Jewish village from the 1st century AD), Christian pilgrims have revered this site as the place of Jesus' first miracle from an early date. Empress Helena (mother of Constantine) built a church here in the 4th century, and this was identified with the remains of a large building found by travellers to Kafr Kanna in the 17th century. The present church, built over an older church, was begun in 1879 and consecrated in 1883.
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The lovely Robin and I have visited this church several times, most recently this past January:
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Here is a photo of the main altar (shown also above), with a lovely painting of the wedding:
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And the two altars to the left and right of the main altar:
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In the lower level of the church are displayed several stone water jars, perhaps like those described in the Bible (though how many firkins these would hold, I have no idea). But because this village of Kafr Kana has no nearby water source, the area was replete with such stone jars, used for storing water--just like in the account of the wedding.
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In the church's courtyard is a serene little pool, with water jars built into the design of the fountain (I would mention that I have trouble not seeing the face of the Cookie Monster in the fountain, but that would be too distracting, I'm afraid):
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A modern-day tradition is for couples to renew their wedding vows or propose marriage in Cana, with the Wedding Church as an unforgettable backdrop. The town is also--understandably--a popular place to buy wine!
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