Good Friday Collection in solidarity with Church in Holy Land
(Vatican Radio) Parishes around the world this week will be taking up the traditional
annual Good Friday Collection for the Church in the Holy Land.The proceeds from the
Good Friday Collection go to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. The Franciscans
have been caring for the holy sites there since 1209. They also assist the poor, run
schools, provide scholarships, and conduct pastoral ministries to keep Christianity
alive in the land where it originated.
In his appeal to Catholics to donate
generously this Good Friday, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation
for Eastern Churches, said “The Collection is still today the principal source which
sustains the life and works of the region’s Christians.”
Cardinal Sandri described
the current situation in the region, particularly the conflict in Syria, tensions
in Egypt and between Israel and Palestine as “truly precarious.”
“Every
day the Christians in various regions of the Middle East ask themselves whether they
should remain or emigrate,” he noted. “They live in danger and often suffer violence
only for the fact of professing the faith common to them and us.” The Collection
helps Christians of many different denominations remain in the region as living witnesses
to Christ.
A quick look at these Franciscan websites gives an idea about the
kinds of services the Good Friday Collection helps provide: www.myfranciscan.org
or www.custodia.org.
Social & Charitable Activities In order to assist
Christians to remain in the Holy Land, including the poor and young couples, the Franciscan
Custody has built more than a thousand residential units in multiple locations – Bethlehem,
Bethphage and Nazareth. In the Old City of Jerusalem about 80 homes have been rehabilitated
for Christian families. Senior Care facilities have been built in Bethlehem and Nazareth.
Medical assistance is provided for the needy.
Educational & Scientific Activities
To
help over 10,000 pre-K through grade 12 students, the Franciscans operate and support
schools open to all, regardless of religion or nationality. Muslim and Christian students,
teachers and families get to know each other and live in harmony. University scholarships
for 360 students prepare them to get jobs and remain in the Holy Land as part of living
Catholic communities. Some 120 young men are preparing to be priests or brothers.
Still others are pursuing advanced degrees in Biblical Studies and Archaeology and
Theology. Franciscan archaeologists pursue ongoing research at the Holy Places including
the new projects at Magdala, the home of St. Mary Magdalene.
Pastoral Activities
The
Franciscans provide pastoral care in 29 parishes in the Holy Land offering Worship,
Christian Formation, youth and family programs and new parish centers in Jericho and
Cana.
Liturgical, Ecumenical and Communications Programs
The
Franciscan Media Center tells the story of the Holy Land through multimedia distributed
throughout the world in more than seven languages. The friars organize Liturgical
Celebrations for the local Christians and Pilgrims and share with other Christian
communities in the Holy Land in ongoing Ecumenical cooperation.