Cana Parish
The church of Cana was built by the Franciscans in 1879, thanks to the tireless work of Father Egidio Geissler, pastor of Nazareth. The archaeological excavations conducted in 1969 by Father Stanislao Loffreda in the northern courtyard of the church and its adjoining rooms led to the discovery of a flagged courtyard, more mosaics, and ancient stonework belonging to a synagogal reality that extends beyond the Franciscan property. In 1885, a chapel in honor of Saint Bartholomew (Nathanael), one of the twelve apostles and a native of Cana, was built about 100 meters from the church. During recent restoration work, archaeological excavation permitted concluding that the Aramaic inscription had been placed in the synagogue porch. The porch was a portico; there was a cistern at its center.
Source: Custody of the Holy Land
Photo from our Historical Archives office
Alberto Gori, Léandre Girard and Giacomo Beltritti in front of the Saint Bartholomew's chapel, April 1951
