The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter is a Franciscan

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

 church located in Tabgha

Tabgha

Tabgha is an area situated on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. It is the traditional site of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes and the fourth resurrection appearance of Jesus in Christianity. Until 1948, it was the site of an Arab village.The...

, Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee

Sea of Galilee

The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...

. It commemorates Jesus

Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

' reinstatement of Peter

Primacy of Simon Peter

Most Christians hold that Simon Peter was the most prominent of the Apostles, called the Prince of the Apostles and favored by Jesus of Nazareth. As such, it is argued that Peter held the first place of honor and authority...

 as chief among the Apostles.

History

The modern structure was built in 1933 and incorporates parts of an earlier 4th century church. At the base of its walls, opposite the main altar, foundations of the 4th century church are visible. In the 9th century, the church was referred to as the Place of the Coals. This name refers to the incident of Jesus' preparation of meal for the apostles, building a charcoal fire on which to cook the fish. Also first mentioned in the year 808 are the "Twelve Thrones", a series of heart shaped stones, which were placed along the shore to commemorate the Twelve Apostles. The church survived longer than any other in the area, finally being destroyed in 1263. The present Franciscan chapel was built on the site in 1933.

Mensa Christi

The church contains a projection of limestone rock in front of the present altar which is venerated as a "Mensa Christi", Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 for table of Christ. According to tradition this is the spot where Jesus is said to have laid out a breakfast of bread and fish for the Apostles, and told Peter

Saint Peter

Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...

 to "Feed my sheep" after the miraculous catch, the third time he appeared to them after his resurrection

Resurrection of Jesus

The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...

. It is disputed whether this table, or the one enshrined at the nearby Church of the Multiplication

Church of the Multiplication

The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, shortened to , is a Roman Catholic church located in Tabgha, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel...

, is the one mentioned by the pilgrim Egeria in her narrative of the Holy Land

Holy Land

The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...

 circa

Circa

Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...

380. There is also another table of Christ enshrined at the Mensa Christi Church

Mensa Christi Church

Mensa Christi is a Roman Catholic church located in Nazareth, in northern Israel.-History:The three decades Jesus spent in Nazareth are commonly called the “silent years.” Over the centuries, Christians have sought sites in Nazareth to commemorate events from Jesus’ life...

 in Nazareth

Nazareth

Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...

.

External links

• http://books.google.com/books?id=GhPlUt1kz-wC&pg=PA277&lpg=PA277&dq=By+the+sea+is+a+grassy+field+with+plenty+of+hay+and+many+palm+trees.+By+them+are+seven+springs,+each+flowing+strongly.+And+this+is+the+field+where+the+Lord+fed+the+people+with+the+five+loaves+and+two+fishes.+In+fact+the+stone+on+which+the+Lord+placed+the+bread+has+now+been+made+into+an+altar.+People+who+go+there+take+away+small+pieces+of+the+stone+to+bring+them+prosperity,+and+they+are+very+effective&source=web&ots=IHkDWwhEkP&sig=irSGu_0Sj9rQeDGsvlSEHzadv7o&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA277,M1The Holy Land. By Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
  Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
  Reverend Dr Jerome Murphy-O'Connor O.P., is a Dominican priest, a leading authority on St...
  
  ]