On Friday 13 June, the feast-day of St Anthony of Padua, the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem solemnly celebrates its patron saint and protector. From Thursday afternoon, the Franciscan friars of the Custody gathered in prayer at St Saviour’s church for the recital of the first Vespers. The decision of the friars to entrust themselves to the protection of the Saint from Padua dates back to a particular request for intercession addressed to him in 1917, thanks to […]
The photographic exhibition entitled “The guardians of Christ’s tomb,” the work of the French photographer Thomas Coex, was presented at the Royal Basilica of St Francis the Great in Madrid on Friday 18 October. Fra Tony Choukri, treasurer of the Custody and Fra Luis Quintana, deputy curator of the exhibition, were also present. The photos are by Thomas Coex, a professional photographer for the Agence France Press (AFP). He has a long experience of living and working in the Holy […]
Between July 24 and 26, 2025, Br. Francesco Ielpo made his official entrance into the three main holy sites of Christianity under the care of the Custody of the Holy Land: the Cenacle and the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This marks a significant moment in the Franciscan tradition, signifying the beginning of his service as Custos, leading the Franciscan presence in the places tied to the life of Jesus. Each stop was […]
On Sept. 9, the Custody of the Holy Land and the Municipality of Bethlehem received delegations from the municipalities of Greccio and Assisi. Twinning agreements were signed between the Holy Land School in Bethlehem and the Antonio Malfatti Institute, and between the Bethlehem Catholic Action Foundation and its counterpart in Greccio. The three municipalities signed a declaration of adherence to the principles and values of peace. In his speech, Br. Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, […]
