Simon of Cyrene Catholic chapel belonging to the Franciscan Order, marks the fifth station of the Cross of Jesus. Where pilgrims remember the episode of the New Testament: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross.

A small chapel, built in 1229, was the first building, built by the Franciscans in Jerusalem. Its interior is simple and even harsh: stone arches, a small altar. Striking relief on the wall, depicting Jesus and the person taking the cross with his shoulder.

Three Evangelists - Matthew, Mark and Luke - note that this is the Roman soldiers forced a passerby to carry Jesus cross. Luke even said that Simon, who was walking peacefully from the field, "captured" and "laid on him the cross." The soldiers did so not out of pity for the condemned, but they saw Jesus totally exhausted. Beaten with whips with metal inserts, exhausted, bloodied, he had once fallen. He managed to get up, but continued to push a huge top crossbar of the cross - its rough untreated surface wounded torn flesh. But more was to go up to Calvary. Experienced soldiers quickly assess its condition and realized that without assistance process does not soon will reach the place of execution.

Who was Simon, a native of Cyrene? The exact answer is no. Perhaps the Jew, sympathized teachings of Christ, and maybe even a foreigner - hardly a normal Jew would be willing to bear the cross. On the other hand, the soldiers did not ask the consent of choice Simon in any case, was not. One thing is clear: at the moment, like it or not, Simon found himself closest to God. Among the street noise, the dirt, the screams of the crowd of soldiers and ridicule he received from his shoulders a heavy load of suffering God and burdened himself.

Tradition says that in this place, Jesus stumbled leaned his hand on the wall at home, so as not to fall. Stone with a recess in the wall of the Franciscan chapel as if polished - pilgrims touched it over the centuries. And now, a tourist can see how passing by the chapel a priest familiar gesture touched a stone cross. Of course, evidence that this track is a genuine, no. But the people, touching the stone, touched mentally to God.