St. Joseph Church
The Shrine of the House of St. Joseph is located along the street leading from the renowned Basilica of the Nativity towards the shepherds' fields. This sacred site is owned and maintained by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.
According to the Byzantine historian Nicephorus Callistus, St. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, had a church built in Bethlehem to honor St. Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary. This church may have been one of the three mentioned by a 5th century Armenian pilgrim, situated about 600 meters east of Bethlehem. The current shrine corresponds to the site venerated by medieval Christian pilgrims in the 14th century.
In 1888, the Custody of the Holy Land purchased the site from an Orthodox Armenian owner and constructed a convent building in 1890. The current church structure was inaugurated in 1893.
Adjacent to the church, a center dedicated to St. Joseph was opened in 1999, operated by the Dominican Sisters. This center serves as a hub for devotion, education, and community activities centered around the earthly father of Jesus.
The Shrine hosts special masses and commemorations on the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19th, drawing Christian pilgrims from around the world to this sacred site in Bethlehem.