Fr. Ibrahin Alsabagh is Parish Priest in Aleppo. Born in Damascus, he completed his studies in Rome, after which he returned to Syria to be with his people. In a recent telephone conversation we asked him to tell us what it means to live out the faith in a place like Aleppo which is devastated […]
On Thursday 2 July the summer camp held at Catholic Action in Bethlehem came to an end. The camp was financed by the Italian Episcopal Conference, through its Committee for charitable activities in favor of third-world countries , as part of a project to support the weakest elements of society in Bethlehem: women, young people […]
In a communique published yesterday by the Custody of the Holy Land, the good news of the release of Fr. Dhiya Azziz: The Custody of the Holy Land announced that the Fr. Dhiya Azziz has been liberated. The Custody had had no news of the Fr. Dihya since Saturday, July 4, in the late afternoon. Conflicting news had […]
It was spread yesterday by the Custody of the Holy Land a communique stating that a friar is disappeared in Syria: During the late afternoon of Saturday 4 July, we lost the contact with Father Dhiya Aziz, an Iraqi Franciscan of the Custody of the Holy Land, parish priest at Yacoubieh (Province of Idlib, district of […]
Matilde Tibuzzi, ceramist and teacher of ceramics (here is her blog, in Italian) tells us about her experience at Nursf Jebeil in connection with the ceramics course organized by the Mosaic Centre of Jericho, in collaboration with Association pro Terra Sancta and thanks to financing provided by the Fondation Assistance Internationale di Lugano (FAI). Her participation occurred […]
“We have recently started a summer camp for the children of Aleppo. Initially there were 50 and then, in just a little while, it was up to 120 attending!” says Father Ibrahim, friar of the Custody of the Holy Land and Parish of Aleppo. A courageous initiative, which has brought a festive spirit and joy […]
On Tuesday 9th June there was the first visit to the Dominus Flevit by some girls from the At-Tur Girls School, at the Mount of Olives. Fifteen 11-year-old girls visited this place, with two of their teachers and Osama Hamdan, supervisor of the activities for the Mosaic Centre and for the Association pro Terra Sancta. […]
Maurizio and Valentina wanted their wedding to be a donation for those who need it most. They got married by the Franciscan friars in front of a big crowd,and they asked their guests to show generosity in order to share providence with those most in need. That’s why they chose to create a very special […]
This month Association pro Terra Sancta launches the initiative “Personality of the Month”: each month we will introduce you to a person living in the Holy Land, in order to bring you even closer to the living stones and let you breathe in the reality of these Holy Places. The inaugural one is Naila Nasser, […]
A mere two steps away from the Bethlehem checkpoint, there is a place that represents hope and newfound tranquillity for many people. These people find themselves living on their own in their old age, experiencing many difficulties to access care and without the financial means to face their daily needs. It’s the day Antonian Charitable […]
A few days ago, at the Museum of the Shroud of Turin, an exhibition began of four small objects: a Herodian lamp and three unguentaria (ointment bottles) dating from the first century AD, now part of the collections of the Museum of the Shroud of Turin and the Museum of Oriental Art. The exhibition began […]
At the center of Palestine, a few kilometers from the town of Sabastiya, stands the village of Nursf Jebeil: nearly 300 inhabitants, with a predominantly agricultural economy, the village has a historic relationship with the town of Sabastiya and with the Christian tradition linked to John the Baptist, and is the site of a small […]
Founded in 2001, the preschool of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena is located in a privileged place: just a few hundred meters from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem! Today the building is home to more than 40 little boys and girls, ranging in age from three and a half months […]
Located along the boundary between the Christian and Muslim quarters, within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, the building known as “Herro” faces onto the Arab souk, above the remnants of the ancient Roman Cardo Maximus that divided ancient Jerusalem in two, on a north-south axis. The complex, owned by the Custody of […]
These are the words spoken by Pope Francis at the Urbi et Orbi message of April 5th and of the Regina Coeli of April 6th 2015. “We ask Jesus, the Victor over death, to lighten the sufferings of our many brothers and sisters who are persecuted for his name, and of all those who suffer injustice as […]
Father Sergio Galdi, Secretary of the Holy Land and of the Association pro Terra Sancta, during a recent visit to our offices, spoke of the commitment of the Franciscan friars to their benefactors, that is, those who have chosen to support the work of the Franciscans in the lands that witnessed the birth of Christianity. […]
DEAR PRO TERRA SANCTA FRIEND, Association pro Terra Sancta wishes you a blessed Easter filled with joy and peace. We remind everybody of the “Collection for the Holy Land”, traditionally made on Good Friday to support the Places of Jesus. You too can take part in the mission the Franciscans have undertaken in the Holy Land for […]
The Chapel of the Finding of the Cross, located below the Chapel of Saint Helena, is the deepest point at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where, according to tradition, Empress Helena found the cross of Christ, together with the nails and the titulus, the inscription showing the conviction in three languages. Now a new […]
On Tuesday, June 9 , the first visit to Dominus Flevit by a class of girls from the At-tur girls schools, on the Mount of Olives, took place. 15 eleven-year-old girls, accompanied by two teachers, visited this place together with Osama Hamdan, supervisor of activities for the Mosaic Centre and for the Association pro Terra […]