St. Peter holds a special place in the Catholic Church as the chosen apostle to lead Christ’s church. The main church in Christendom, St. Peter’s Basilica, is understandably named after him. So it is no surprise that, during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, one would run into a few churches also named after him! I visited two such churches in Galilee. In this first of two posts, I will share about St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Tiberias, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (which is technically a lake but its waves can be so strong, it resembles a sea – I am told), also called Lake of Tiberias.
About the town of Tiberias
Tiberias is an old town built by Herod Antipas in AD 20 to honor (or, suck up to?) the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Though not initially appealing to the Jewish population of the land, eventually the city became a center of Jewish life over the centuries to the point that it is one of the four holy cities of Judaism in the Holy Land.
Tiberias’ population runs about 40,000 people and it is sort of a resort town (with even party boats!). It also sits at 200m below sea level.
History of St. Peter’s Church in Tiberias
The church dates to the 1100s when the Crusaders built it. It did not stay long in Christian hands as the Muslims took it over less than 100 years later and converted it to a mosque. As the centuries passed, Christians would go from Nazareth to visit the site (paying the Muslims, of course). Eventually, as happened over the centuries across the Holy Land, the Western Christian Church (before any split had occurred) started acquiring sites deemed holy.
It is important to share that at the time of the construction of the church there was the Western Christian Church and the Eastern Christian Church (as of the great schism of 1054). The Western Christian Church is the Catholic Church which had a few “spin-offs” during the Reformation and after.
Back to the story… So in the 18th century, the Franciscans (official custodians of holy sites and sanctuaries in the Holy Land from the Western Christian Church) bought the property and later built the complex around it as a monastery.
St. Peter’s Catholic Church Today
Today, the church is in a Franciscan complex which also hosts a pilgrim’s house called Casa Nova. Casa Nova has 25 rooms (basic but with good A/C!) and has an inner courtyard where the church sits. Besides this one in Tiberias, there are other Casa Novas in the Holy Land. I stayed 5 nights at the one in Bethlehem which is a jewel as it stands right next to the Church of the Nativity.
The church structure is not visible from street level due to the complex walls. From the lakeshore, one can see the back of the church and the identification of the structure as St. Peter Catholic Church.
Interestingly, the church is in the shape of a ship as St. Peter was a fisherman before becoming a follower of Christ. Its website says: “It symbolizes the Church of Christ resisting storms according to the divine promise that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16,18).“
The interior of St. Peter’s Catholic Church
The interior is simply but powerful in evoking the story of St. Peter: the miracle of the catch of fish, his naming as first among the Apostles, his building of the church of Rome, and his martyrdom.
I found it unusual among the holy sites and sanctuaries I visited over the 10 day pilgrimage. It was only really visited by the people staying at Casa Nova (perhaps a few others?) allowing respite from the crowds of pilgrims and tourists. This allowed for the right environment to sit quietly in prayer and thanksgiving.
Another great article!