Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | NXg | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

Reaching the Mount of Olives

Divine initiative People reaching out to have a feel of the plaque

Now for the first time in 1700 years the Prayer, ‘Our Father’ from the Bible, engraved in Telugu on ceramic plaque, has found a permanent spot at the 334 AD Byzantine Church Pater Noster at Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

The founder of Word of Life Ministries and International Institute of Biblical Theology K. Showry Babu said that institute has been negotiating with the French Government and the Carmelite Order Superiors of Jerusalem, under whose control the church lies, to place the prayer in Telugu. “The authorities were reluctant to give place to another Indian language, since plaques already existed in 147 languages and they wanted to give place to other countries,” he said.

Mr. Babu who was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for Israeli tourism has been travelling to Jerusalem with the Biblical study teams, about six times in a year, for the last couple of years and on every tour was pleading with the authorities for installation of the plaque.

The plague was inaugurated by the Carmelite Superior Sister Elizabeth Dally in the presence of Showry Babu, Senior Director General of Israeli Tourism Raphael Ben-Hur and International Director for Government of Israel Moshe Even Zahav. The plague was placed in the memory of K. Inyasi and K. Annamma.

The church was built in 334 AD by Helena, mother of Roman Empire Constantine. The church was thereafter destroyed and rebuilt several times. Finally, the French Princess La Tour D’ Auvergne bought the site and built the present church.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail