The Feast of the Finding of the Cross in the Heart of the Holy Sepulchre On the early morning of Wednesday, May 7, the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated the Feast of the Finding of the True Cross (Inventio Crucis) at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This is a deeply meaningful celebration: Jerusalem is the only place in the world where this feast is still observed, after it was abolished by the liturgical […]
In Bethany/al-Eizariya, activities in the archaeological area are in full swing around the Franciscan shrine and the tomb of Lazarus. Kindling a passion In the middle of June, the pro Terra Sancta association started a course of “experimental archaeology” which has involved about fifteen local teenagers aged between 12 and 17. It is a challenge, but also a wager to “bring them closer to their history from when they are very young,” said Carla Benelli, an art historian and coordinator […]
After nine years of service as Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Patton concludes an intense and unique experience. Appointed Custos in 2016, he has lived through complex historical events, from the war in Syria, to the pandemic, to the recent resurgence of conflicts, accompanying the Custody through a time of great transformation. In this interview, he tells us what it means to live as a "pilgrim" even with institutional responsibilities, which encounters touched him the most deeply, and […]
On Saturday 12 November, at the St. Francis Hall of the Washington Land Commissariat, in the presence of the Father Custos, Fr. Francesco Patton, 160 people gathered for the resumption, after a three-year interruption, of the annual Mass with benefactors and the ritual fundraising dinner. “What a delight it is to be joined by so many friars, friends, colleagues and family members for this celebration tonight,” Paul Schott Stevens said. “It is good to see the tradition renewed tonight after […]
