Collection for the Holy Places

The picture above is of the Church or Basilica of the Agony, located on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem, next to the Garden of Gethsemane. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest. Every year on Good Friday, a collection is taken up in Catholic Churches around the world to support the work of the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land who have the unique responsibility of maintaining the Holy Places such as these and preserving the Christian presence in the Holy Land. Please be generous in supporting this important service to the universal Church. The offerings collected by the parishes across the world are sent by the Commissars of the Holy Land to the Custody of the Holy Land. Because of the pandemic and the multi-faceted challenges it entails, the Holy Land has also been affected with the lack of pilgrims and the lack of jobs to local Christians, among other things. Nonetheless, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land has continued in its mission of service it has been entrusted. Prayers have been intensified for the whole world at the Holy Sepulchre, in Gethsemane, in Bethlehem, in Nazareth and in the other shrines. Moreover, in the parishes, the Franciscans continue to take care of Arabic, Hebrew and Greek-speaking Christians, migrant workers and refugees. In fact, through the Terra Sancta Schools, around ten thousand children, teenagers and young people are able to benefit from a good education. In light of the situation, the Custos appeals for generosity from Christians all over the world. “Please help us again this year, according to your possibilities, according to the generosity of your heart, so that we can continue to help those in need.”