The rich celebrations of the Custody of the Holy Land for the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary took place in Jerusalem at the Grotto of the Apostles and the Basilica of Gethsemane: the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, a place that has been looked after and venerated since the first centuries by Christians, stands here, at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The story of the death of Mary and her Assumption is known thanks to apocryphal literature, […]
Diving into a swimming pool can help develop the physique but also the mind. This is the challenge that the Custody of the Holy Land is launching with the new “Capital of the Resurrection” cultural and sports centre, inaugurated on Monday 3 July in Jerusalem. A number of authorities were present, including the Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine, the Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, the Custos of the Holy Land and representatives of the agencies that funded the […]
The Custody of the Holy Land, like the whole of the Franciscan Order, has started a reflection on the vocation and role of “lay brothers.” This expression refers to religious who are not also priests. On Monday 22 April, the “lay brothers” of the Custody (there are 34 of them in all) met in Jerusalem for a day of study, reflection and dialogue. The Custos of the Holy Land, fra Francesco Patton, also took part in one session and celebrated […]
The 2020 Holy Week will be a very atypical one. The rites of the Easter Triduum will be celebrated without the participation of the faithful. For this reason, the Congregation for the Eastern Churches has deemed it appropriate to postpone the Holy Land Collection which is usually offered on Good Friday to Catholics all over the world. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation, explains that, with the approval of Pope Francis, the Collection has been postponed until Sunday, September […]
