Inauguration of the Mary of Nazareth International Center

It wasn't a coincidence that the international center of Mary of Nazareth opened its doors on March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation. Fifty meters from the Basilica and in the presence of civic and religious leaders, the 'Chemin Neuf' community presented the center, founded through the collaboration of biblical scholars and theologians. In 2007, the first foundation stone of the museum was laid, although the center occupies a renovated building from the Ottoman era. It is divided into four rooms, for a guided tour lasting about an hour. The center offers many services: more than purely an exhibition area, it includes a rooftop terrace at Nazareth, and the chapel "To Jesus Through Mary" in which perpetual adoration is held. There's also an interactive wall map on Marian shrines in the world. Work on the new facility led to a unique archaeological discovery, currently being examined by experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority. It's a house from the time of Jesus and several cisterns and hidden caverns which have been unearthed by members of the Mary of Nazareth Association. The objective of this interactive museum is to inform the thousands of pilgrims each year who visit the nearby Basilica of the meaning of Mary today - her importance in giving birth to the mystery of the Incarnation. The aims are both ecumenical and interreligious, stressing Mary's concern for the Churches of the East, the way she is presented in the Koran and Mary's nature as a Jewish woman.

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