Pastoral activity
The Franciscans carry out their pastoral activity in 29 parishes and in many churches, chapels and oratories. In this regard, it should be remembered that the Custody cares for the three largest parishes of the Holy Land: Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. The Friars also have a deeply rooted presence in parishes in Syria and Lebanon, in the large metropolitan areas and in the smallest villages.
The Arab parishes are, therefore, one of the greatest commitments of the Custody of the Holy Land. The activities that take place in these Arab-speaking communities are similar, on the whole, to those of any other parish: catechesis, the celebration of the sacraments, the guidance of young people, the Secular Franciscan Order, associations, religious movements, moments of encounter and listening, animation, spiritual direction and supportive social activities. The Franciscan parishes were founded to help the Latin-rite faithful who live in the region, and, for several centuries, the Friars were the only pastors of souls available to these members of the faithful.
Next to the firmly rooted and age-old pastoral care of the Christian-Arab faithful in the region, two new challenges have emerged in recent years. The Custody has responded to them by deploying new energies. We are referring to the situation of the Catholic Hebrew-speaking faithful and of the immigrant faithful from various places. The Qehillah, the Catholic Hebrew-speaking community, consists mainly of Jews who have converted to the Catholic faith. Preserving their Hebrew roots, they see in the Catholic Church the fulfillment of their spiritual development. There are others, in addition, who are not Jewish, but who speak Hebrew because they live in an Israeli milieu. The Custody is committed to these members of the faithful and has opened a house for them in the new city of Jerusalem, named after Sts. Simeon and Anna. The liturgy is celebrated there in Hebrew and there are prayers and catechesis, youth activities and spiritual meetings with families. The community's activity is marked by encounter and dialogue. In the city of Jaffa, the Custody is also committed to this approach.
Option for the poor
Pilgrims who go to the Holy Land meet the Franciscans almost exclusively at the shrines and perhaps are not always aware of their presence in the pastoral sector, let alone their work for the poorest social classes of the population, Christian and non-Christian. In fact, in addition to the Custody and the animation of the shrines, the pastoral service of the Franciscans is extensive and demanding.
The Custody established and has supported for several centuries the "Work of housing and rented accommodation,” in order to help the poorest people, contributing to the solution of the fundamental housing problem. In the special conditions of the Holy Land, the work aims to strengthen the Christian communities in the holy places. The special political situation created by the Arab-Israeli conflict has produced a substantial exodus of the local Arab-Christian population. In Jerusalem alone, the Custody is currently letting about 350 apartments for which the tenants pay a sum proportionate to their income, but in any case lower than the normal rent. Other accommodations are rented by the Custody which offers them free of charge to the poor.
In addition, the Franciscans have built several apartments in Bet Hannina, Jerusalem, which they let to Christian families which pay a third of the normal rental. On the same front, the Friars are also involved with numerous problems in Bethlehem and Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. In this context, the Custody has always been committed to preserving, not only the shrines in the physical sense of the word, but also the "living stones" of the Holy Land – in other words, the local Christian communities.
The formation of youth
One activity which shows that the Custody is open to the option for the poor and, at the same time, to the cultural formation of young Christians, is the provision of scholarships. These are awarded to qualified young people of both sexes who intend to continue their further educations at university institutes. Faithful to its past, when it was involved in the sector of pedagogical activities, the Custody still has schools and colleges available that are open to all young people, regardless of their religions, nationalities or races. The different social and political conditions of the vast area under the Custody's jurisdiction determine their different distribution from nation to nation. The students' educational opportunities are often very tenuous; many belong to local families and are accepted free of charge, even for advanced courses subsequent to obligatory schooling.
Yet, despite the problems, the Custody has remained faithful to the option for the poor, in harmony, moreover, with its tradition. These schools are located in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus and Lebanon; in all about 10,000 students attend them. They include Catholics (Latin, Greek, Armenian, Syrian, Copt, Maronite, Chaldean), non-Catholics and non-Christians. The presence of various Christian and non-Christian denominations shows how much work there is to be done, and what a great commitment the Custody is required to make to activities both of evangelization and of the "new evangelization."
The activity of the "Magnificat" Institute is also worthy of note. It was founded in 1995 to train musical experts in playing and singing for the shrines and churches of the Holy Land. It immediately proved to be a way of bringing people together of different backgrounds: Indeed, the students and teachers include Jews, Muslims and Christians of all denominations, who are bound by the same passion for music and song.
