Around forty girls in school uniform approach the church curiously, peering in through the door and watching the archaeological excavations going on outside, enchanted by the huge ancient olive trees in the garden. They’re excited about this unusual trip, which will allow them to visit the Church of Gethsemane for the first time: even though […]

Thanks to our collaboration with the Fondazione Onlus San Zeno in Verona, ATS Pro Terra Sancta can promote and take part in educational activities at the Terra Santa College, a Franciscan school in Bethlehem. ATS pro Terra Sancta is in fact supporting 50 of the school’s students, between the ages of 10 and 17, who […]

Today, the 4th of October, the High Mass in the Latin parish of San Salvatore in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, whose charisma has resided in the Holy Land for eight centuries. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “Saint Francis was an alter Christus, a living icon of […]

Partecipation in the testimony meeting held last Saturday 22 September at the Sala della Gran Guardia in the town of Rovigo was wide and interested. The meeting coordinated by Barbara Osti, who has already volunteered for ATS in Jerusalem, included special guests father Feras Hejazin, the parish priest of Jerusalem, and two young girls from […]

The digital edition of the magazine The Holy Land, and its sister Italian-language version Terrasanta, has now come to iPad. These are aimed at all those who wish to deepen their understanding of the cultural and spiritual aspects of the Holy Land, and offer articles on the Bible, current events, ecumenism, culture and inter-religious dialogue. […]

The works to clean and restore the splendid mosaics in the Church of Gethsemane are continuing, supported by the Italian Consulate General in Jerusalem. Following the works carried out on the first two domes in the left aisle, efforts are now focused on the mosaics in the third dome. Each day the five youths involved […]

The nine volunteers from Trento who’ve come to support the work of the Custody of the Holy Land’s technical office are – at between the ages of 21 and 32 – all very young. While the girls arrange the books on the shelves of the library of Saint Saviour’s new premises, the boys take care […]

Christmas is still far away, but ATS pro Terra Sancta has already begun preparing the fundraising campaign that this year once again will be dedicated to supporting social programs in Bethlehem. In this context we begin with a suggestion directed to companies and employers: to replace their traditional company gifts with a gesture of solidarity […]

A marked success for the small town of Crespellano (Italy), where this past Saturday the exhibition “Sabastiya, the Fruits of History and the Memory of John the Baptist” was inaugurated in the fifteenth century Church of San Rocco (on Via Marconi), with the church initially being illuminated entirely by candlelight. Officiating at the inauguration and […]

Federica worked for the project “Telling the Story of the Holy Land” while Claudio worked as part of “Books, Bridges of Peace“: here are the experiences of two young volunteers who came to Jerusalem over the summer to work in support of ATS pro Terra Sancta. “I have a degree in archaeology and I’m in […]

Cristina, who is just over twenty years old, spent a month with small children in Bethlehem, helping the sisters at the Antonian Charitable Society crèche and the Hogar Niño Dios, who run a home for disabled children. These are the same kids that ATS pro Terra Sancta helps as part of the project “Bethlehem and […]

On Thursday 4th October 2012 a duet piano concert organised by Don Massimiliano, a dear friend of pro Terra Sancta, will take place inside his parish church of Saint Giovanna Antida in Rome. The proceeds will go towards the ATS pro Terra Sancta project called “Jerusalem, Stones of Memory“, a project which aims to safeguard […]

These are the words that Pope Benedict XVI pronounced yesterday, 16th October, during the homily of the Holy Mass, in front of the main square crowded with people in the Lebanese capital. “It is an imperative task of the Church to serve and of Christians to be true servants in the image of Jesus. Service […]

Benedict XVI arrived 14 September in the country of the Cedars (www.terrasanta.net). The purpose of the visit, in addition to the strengthen of the relations between Holy See and Lebanon, is the the post-synodal apostolic exhortation delivery, particularly addressed to the Christians in the Middle East where for the ‘’Exhortation is intended as a roadmap […]

“Jerusalem, Holy City. So much Beloved by God as divided by men”: this is the title of the meeting held in Rovigo on September 22nd, at 4:30 pm, in the Gran Guardia room (Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II). The meeting was strongly desired by both the dioceses of Rovigo’s municipality. ‘’It will be an account meeting’’ […]

For the music school in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, which ATS continues to support with the project “Magnificat – Music in the Holy City“, Tuesday 4th September was an important day. The Custodian of the Holy Land Fr Pierbattista Pizzaballa officially opened the institute’s new premises in the convent of San […]

Even in the Holy Land the first day of school is finally arrived like every year.  In fact, the lessons are started again for the 1020 students of the institute “Terra Sancta College” of Bethlehem, school run by the Franciscan friars of the custody of the holy land. The return to the school activities is […]

Pope Benedict XVI, after having asked the faithful to pray for his forthcoming journey to Lebanon, closed Wednesday’s General Audience with these words: “I urge all Christians in the Middle East, whether they are recent arrivals or belong to the region´s ancient communities, to help to build peace and reconciliation. I ask God to strengthen […]

Today, Friday 14 September the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Lebanon will begin. These are the words spoken by the Holy Father on Sunday at the conclusion of the traditional recitation of the Angelus: “I will have the happy opportunity to meet the Lebanese people and their authorities, in addition to the Christians in […]

After have been presented at the Catholic University of Milan, the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence and the Loggia del Capitaniato in Vicenza, the exhibition “Sabastiya, the fruits of history and the memory of John the Baptist” is coming to “tiny” Crespellano, organized by the Parish of San Savino and hosted, from the 15th to […]