This morning, on July 17 at 10:20 a.m., the Holy Family Parish in Gaza—the only Catholic church in the entire Strip—was struck by an Israeli shell.With sadness, we report that the attack caused injuries and three deaths. The victims were Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh and Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad. Among the wounded is the parish priest, [...]
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news,” (Is. 52,7) Declaration of the Catholic Ordinaries on the Ceasefire in Gaza The Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land welcome the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza, which aims to end the hostilities in Gaza, return the Israeli hostages and [...]
To all the friars of the Custody Dear Brothers, May the Lord give you peace! As His Most Eminent Beatitude, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, our brother and Patriarch, reminded us, we are living in very difficult times, in which it is particularly important to pray for peace. assumption-englishDownload I seem to see a hopeful sign in the [...]
On July 6, the twins George and Johnny Jallouf, friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, were ordained priests in Aleppo, Syria. Brothers by blood, in their vocation as Franciscan Friars, and now in the priesthood as well. On Saturday, July 6, in their home city of Aleppo, Syria, George and Johnny Jallouf, of the Custody [...]
Every year, the Franciscans of the Holy Land make a weekly Lenten pilgrimage to the shrines in Jerusalem commemorating the Passion of Jesus. Today, the second pilgrimage took place at Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives. Gethsemane includes three sanctuaries cared for by the Franciscans, referring to the events happening on the night Jesus was betrayed: the [...]