In an economy hit hard by the pandemic and the lack of pilgrimages and other tourism for two years, Christians in the Holy Land “are in desperate need of support,” said a news release about the 2022 Good Friday Collection that continues to support the work of the Franciscans of the Holy Land.
Before giving his Christmas blessing to the city of Rome and to the world, Pope Francis drew attention to the many places around the globe and within human hearts in need of Jesus, the prince of peace.
Frozen in time, like a “musical Pompeii,” the 221 remaining original organ pipes from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem may fill a gap of knowledge of more than three centuries in the history of the organ and its cultural context, medieval church culture, music and technology.
As his Muslim neighbors and fellow Jericho residents make their way home for the iftar, which breaks the daily fast throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Franciscan Father Mario Hadchiti hands out small bags of dates and water to passersby in front of the Franciscan Good Shepherd Church.
“Early in ‘Holy Land Pilgrimage,’ author Stephen J. Binz refers to the Holy Land as the ‘fifth Gospel’ because it helps us understand the truths revealed by Christ as people stand on sacred sites.”
It offers an academically informed tour of sites in the Holy Land, accompanied by a process that will equip participants to share what they learn with others.
Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, who served in the Holy Land for the last six years, explains the challenges, exacerbated due to the pandemic, that Christians face there.
“When you couldn’t go anywhere else – churches were closed, even playgrounds were cordoned off – you could still walk in the woods. So we did, religiously.”
