Father Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the custos (Franciscan provincial) of the Holy Land, highlighted the importance of the international Good Friday collection for the Church there.
“Many Christian families, who lived thanks to pilgrimages, now struggle to support themselves,” Father Ielpo wrote on February 18. “Young people find it increasingly difficult to imagine a future here, in their own land … On Good Friday, as we contemplate the Crucified Christ, we ask you not to forget the Holy Land.”