A service for pilgrims
One of the fields in which the Custody has always been involved is the spiritual animation of pilgrims from around the world. Many religious are involved in welcoming the different groups and serving as guides. Furthermore, in order to offer pilgrims the very best hospitality, the Custody has continued its traditional activity of "Casa Nova." These centers, which offer board and lodging, exist in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Tiberias and Mount Tabor. They have been duly modernized and made more and more comfortable.
Lastly, the Custody, itself, organizes pilgrimages from all over the world, assuring a satisfactory and well-qualified spiritual assistance, as well as the best possible organization. For pilgrims especially interested in strong experiences of prayer and moments of reflection, the Shrine of the Agony in the Garden of Olives affords them an opportunity to spend a period in the "Hermitage of Gethsemane." A similar service is also offered by the recently restored Shrine of St. John of the Desert at Ain Karem; here, not only Catholic pilgrims converge, but also Orthodox pilgrims of various rites. It is also worth mentioning that there is a steady stream of Israeli visitors, especially to the Shrines of Ain Karem and Mount Tabor.
Work carried out in the holy places by the Custody of the Holy Land:
-Jerusalem. Gethsemane Monastery. Repairs to the Garden of Olives adjoining the shrine; new telephone system; repairs to the Hermitage.
-Jerusalem. Dominus Flevit. Repairs and enlargements in the monastery; installation of a new telephone system.
-Jerusalem. Flagellation. General cleaning of the monastery courtyard and renovation of the rooms; installation of a new telephone system.
-Ain Karem. Shrine of the Visitation. Rebuilding of the bell tower.
-Ain Karem. Shrine of St. John in the Desert. Re-ordering of the access route and new bathroom/plumbing system.
-Emmaus. Improvements to the monastery and fencing off the adjoining land.
-Ramie. Improvements to the monastery; enlargement of the parish cemetery with 70 new places.
-Jaffa. Church of St. Peter. Repairs to the facades of the church and the monastery, and to the roof and bell tower (work in progress).
-Bethlehem, the Milk Grotto. A new chapel for the pilgrims with different rooms for the celebrations of holy Masses (work in progress).
-Galilee, Capernaum. Restoration of the chapel and the monastery.
-Galilee, Tiberias. Church of St. Peter. Repairs to the church roof.
-Galilee, Tabgha. Primacy of St. Peter. Work on the monastery: garden and guestrooms.
Other work carried out during 2005 by the Custody of the Holy Land:
-Bethlehem. Housing projects. Termination of section C of the project: 12 apartments of 130 square meters each. Work has begun on section D: 12 more apartments of the same size are planned.
-Bethlehem. Catholic Action. Work on the new three-story headquarters has begun: on the ground floor, a parking area; on the first floor, a multipurpose hall; and on the second floor, a sports room with a capacity of 450.
-Bethlehem. Holy Land Girls School. Work on the enlargement of the building has begun for the creation of a laboratory; the school is attended by almost 1,000 students.
-Bethlehem. Creation of a center for families in difficulty.
-Beit Sahur, Shepherds' Field. The boundary wall is currently being repaired.
-Jerusalem, St. Saviour's Parish. Restructuring of the parish offices and the hall for parish activities in the old town.
-Jerusalem, parish. Creation of a sport activities hall for the youth of the Old Town, and support for the Beit Hanina sports club. Support for the summer camps in the Old Town and in Beit Hanina, as well as for the scouting movement.
-Jerusalem. Holy Land Girls School. New heating system and new computers.
-Jerusalem, the Custody's Infirmary. Renovation of the whole nursing system for elderly and sick friars, with the inclusion in the service of young nurses and assistants.
-Jerusalem. Housing project – Bethphage. Building has begun on 70 new apartments in Jerusalem, in addition to the existing 87 apartments outside the walls and 392 within the walls.
-Ain Karem, Holy Land Lodge. General restructuring of the building in order to house pilgrims, reflection groups and spiritual retreats.
-Jaffa, Secondary School. Renovation of the whole school, which is attended by 250 students.
-Jericho. Restoration of the parish office.
-Nazareth. Rest Home for the Elderly. Modernization of one section with partial help from the national insurance to house 40 more people.
-Scholarships. Three hundred students at universities in the Middle East are supported by the Custody. Fifty scholarships are awarded to clergy who come from all over the world to specialize at the Faculty of Biblical Sciences and Archaeology.
-Support. Distance adoption through the "Franciscan Foundation of the Holy Land"; many students are exempted from educational fees.
