As followers of Jesus, we have a connection to the Holy Land where the Gospel stories unfolded. Since the time of St Paul, who urged his missionary Churches not to forget the needs of the Church in Jerusalem, Christians worldwide have understood the responsibility to support the land where Jesus walked and how important it is for Christians to continue to live, work and pray in the Holy Land.

A donation to the Holy Father’s annual appeal is a direct way to make a difference in the lives of those caught up in war, violence and instability in this region.
In 2019, the Pontifical Good Friday Collection:

• supported 29 parishes, 4 homes for orphans, three academic institutions;
• helped keep schools open for over 10,000 pre-K through to grade 12 students;
• supported 120 men preparing to be priests or brothers;
• helped rehabilitate 80 homes for Christian families;
• provided senior care facilities in Bethlehem and Nazareth;
• created 1600 jobs in the Holy Land for Christians; and
• preserved 54 shrines connected with the life of Jesus and the prophets.

To donate, please contact your local parish or click here.

To read how the collection is used click here.

At the request of the Holy Father, the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land promote the Pontifical Good Friday Collection in the Untied States and other parts of the world. Funds are distributed at the direction of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Oriental Churches. A portion of funds are directly allocated to educational and ecclesial projects in the Middle East. The rest of the funds collected in the Untied States and a number of other countries support ministries and programs entrusted by the Holy See to the Holy Land Franciscans. The Franciscans have served in the Holy Land for 800 years.

The Pontifical Good Friday collection is auspiced by the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America. The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America is part of a worldwide network of Commissariats of the Holy Land, which function as bridges between the Holy Land and Christians all over the world. The Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C., coordinates this vital support for the work of the Franciscans who work in the Holy Land.

For more information go to: https://myfranciscan.org/good-friday/