The Church of the Annunciation - Nazareth - Israel

The Church of the Annunciation (Hebrew: כנסיית הבשורה‎, Arabic: كنيسة البشارة, Greek: Εκκλησία του Ευαγγελισμού της Θεοτόκου), sometimes also referred to as the Basilica of the Annunciation is a church in Nazareth, in modern-day northern Israel; it was established in the place where, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the Annunciation took place. In other words, it is the location where Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a virgin, was visited by the Archangel Gabriel and told that she had been selected to be the mother of Jesus. The Greek Orthodox tradition holds that this event occurred while Mary was drawing water from the well in Nazareth, and erected St. Gabriel's Church at that alternate site. The current church is a two-story building, erected over the site of an earlier Byzantine and Crusader church. Inside, the lower level contains the Grotto of the Annunciation, believed by many Christians to be the actual remains of the original childhood home of Mary. Under Roman Catholic canon law, it enjoys the status of a minor basilica. It is a historically significant site and may even be considered sacred within some circles of Christianity, especially Catholicism. The basilica attracts many Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox Christian visitors every year. A newly launched website gives millions of Christians across the world the opportunity to pray and light their own personal candles at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, via the Internet. The site, www.mirezo.com,[1]was officially launched during the recent Feast of the Annunciation in 2007, the Christian holiday celebrating the revelation that the Virgin Mary would conceive Jesus. Once a user enters their personal prayer online, they can then watch over the Internet as a priest lights a candle in their name, and reads out their prayer.