The Church in the Holy Land is celebrating the canonisation of the eleven martyrs of Damascus. This weekend, the Franciscan community and the Maronite Catholic community gathered in prayer of thanksgiving for this gift of holiness.

On a day permeated with hope and light, despite the difficult humanitarian conditions imposed by the serious war in Gaza, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M., Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a solemn Mass on 26 October at the shrine of Deir Rafat. The celebration, in honour of the feast of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady Queen of Palestine, invoked her intercession. This feast brought with it a message of firmness and supplication. It offered a ray of hope in the face of the painful reality afflicting the Holy Land. Political obstacles and security restrictions prevented many Christians from participating in the Holy Mass, which they awaited as spiritual nourishment for their souls.

The martyrs of Damascus: being holy in the Middle East today; World Mission Day: ‘Go and invite everyone to the Banquet’; When one million children pray the Rosary, the world is changed; The Shrine of the Shepherds' Field in Beit Sahour is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

On 17 October, the Custody of the Holy Land, represented by Father Ibrahim Faltas, the Custodial Vicar, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Hani Al-Hayek, and the European Union Representative in the West Bank and Gaza, Ambassador Alexandre Stutzmann, participated in a special meeting. The meeting was within the framework of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities‘ plan to support the restoration of the outer courtyards of the ten new chapels project in the Shepherds’ Field area in Beit Sahour. This initiative aims to develop religious sites with the goal of attracting more pilgrims and visitors. These sites represent a spiritual and historical heritage for the region.

On Sunday, 20 October, in St Peter's Square, the Pope canonised St Emanuel Ruiz and companions, martyrs of Damascus. They were eight Friars Minor, seven Spanish and one Austrian, and three lay people, blood brothers and Maronite Catholics. Being ‘creative in love and persevering in trials’, Pope Francis said in his homily, ‘this is the heart of holiness’, even today, in a Middle East in flames.

On 19 October, at St Stephen's Church in Jerusalem, a Prayer Vigil was held on the occasion of World Mission Day 2024, with the theme: ‘Go and invite everyone to the Banquet’.

At a time when the hearts of the children of Gaza are suffering under the weight of war and its pain, the voices of a million children around the world have joined together. Together in response to the call of His Holiness Pope Francis and the worldwide initiative the mission of Aid to the Church in Need, they prayed the Holy Rosary together for peace. Around 300 children from the Holy Land School gathered in the Holy City of Jerusalem. To raise their prayers and supplications for a just and global peace in their land and throughout the world. Their prayers mingled with tears of hope as they touched hearts seeking mercy and peace. It is a message to spread love and solidarity towards every child who suffers, and every little heart in which fear and hope beat together.

From Lebanon Brother Toufic Mehri of the Custody of the Holy Land, bears witness to the power of faith; Celebration of the Feast of Congregations (Yom HaKhelot) and the beginning of the Year of Hope; The effects of the war on the tourist sector in the Holy Land; A music festival in Rhodes to honour St Francis; The last farewell to Shibly, who loved God and the Church.

The friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, together with friends and faithful, gathered around the family of Shibly Abu Sada for a final farewell to what was one of the Custody's historical collaborators.

After the bombings in southern Lebanon, the Franciscan community of the Convent of St. Anthony moved to Beirut to put themselves at the service of the people.

In 1219, St. Francis arrived in Acre with the Crusades that departed from the European continent to the Middle East, but he arrived in a spirit of love, tolerance and peace. He met with the Sultan who ruled at that time, the Sultan Al-Kamil, who gave St Francis permission to visit the Holy Land and its churches existing at that time, and he arrived here, in Jerusalem, then left Jerusalem for Bethlehem, and returned to his home in Assisi. But he left behind him a small group of Franciscan friars, the Friars Minor, to establish the first nucleus of the Franciscan presence in the Holy Land, that nucleus grew, and their numbers in the Holy Land increased, and from here, from Jerusalem they left for other cities and also to other countries, so they also arrived in Syria, precisely in Damascus. Let us go together from here, from Jerusalem to Damascus.

The Patriarchal Vicariate of the Hebrew-speaking Catholic community celebrated the Feast of Communities (Yom HaKhilot) and the beginning of the Year of Hope, on the Jewish New Year. The meeting focused on the lost hope in the midst of the war in the Holy Land.

The Israeli Ministry of Tourism has published figures that shed light on the effects of the war on the tourism sector. Ambassador Peleg Lewi, advisor to the Israeli Minister of Tourism, was a guest speaker at the Christian Media Center.

From 1 to 5 October, the ‘Organ and Music Festival Rhodes’ took place in the Church of St Francis.

The world in prayer for peace!; The reliquary of the martyrs of Damascus: the work of the artist from Bethlehem: Yousef Zogbi; Inauguration of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology at Beit Jala Seminary; A Witness of Faith from the Land of Good News and Christmas;

Supplication to the Virgin of the Rosary for peace in the Holy Land and in the world. A day dedicated to prayer, fasting and penance.

After the restoration on 6 October, the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology of the Beit Jala seminary was inaugurated under the auspices of the Patriarch of Jerusalem for the Latins, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. Also in the presence of the Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Hani Al-Haik, and a group of priests and faithful. This event is presented as a strong message of faith in these difficult times that the Holy Land is going through, highlighting the ability to build a better future despite the difficulties.

Immigrants experience that God is their companion on life's journey; The 30th anniversary of the Filipino Community of San Lorenzo Ruiz: joy, hope and witness!; A loving refuge for children without an identity; The Custos of the Holy Land tells his story: eight years of joys and trials; St Francis of Assisi: pilgrims and strangers of fraternity and peace!

: On 4 October, all Franciscan fraternities honour their Founder with the celebration of the Transitus at the end of Solemn Vespers on the eve of the feast, and at Holy Masses on the feast day.

Presented in Bologna the new book-interview by Roberto Cetera, deputy director of Osservatore Romano, and Brother Francesco Patton, custos of the Holy Land.

The Hazboun family of Bethlehem embodies a story of unwavering faith and unlimited giving. Grandfather Abdullah Hazboun left an indelible mark on the town's memory with his generous donation to build and design the entrance to the Church of the Milk Grotto, which is located a stone's throw from the Church of the Nativity. His successor, Kamal Hezboun, built the ‘Palestinian Church’ in the Beit Sahour shepherds' camp of the Holy Land Guard. It is part of a project to build ten churches on the site. However, as fate would have it, Kamal Hezboun moved to the heavenly glories before he could see it.

The community of the first Filipino martyr has turned 30 years old. Joy and celebration at Ratisbonne Monastery.

In a warm home that is a refuge for broken hearts and vulnerable souls, the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent take in orphans and give them what they have lost since birth: love, care and security. On Sept. 28, the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent celebrated the feast of St. Vincent, with Father Khalil Maroun presiding over the mass that was well attended by a large group of faithful.

World Day of the Migrant and Refugee 2024. The title of the Pope's letter is “God Walks with His People.” This anniversary was realized in a solemn Mass celebrated Sept. 28 in the hall of the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem, and presided over by Msgr. Rafik Nera, patriarchal vicar of Galilee and Israel.