Today, 8 September 2025, in a solemn celebration in the Basilica of Saint Anne, the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of our Lord, was commemorated. The celebration was presided over by Br. Stéphane Milovitch, in the presence of numerous consecrated persons, religious women, Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land. Also present was the Consul General of France in Jerusalem Nicolas Kassianides. Prayer for Peace and Hope The community gathered to bring into its prayers joy, […]
Forgiveness and reconciliation have always been at the heart of the Jubilee, in the special form of plenary indulgence. Not much room is devoted to the subject in the normal catechism and it is often treated with prejudice. However, it is central in order to live the Holy Year with awareness and enjoy its benefits to the full. We discussed this with Monsignor Vincenzo Peroni, a former master of the Pope’s ceremonies and today in service at the Custody of […]
On Saturday 6 December Bethlehem experienced a moment of deep emotion, thousands of people gathered in the square to witness the rekindling of the Christmas tree, a simple yet meaningful gesture that marks the return of a deeply rooted tradition in the city that gave birth to the Savior. After two years without decorations and with celebrations reduced to a minimum, as a sign of solidarity with the population of Gaza, Bethlehem has lit up again. It was a celebration […]
On Monday 8th April, the altar in the Latin chapel of the Crucifixion, on Calvary (in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre), was removed. In the next few days it will be shipped to Florence, where it will be restored and exhibited in the Museo Marino Marini, in the famous Rucellai Chapel. A homecoming The altar was donated to the Custody of the Holy Land by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando de’ Medici in 1578. At the exhibition in Florence, it […]
