Queen Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, is said to have built the original church on the site. It was destroyed in 614 when the Persians invaded Palestine. Crusaders rebuilt the church in 1152 with the financial help of the bishop of Denmark (who was later buried there) and named it Pater Noster. That church was damaged in 1187, and later destroyed when Saladin's army defeated the Crusaders and recaptured the city.
The current church dates back to the 19th century, when Aurelie de Bossi, the Princess de la Tour d'Auvergne, bought the land built a cloister for the Carmelites there.
The princess (who is buried at the church) had a special devotion to the Our Father. She covered the walls of the Church of the Pater Noster with plaques of the prayer in 39 different languages. Today there are plaques in more than 62 different languages.
- Little Black Book, Diocese of Saginaw