Franciscan Monastery

In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Franciscan Monastery, we are excited to announce a 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 open to all photography enthusiasts. Capture the beauty of our gardens or the elegance of our church and stand a chance to win amazing prizes.

For more information on how to participate, visit our website! 📸
➡ https://bit.ly/3S4myRe

Today marks a joyous occasion as we celebrate the feast of our Monastery, dedicated to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This sacred Basilica holds the revered site of the Resurrection, making it central to our faith and identity.

Some may wonder about the timing of our feast. While our church, Mount Saint Sepulchre, was consecrated on the day of St. Francis' stigmata, September 17, 1899, our celebration today honors the Basilica's official consecration on July 15, 1149. Named in homage to this historic site, our monastery echoes the sanctity and spiritual significance of the Holy Sepulchre.

On this day we remember Father Manuel Ruiz and the other martyrs of Damascus, Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land.
On the night of July 9-10, 1860, a Druze militia attacked Damascus, targeting the Christian community. Eight Franciscan friars and three lay brothers of the Franciscan Third Order were brutally killed because they refused to renounce their faith.

We honor their sacrifice and wait for their canonization, which will be celebrated in Rome this year, on October 20, in the hope that their story will inspire peace and unity in the Middle East.

Last Saturday, two more friars were ordained priests in Aleppo, Syria...twins!

Read more here ➡ https://bit.ly/4cSG4YF

This Independence Day, we thank God for all the good we enjoy in the USA, especially for our freedoms. We ask for God’s grace to help us exercise these freedoms with Christian responsibility and love for our neighbours.

Our Church and Gardens will be closed after the 6am and 7am Masses on July 4.

The Friars of the Franciscan Monastery wish you a Happy 4th of July!

Join us in prayer for Br. Mark Vertido and Br. Lorenzo Pagani, who will be ordained priests, Saturday, June 29th on the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul, at the Church of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem. H.B. Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, will preside over the solemn Mass and ordain our brothers.

Follow the live stream from our page or at the Christian Media Center website: https://bit.ly/3zmX6jn

Today, June 24, we celebrate the birth of St. John the Baptist. Friars from the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated in Ain Karem at shrines that guard the biblical and historical memory of Christ's Forerunner, John.

In Ain Karem, currently a neighbourhood in West Jerusalem, there are three shrines that commemorate the life of the Baptist: the Shrine of the Visitation, that of St. John in the Desert and the church of St. John the Baptist.

Visitation: https://www.custodia.org/en/sanctuaries/ain-karem-visitation
St. John in the Desert: https://www.custodia.org/en/sanctuaries/ain-karem-st-john-desert
St. John the Baptist: https://www.custodia.org/en/sanctuaries/ain-karem-saint-john-baptist

to the 80s at the Franciscan Monastery! 🌟 Dive into our colorful and black-and-white memories from this iconic decade 📸

As Summer starts today, come to explore our beautiful gardens and visit our Church, featuring replicas of the Holy Land. The gardens are open daily from 9 am to 4:45 pm.

Wander through the formal upper garden, and the more natural lower garden, and if you come on Saturday, you can enjoy a free tour of the gardens at 11 am and 12 noon. The tour will lead you into the gardens' rich history, to admire the architecture, and learn about the plants and friars who have tended them.

Garden Tours ➡ https://myfranciscan.org/visit/

Join us this Thursday, June 13th at 11:00 AM for a solemn Mass and distribution of blessed bread in honor of St. Anthony of Padua, patron saint of the Custody of the Holy Land.

🗓 Date: Thursday, June 13
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM
📍 Location: Franciscan Monastery

Yesterday, June 9, nearly 100 people participated in the annual Spring Luncheon held in the iconic inner courtyard of the Franciscan Monastery after Sunday mass. This event brings together the local community and the friars of the Monastery, who open their doors to the faithful for a shared meal and quality time together.

On this occasion, attendees also enjoyed a preview of the exhibition that the Franciscan Monastery is preparing for the 125th Anniversary. The full exhibition will open later this summer.

Enjoy a peaceful stroll through our beautiful gardens! Take this opportunity to register for the Spring Luncheon, which will be held in the courtyard of the Franciscan Monastery on Sunday, June 9.

Sunday, June 2 will be the last day to register! Get your tickets before they are gone!
To get your tickets, click here ➡ https://myfranciscan.org/spring-luncheon-2024/

REMINDER!
Join the Holy Land Friars in the Monastery's Courtyard! Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 12:00pm.
Enjoy an afternoon of fellowship, food, and fun with the Holy Land Franciscan Friars in the Monastery's Courtyard. We look forward to welcoming you as we celebrate our patron, St. Anthony, and mark 125 years of this splendid Monastery.
The luncheon begins at 12:00pm, after the 11:00am Mass in the Monastery church. The Courtyard is located on the Monastery grounds at 1400 Quincy Street, NE in Washington, DC.
To get your tickets, click here ➡ https://myfranciscan.org/spring-luncheon-2024/

On this Pentecost Sunday, as we remember the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles, we pray for His guidance in our mission to share Christ with everyone we meet. In Jerusalem, the Franciscans of the Holy Land will have the honor of praying in the "Cenacle," the Upper Room where this sacred event took place.

In this Easter season leading up to Pentecost, let us retrace all the places of the Resurrection. The Gospels tell us that after his resurrection, Jesus appeared in several places in the Holy Land. Today these very places are guarded by the Friars of the Custody of the Holy Land.

At Tabgha, on the shore of Lake Tiberias, after the Resurrection, the disciples were fishing and caught nothing. Jesus called to them from the shore, but they did not recognize him until they followed his instruction to cast the nets from the other side of the boat, yielding a large catch.
Jesus had prepared breakfast for them, and as St John relays: When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

See ➡ https://bit.ly/4bkdDTi

Today, May 16, H.B. Pierbattista Card. Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, arrived in Gaza for a pastoral visit to the local Christian community, spending time with the people of Holy Family Parish and St. Porphyrius Church in Gaza City.
Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of Gaza, and His Excellency Alessandro De Franciscis, Grand Hospitaller of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, are accompanying him on this visit.

Let us pray for their safe return and that this visit may bring joy and hope to the suffering Christian community of Gaza.

For more information, please click here: ➡https://bit.ly/4bBoRlU

Events at the Franciscan Monastery in DC - https://mailchi.mp/b1d207d2f783/franciscan-holy-land-monastery-in-dc-11551861

Yesterday on the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord, we blessed mothers and gave them roses of our garden in celebration of Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day from the Franciscan Monastery!

Yesterday the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated the Ascension of Our Lord on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
The site of the Ascension is now a Muslim sanctuary where once a year, 40 days after Easter, for the feast of Ascension, the friars are allowed to celebrate the Eucharist at this Holy Site.
In Washington DC, we will celebrate Ascension this Sunday.
Join us for Mass and a special blessing for mothers.