A century ago, 1 in 10 people living in the Holy Land were Christians. Today, they're barely 1 in 50.
It is vitally important to all Christians around the world that there remains a Christian presence in the Holy Land — but their presence is under grave threat.
One annual Catholic tradition is especially designed to help them, but a lot of people don’t even know about it.
Here’s the story behind it, and how you can help.
The Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land
More than 800 years ago, St. Francis of Assisi sent his friars to the Holy Land. In 1342, the pope made it official, formally entrusting the Franciscan order with guarding the sacred sites of Christianity — called “the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.”
To this day, if you visit the sacred sites in Israel and Palestine, you will find Franciscan monks living and working. These faithful Franciscans are diligent custodians of the places Jesus sanctified by His presence when He walked this earth. This year, the meditations for Pope Leo's Good Friday Way of the Cross were written by the recently retired director of these priests.
Once a year, the rest of the world sees and supports their work in a special way. Every Good Friday, the pope authorizes a worldwide collection to support Christians and holy sites in the Holy Land.
Christians there rely heavily on the help that comes to them from this worldwide collection among their brothers and sisters.
The Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land — often called Pro Terra Sancta or “For the Holy Land” — supports their work.
How it helps
Good Friday has passed, but the Christians in the Holy Land need our help all year.
Funds raised each year support preserving sacred shrines, operating schools, providing social services like senior care and housing, and maintaining a Christian presence amid regional conflict.
Here are a few of the key uses of the collection:
- Support for Christians: It helps Catholic families, provides humanitarian aid, and creates jobs, crucial for reducing emigration due to economic hardship and violence.
- Shrines and Pilgrims: Maintains 70+ holy sites/sanctuaries associated with the life of Jesus.
- Education and Social Care: Funds schools (open to all faiths), parishes, and support for refugees.
- Pastoral Support: Operates 29 parishes, supporting 100+ seminarians
A concrete sign of communion
In a special message for the 2026 collection, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the Custos of the Holy Land, shared these words of gratitude with Christians around the world:
We cannot hide that the time we are living through is difficult. War, violence and insecurity have struck Gaza, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and Syria…
The Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land is not only a gesture of solidarity, it is a concrete sign of communion with the Church of Jerusalem. Thanks to this collection, dear brothers and sisters, we can support schools, parishes, charitable works, social projects and emergency interventions, keeping alive the Christian presence in the places of redemption. Today more than ever we are called to rebuild not only buildings, but relationships, trust, hope.
…On Good Friday, as we contemplate the crucifix, we ask you not to forget the Holy Land.
Not too late to help
If you missed the chance to give to the annual Holy Land Collection, it’s not too late!
You can donate here through The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, which shares this message: “It is because of you that a Christian presence exists in the Holy Land.”
