An update from the friars in the Holy Land

We are grateful for the iron dome that protects our cities. But the last 12 days war with Iran scared us as their missiles and drones penetrated the air space of crowded cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa, destroying buildings, killing around 30 and injuring 3,200 people. A hospital in Beersheba was hit by a big bomb right after the patients were transferred to a safe ward. We are relieved that in the 12 days war with Iran, we here in Nazareth got only warnings two to three times a day and heard bomb explosions far from us. We continue to pray for God’s protection for our people and our shrines. 

I am assigned to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, a major shrine of the Holy Land where the Angel Gabriel declared to Mary that she would become the mother of our Savior. Recognized as a house of Mary, we maintain the prayerfulness of this place for pilgrims to pray, to celebrate the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation in their own language, and to admire the artwork presenting Mary in the cultures of different nations. We also maintain the Church Shrine of St. Joseph, his house where the Holy Family lived and where Jesus grew up. 

The Basilica of the Annunciation is situated within the Galilean region of Israel. The friaries within this territory with its shrines are bonded together as one regional entity of the Custody of the Holy Land. This region is blessed the with 24 friars, priests and lay brothers, from different countries. A couple of them came from the region of Galilee. The diversity is amazing. They are 12 friars from 11 countries. With two Argentinians, the rest came from Poland, Ghana, Syria, Egypt, India, Japan, Brazil, USA, Indonesia and the Philippines.  

Other friaries belonging to this region are Cana (with 3 friars), Mount Tabor (3), Tabgha - Primacy of Peter and Capernaum (4), Magdalla and Mujeidin with one friar each attached to Nazareth. In this region, religious sisters collaborate with the friars in their work. 

The friars in other regions (Jaffa, Judea, Samaria) and other countries (Jordan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria) under the Custody are mostly foreigners from countries like Iraq, Lebanon, Cyprus, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Jordan, China, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Germany, Croatia, Nigeria, Madagascar and other nationalities.  Most of the friars speak Italian, the common language of the Custody, and little English or French. While many friars’ native tongue is Arabic, many friars learn it as part of their studies together with Hebrew and Greek. 

The population of Israel speaks Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and English. The liturgy in most parishes is in Arabic/Hebrew while big feasts and Custodial celebrations are in multiple languages. In Nazareth, the Mass in the parish is in Arabic and in Italian at the grotto of the Annunciation during the week and Sunday Mass at St. Joseph. The migrant communities are celebrating Mass in Filipino, English, Eritrean, Ukrainian, Russian, Sri Lankan and two Indian languages.  

On June 24, the feast of St. John the Baptist, the Vatican approved the nomination of the new Custos of the Holy Land: Friar Francesco Ielpo, OFM, from Italy. The Custodial Chapter scheduled for July 1 is transferred to July 27, 2025 due to the war. 

Take action for peace 

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows more dire each day. The United Nations reports that Gaza’s population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition, resulting in starvation and death. 

After a recent visit to Gaza with Patriarch Theophilos III of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, shared his reaction to the human suffering within the midst of the devastation, saying: 

“Humanitarian aid is not only necessary — it is a matter of life and death. Refusing it is not a delay, but a sentence. Every hour without food, water, medicine and shelter causes deep harm.  

“We have seen it: Men holding out in the sun for hours in the hope of a simple meal. This is a humiliation that is hard to bear when you see it with your own eyes. It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.” 

The Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe join him in echoing Pope Leo XIV’s call for an end to violence and release of hostages: 

“I renew my appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and to respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of the population.”  

We call on people of goodwill to help end the suffering in the following ways: 

• Prayer – We continue to pray for peace. As Br. Francesco Patton, OFM, former Custos of the Holy Land, said in an appeal for peace in June, “Prayer is the only weapon we are permitted to use. It is a weapon that causes no destruction, no death and no bloodshed. Instead, it fosters goodness in human hearts.” 
  

• Advocacy – Contact your representatives and ask them to support full, unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza and an immediate halt to the bombardment of civilians. 
  

• Education – Learn how Catholic and Christian communities in the Holy Land are responding to the challenges of life under occupation and conflict in a three-part webinar from Churches for Middle East Peace. The webinar highlights how faith-based institutions are providing critical support and shares stories from the front line of humanitarian and justice efforts.