Church of the Visitation (Ein Karem)
The traditional site of Mary's visit to Elizabeth and the Magnificat.
Blessed Virgin Mary → Plan a trip hereThe Story
The Church of the Visitation stands on a hillside in Ein Karem, the village in the Judean hills traditionally identified as the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Here the Church commemorates the Visitation: Mary, newly bearing the Christ within her, "went with haste" to serve her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth, who greeted her as "the mother of my Lord" while the infant John the Baptist leaped in her womb (Luke 1:39–56). It was here, the Gospel recounts, that Mary sang the Magnificat, her great canticle of praise. Christian memory has long associated Ein Karem with these events, and tradition points to this spot as the country house of Zechariah's family. Churches rose here in the Byzantine and Crusader periods, and their remains were incorporated into the present sanctuary of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land: a lower chapel enclosing the ancient grotto and cistern, and an upper church, designed by Antonio Barluzzi and completed in 1955, decorated with frescoes of Mary's place in the life of the Church. The courtyard wall displays the Magnificat in ceramic panels in dozens of languages, so that pilgrims from every nation can pray Mary's canticle in their own tongue. Nearby stands the Church of St. John the Baptist, marking the traditional birthplace of the Forerunner, making Ein Karem a natural double pilgrimage. The Visitation is celebrated on the General Roman Calendar on May 31 and is the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. The site invites pilgrims to imitate Mary — bearing Christ to others in humble, joyful service.
Church Recognition
The Church of the Visitation is a recognized sanctuary of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, built over Byzantine and Crusader remains at the traditional site of the Visitation; the feast is kept by the universal Church on May 31.
Catholic Teaching
The Visitation reveals Mary as the first bearer of Christ to others and the Magnificat as the Church's own song of praise (CCC 717–722, 2619); the mystery is prayed as the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary and models the charity that carries Christ to every neighbor.
Plan Your Visit
Practical
Additional Information
Ein Karem also holds the Church of St. John the Baptist.
Go Deeper
See the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land at https://www.custodia.org for information on the Ein Karem sanctuaries; pray Luke 1:39–56 with the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Mary's prayer (CCC 2617–2619), and consult Holy Land guides such as Murphy-O'Connor's The Holy Land.
Location
Visit the official website ↗ See it on the interactive map →Pilgrim Photos
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In the Area
Other sacred sites within 40 miles.