On the eve of Palm Sunday, Saturday 12 April, the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated the sixth and last peregrination of Lent. The celebration was held at the Shrine of Bethphage, which stands on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, on the old road which led to Bethany. The meeting between Jesus and Martha and Mary, before resuscitating Lazarus, is commemorated here. It was in the same place, according to the Gospels, that […]
“Education is the key for Christians to remain in the Holy Land”: fra Peter Vasko, Franciscan of the Custody of the Holy Land is convinced of this. Forty years ago, the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL) was founded with the purpose of stopping the exodus of Christians from the Holy Land. The Foundation, which Fra Peter presides is based in the United States, and works under the patronage of the Custody of the Holy Land. Educating to stop […]
The procession of the palms in Jerusalem is one of the most picturesque moments which brings together the whole Christian community of the Holy Land. On Sunday 13 April, a long winding procession of palms raised to the sky came down from the Mount of Olives, following the same steps as Jesus when he entered Jerusalem. After having gathered around the Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, for the celebration of Palm Sunday at the Holy Sepulchre, the Christians of the Holy […]
Following the Regina Coeli on Sunday, May 16, the Holy Father Pope Francis invited people to pray for Israelis and Palestinians during this difficult time. All the bells of the churches of the Custody of the Holy Land rang to express adherence to Pope Francis' words at Regina Coeli. The Holy Father's address here: “I am following with great concern what is happening in the Holy Land. In these days, violent armed clashes between the Gaza Strip and Israel have […]
