Custody of the Holy Land

We are a fraternity of the Order of Friars Minor living in the Holy Land, who preserve, study and render the places where the Christian faith originated welcoming and proclaim the marvels of the love of the Highest Almighty and Good Lord who for our sake took on our humanity for the salvation of all people. We belong to a religious Order in the Catholic Church, the Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans. Drawn by the love of the poor and crucified Christ, our founder, Saint Francis of Assisi, went to the Middle East at the beginning of the 13th century, in order to touch the places which, up to our day, offer an irreplaceable testimony to Gods revelation and to Gods love for the human person. During his pilgrimage, and despite the Crusades, Saint Francis encountered and dialogued with the sultan Melek al-Kamel, who was governing the Holy Land at the time. It was a peaceful encounter, which marked the beginning of the Franciscans presence in the Holy Land and also influenced the way ...