Cana

The Franciscan Church of the Wedding

The actual location of Cana is uncertain. In my travels to Israel, I’ve gone to at least three possible candidates. Kefer-Kenna (City of Cana) has a long history as the traditional location. It is located on the main road between two important cities in the region (Sepphoris and Tiberias), about 5 miles northeast of Nazareth. 

Relying on the testimony of early Holy Land pilgrims, including Jerome—translator of the Vulgate—Franciscans established themselves there in the mid 1600s. The Franciscan Wedding Church at Cana was built to remember the place of Jesus' first miracle. 

Not far from the Franciscan church is the Greek Orthodox Church of the Marriage Feast, which houses two large stone jars claimed to be two of the original water pots Jesus used to perform His first miracle—highly unlikely! 

Kefer-Kenna also has a chapel dedicated to St. Bartholomew, one of the original Twelve.