About Church of St Peter’s Primacy

In Tabgha stands the Church of St Peter’s Primacy, also called Mensa Domini in Latin. It is a small Franciscan chapel built over the remains of an earlier 4^th century church on the waterfront, next to the ancient steps leading down to the Sea of Galilee.

Tabgha

The place has a Greek name, Heptapegon, meaning “place of seven springs”. The location is near sulfurous springs that empty into the Sea of Galilee. The springs attract fish to this part of the sea, so it is a popular spot for fishermen to cast their nets.

Jesus made breakfast for His disciples

Tradition tells us that this is the spot where Jesus laid out a breakfast of bread and fish for the apostles and told Peter to “feed my sheep” after the miraculous catch of fish (John 21: 1-24). Inside the church is a limestone rock, venerated as a “Mensa Christi” (Latin for table of Christ), thought to be where Jesus had served the men. In the garden stands a bronze statue of Jesus symbolically commissioning Peter with His shepherd’s crook.

Twelve Thrones

The church was also known in 808 A.D. as the “Twelve Thrones”, a series of heart-shaped stones, which were placed along the shore to commemorate the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.