Eight hundred years ago, the Roman Catholic Church entrusted guardianship of the Holy Land to the Franciscans, creating what is now known as the Custody of the Holy Land. The friars’ mission is to support the Holy Land, its people, and its holy sites. Their work includes maintaining the sacred shrines, welcoming pilgrims, operating schools, providing social programs, and serving parishes in the Holy Land.

The Franciscan Monastery in Washington, DC sustains the Franciscan’s Holy Land mission. Friars organize pilgrimages, foster vocations, and educate visitors about the Holy Land, where the Christian presence is threatened by conflict and by a lack of employment and education opportunities. The Monastery’s beautiful grounds feature full-size replicas of Holy Land shrines to help visitors, especially those who cannot travel, experience the biblical places.

Your gift to the Franciscan Monastery’s Annual Mass and Benefit Dinner supports the mission of our friars here and in the Holy Land.

Thank you for your support!

For more information, please contact 202.526.6800 or development@myfranciscan.com.