Official start for the ATS Pro Terra Sancta project in Gaza: ATS Pro Terra Sancta will continue helping the Christians in Gaza by supporting the disabled people- Christians and Muslims- in Gaza. “Gaza emergency- we are taking charge”- the project will support two facilities recently founded within the Christian community on the Gaza Strip to […]

The numerous activities of the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land in the Holy Land, implemented with the help of ATS Pro Terra Sancta, can only be realized through generous donations and the important assistance of volunteers from all over the world. We are looking for qualified volunteers with a variety of […]

Conclusion cum laude for the ten participants of the first course for tourist guides organized in Sebastia by ATS Pro Terra Sancta in cooperation with the Municipality of Sebastia and the Mosaic Centre Jericho. Two women and eight men of the town of Sebastia, where ATS Pro Terra Sancta has been present for several years […]

The activities of the Custody of the Holy Land and the support provided by ATS Pro Terra Sancta to the elderly people of Bethlehem will continue thanks to the generous contributions of Italian and Spanish donors. The project, which will provide financial assistance to a home for elderly people in Bethlehem, started again on the […]

Jellies, soaps, little mosaics: handicraft products prepared by the women of Sebastia through the ATS Pro Terra Sancta project are now being sold in the center of the city. The professional training of the local community, and in particular of the women of the city of Sebastia, is part of the project of ATS Pro […]

The Gaza Strip The Gaza strip is around 40km in length and 10km in width.  This coastal area of land is home to around 1.5 million Arab Palestinians, of which around half are minors.  Around two thirds of the population are refugees, forced to abandon their homes following the wars of 1948 and 1967 and […]

Thank you for your support and constant interest in the projects and activities of the Custody of the Holy Land that are realized for the Christians in the Holy Land. The projects implemented by the Custody of the Holy Land focus on several areas of activity: Christian Holy Places, Christian parishes and Christian schools, social […]

“In my thoughts and prayers, I am especially mindful of the many priests and religious in the Middle East who are currently experiencing a particular call to conform their lives to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross. Through the difficulties facing their communities as a result of the conflicts and tensions of the region, many […]

Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa ofm has been reelected Custos of the Holy Land for the next three years! The Custos of the Holy Land is at the same time de jure the head of ATS Pro Terra Sancta. In a letter of Saturday 22nd May 2010, the Very Reverend Father Francesco Bravi ofm Visitor General communicates […]

Pope Benedict XVI will visit Cyprus from the 4th to the 6th of June In 1219 the boat carrying Francis of Assisi towards Damietta (Egypt) reached the coast of the island of Cyprus, that the Pope will soon visit. Legend has is that he left two friars on the island of Cyprus. In a country […]

Sebastia Heritage day has been a success, more than 100 people attended the event in the Holy Land of Sebastia. The money collected will allow us to continue to preserve part of the huge Palestinian cultural heritage, which is part of the Holy Land thanks to you and to the active involvement of the local community!Thanks a lot […]

A guided visit through the Archeological Park, the Mosque, the Tomb of John the Baptist, the Roman Tomb and the Medieval remains in the village of Sebastia, Holy Land, and a traditional Palestinian dinner: one day in Sebastia in order to discover the ancient Samaria, which is part of the Holy Land, and the cultural […]

I lift up my eyes to the mountains; where is my help to come from? My help comes from Yahweh who made heaven and earth. May he save your foot from stumbling; may he, your guardian, not fall asleep! You see*he neither sleeps nor slumbers, the guardian of Israel. Yahweh is your guardian, your shade, […]

Learn more about our project in support of Bethlehem’s children, suffering from hardship due to the Middle East conflict. Growing old, where poverty reigns, the native town of Jesus Christ can be quite a lonesome place. The relief organization of the Franciscans in the Holy Land supports a project for elderly people in Bethlehem, that […]

How your donations are being spent on school scholarships in the Holy Land, the refurbishment of school buildings in the Holy Land, teacher training in the Holy Land and supporting pupils from Holy Land families where there is financial hardship. Schools – an important area for the Church in the Holy Land. A visit to […]