From the top of the mountain from which Moses looked at the Promised Land, without being able to enter, the view is extraordinary.
Visiting the Memorial of Moses on Mount Nebo is like looking at roots that we knew but thought were invisible and buried. A holy place that stretches out into the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, and that has a profound meaning for everyone.
And right at the top of this mountain, pilgrims, visitors, and tourists come to look at the Holy Land, just like Moses did.
The year 2018 saw significant growth in tourism in Jordan. It is enough to think that, as reported by The Jordan Times, right after Petra, Mount Nebo is the second most visited place in the country, with more than 444,000 visitors.
For this reason, on Sunday, March 10, the Custos of the Holy Land, Br. Francesco Patton, together with the Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan and Iraq, Bishop Ortega, in the presence of religious and pilgrims, blessed one of the two new chapels.
Br Francesco Patton, ofm - Custos of the Holy Land
“This morning we blessed one of the two new chapels. These chapels are at the disposal of the pilgrims here on Mount Nebo, because after the reopening of the Shrine in 2016 there has been a great increase in the number of pilgrims and visitors. It is, therefore, a good thing to be able to provide new celebratory spaces for them.”
Br Junio Marques, ofm - Superior Memorial Sanctuary of Moses - Mount Nebo - Jordan
"Today we opened 2 new chapels on Mount Nebo: the chapel of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the chapel of Prophet Elijah, and the motive is the number of pilgrims that are requesting to celebrate Mass is increasing and these new chapels will be from now open to pilgrims. In this way, we want to develop the spirituality of the Sanctuary of the Prophet Moses.”
Br Ibrahim Faltas, ofm - Custody of the Holy Land
“In fact, special attention is paid to the impressive number of pilgrims who come to this mountain during their stay in Jordan. This trend is therefore of particular importance to the Franciscans. Mount Nebo is really very important. Surely we try to encourage pilgrims, by all means, to constantly come in large numbers to this area, where they can contemplate a distant view of the Holy City, as well as Jericho, the Dead Sea, and all the Holy Land.”
The celebration at Nebo takes place a few days after the special feast days which take place in Egypt on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the meeting between the Saint of Assisi and the Sultan. A contemporary message of peace and hope which today is more necessary than ever.
Br Francesco Patton, ofm - Custos of the Holy Land
“On this occasion, we remembered the 800th anniversary of the meeting between St. Francis and the Sultan, a particularly important meeting for the Franciscans. Thanks to this meeting we Friars Minor were able to establish here in the Holy Land and be present as Custos of the Holy Places.”
