Day 3 – 03. Stella Maris Monastery and Church

Stella Maris Monastery

Stella Maris Monastery and Church

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Image Credit : seetheholyland.net

The Stella Maris Monastery (Hebrew: מנזר סטלה מאריס‎‎) or the Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for monks is a 19th-century Discalced Carmelite monastery located on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Another Carmelite monastery of the same name (Monastère Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel in French) is reserved for nuns and is located higher up on Mount Carmel.

Monastery
The Monastery serves as a centre of Carmelite spirituality throughout the world. The symbol of the Order is mounted right above the entrance door. During the erection of the church, friars were assaulted by their neighbors and had to defend their property and the church guests. As a result, the monastery’s ground floor is built out of thick walls with few and small openings covered by bars.

Main church
The monastery’s main church resembles the shape of a cross. Its dome is decorated by colorful paintings based on motifs from both the Old and New Testament: Elijah rising to heaven, David stringing his harp, the prophet Isaiah, the Holy Family and the four evangelists. Latin inscriptions of biblical verses are written around the dome.
The altar stands on an elevated platform situated above a small cave associated with Elijah. The cave can be reached from the nave by descending a few steps and holds a stone altar with a small statue of Prophet Elijah. The altar above the cave is dominated by a statue of the Virgin Mary carrying Jesus in her lap, known as “our mistress the Carmel”.
New embossments dedicated to Carmelite figures are hoisted on all four corners of the central hall. On the western wall of the church is a large organ that is played during religious ceremonies and at special church music concerts.
Source : wikipedia 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz5ADVqc1cI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsOpc_Z2RZY
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