Custodia Terrae Sanctae

PRESS RELEASE

“Give hope, sow peace”: the Good Friday Collection 2025

Hope is the central message of Jubilee 2025, the living and personal encounter with the Lord. A concrete gesture of hope is represented by the Good Friday Collection, also known as the Colletta pro Locis Sanctis, one of the collections in aid of the places and needs of the Holy Land. To know more about how it works, and to give straight away, the site www.collettavenerdisanto.it is available where, alongside materials and guides, the reader can also find the text of the Via Crucis prepared by the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, with the meditations and testimonies of the “Living Stones” of the Holy Land.

Now more than ever, the suffering populations of the Holy Land, the few remaining Christians, the religious communities, young people and children, who are the future of those communities, but also the sick and the elderly, are in need of concrete and immediate help, even just to “maintain their positions”, thus mitigating the damage that continuous conflicts are causing to the daily life of the people.

The Collection, which usually takes place on Good Friday, this year on 18 April, the day that commemorates the Passion of the Lord, has its origins in Saint Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation Nobis in Animo, of March 1974. The Collection was established with the intention to strengthen the bond between Christians around the world and the Holy Places, and it is one of the official collections of the Catholic Church.

This collection represents the main resource for supporting the activities and life around the Holy Places. The donations gathered by the parish communities and the bishops are transferred, via the Commissioners of the Holy Land, to the Custody of the Holy Land. These funds are used to preserve the sacred sites and to support the local Christian communities, often defined as the “living stones” of this region.

The territories that receive support from the Collection include those where the Custody has been present for centuries: Jerusalem, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus, along with countries where the eastern Christian communities are present: Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq and Türkiye.

The Franciscan friars are engaged in the stewardship of the Holy Places, such as the basilicas of the Holy Sepulchre, the Annunciation and the Nativity, and dozens of other shrines, which represent an inestimable heritage for the Christian world.

The following is a summary of some data regarding the presence and activities of the Franciscans in the Holy Land:

The Custody has 270 missionaries from over 30 nations. The friars take care of the Holy Places and welcome pilgrims in:

·      55 shrines

·      22 parishes

·      6 houses for pilgrims

·      5 houses for the sick and orphans.

They have 15 functioning schools with 12 thousand students, more than 500 study grants and 3 academic institutes. They provide work to 1100 local people, and manage approximately 630 housing units for families in difficulty.

In Palestine, they work in a context marked by conflict and daily tensions. Their message focuses on the promotion of peace and hope, inviting parishioners to be bearers of serenity and not to let themselves be overwhelmed by the difficulties. One of the main interventions relates to education.

In Israel, where Christians enjoy a relatively better situation economically than in Palestine, the Custody works to preserve the Christian identity through various initiatives, such as the acquisition of houses to be rented to poor Christian families. This project is fundamental to avoid the dispersion of local communities and to guarantee their continuity.

In Jordan, besides educational work, the friars devote themselves to the migrant communities present in the country, offering them practical help. The Franciscans continue to support the most vulnerable people, putting solidarity and concern for others at the centre.

In Lebanon, in addition to their spiritual role, which includes celebrating the sacraments and accompanying families in marriages, the Franciscans devote themselves to numerous pastoral activities such as catechism and religious, with particular attention to children and young people, summer camps and the relative initiatives addressed to Franciscan youth, which promote education and Christian values.

In Syria, devastated by years of civil war, the friars distribute food and provide medical support to those most in need. Every month, around 300 people receive essential medicines to treat chronic diseases. In some cases, the Franciscans cover the full costs of surgical operations, whereas in others they collaborate with ecclesiastical associations, such as the Greek-Orthodox community, to meet the costs. The activities in the country require significant financial support.

For 18 months, despite being without pilgrims and visitors due to the war, the Shrines have always remained open and the communities of friars continue to take care of the Holy Places, assuring their daily functions and celebrations.

The Christian communities have been left without employment and the entire economy linked to religious tourism. As a result, most families suffer from the economic crisis and struggle to pay school fees. Schools, however, remain the place where the friars build Peace every day.

The Good Friday Collection, together with pilgrimages, therefore represents the main source of funding. The Custos of the Holy Land, Brother Francesco Patton, writes:

“Thanks to your generosity, we will be able to care for and make the Holy Places places of prayer and welcome for the faithful and pilgrims; respond to emergencies; support schools, clinics, dispensaries, homes for the elderly and for young families; and promote humanitarian works for migrants, displaced persons and refugees. Help us to Give Hope and Sow Peace!”.

VIDEO SPOT:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6tRQR9CVSU

For information: Antonello Sacchi

+39 348/8999678

ufficiostampa@elenagrazini.it

Custody of the Holy Land

Italian Delegation

Via Matteo Boiardo, 16 - 00185 Rome Tel. +39 06 454 364 02

E-mail: donazioni.italia@custodia.org www.collettavenerdisanto.it