From October 28 to November 3, 2026, the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America welcomed Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, Custos of the Holy Land and Guardian of Mount Zion, for a week of fraternal gatherings, pastoral activities, and celebrations culminating in the Monastery's annual Mass and Gala dinner on the Solemnity of All Saints.

 

The Custos was welcomed by Fr. Ramzi Sidawi, OFM, Guardian of the Franciscan Monastery, and Fr. John Puodziunas, OFM, Commissary of the Holy Land in the United States, whose office is also located at the Monastery.

 

A bridge between the Holy Land and the United States

Located in Washington, D.C., the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America serves as an important link between the Custody of the Holy Land and the Catholic faithful of the United States.

 

The Monastery traces its origins to the efforts of Fr. Godfrey Schilling, OFM, who established the Franciscan presence in Washington at the end of the nineteenth century. Conceived as a place where American Catholics could encounter the spiritual and historical heritage of the Holy Land, the Monastery features a church inspired by the architecture of the Holy Places, replicas of sacred shrines, and extensive gardens spread across 42 acres.

 

More than 50,000 pilgrims visit the Monastery annually, offering opportunities for prayer, education, and a spiritual encounter with the land of Christ's birth, ministry, Passion, and Resurrection.

 

Beyond its role as a pilgrimage destination, the Monastery supports the mission of the Custody of the Holy Land through fundraising, promoting pilgrimages, fostering vocations, and raising awareness of the challenges facing Christians in the Holy Land. The Commissariat of the Holy Land, also headquartered at the Monastery, plays an important role in coordinating support for the Custody's mission throughout the United States. Through the generosity of American benefactors, these efforts contribute to the Franciscans' work of preserving the Holy Places and sustaining the Christian communities that continue to live there.

 

A fraternal gathering

On Thursday, October 29, Fr. Ielpo gathered with the friars residing at the Monastery for a community chapter.

 

The gathering provided an opportunity for the Custos to meet with the Washington fraternity, reflecting the bonds of brotherhood and shared mission that unite the friars serving in the United States with their brothers throughout the Holy Land.

 

Celebrating All Saints and the Year of St. Francis

The highlight of the visit took place on Sunday, November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, when Fr. Ielpo celebrated Mass at the Monastery, beginning the celebrations of its annual Mass and Benefit Gala.

 

This year's Gala held special significance as part of the Year of St. Francis, commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Transitus, or passing into eternal life, of St. Francis of Assisi in 1226.

 

Following Mass, guests gathered for a cocktail reception before proceeding to the Gala dinner. The annual event brings together the friars, friends, and benefactors of the Monastery in support of the Franciscan mission in the Holy Land.

 

Among the distinguished guests were Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States; Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, USA; and Bishop Paul S. Loverde, Bishop Emeritus of Arlington. The evening's master of ceremonies was Dr. Matthew Bunson, Vice President and Editorial Director of EWTN News.

 

During the evening, Fr. Ielpo presented the Grato Animo Medal to Archbishop Caccia, honoring the Apostolic Nuncio's service to the Church and his support of the mission of the Holy Land Franciscans.

 

During the dinner, the Custos addressed the assembled guests, expressing his gratitude for their friendship, prayers, and generosity. He spoke of the challenges facing Christians in the Holy Land, but chose to focus his remarks on a story of hope from two Christian villages in northern Syria.

 

In Al-Quniya and Yaqubiya, along the Orontes River Valley, Christian communities endured fourteen years under the control of extremist groups. Many families fled, churches suffered damage, and only a small number of residents remained. Throughout those years, two Franciscan friars continued to serve the people, sharing their hardships and accompanying them through uncertainty.

 

Recalling their perseverance, Fr. Ielpo emphasized a simple but powerful truth: "When someone remains, hope remains."

 

When circumstances finally changed, the friars worked alongside local families to reopen two Franciscan schools. The reopening of the schools encouraged displaced families to return, repair their homes, and rebuild their communities. As the Custos explained, "When a school opens, hope opens."

 

Drawing from this experience, Fr. Ielpo emphasized the importance of education in the Custody's mission. The Franciscan schools throughout Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Syria not only provide academic instruction but also seek to cultivate respect, human dignity, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence. "Peace begins in classrooms," he told the guests, reminding them that the foundations of peace are laid when children learn to respect one another and overcome their differences.

 

The Custos then turned to the deeper significance of preserving the Christian presence in the lands where Christianity was born. He reminded those gathered that the Holy Land is not merely a destination for pilgrims, but the land where the Word became flesh, where Christ lived, preached, suffered, died, and rose again.

 

Referring to the Holy Land as the "Fifth Gospel," he emphasized that the mission of the Franciscans extends beyond the preservation of churches and sanctuaries. Their mission is also to ensure that the Holy Places remain living centers of faith, sustained by the Christian families who continue to worship and bear witness there.

 

"The Christian families of the Holy Land are the living stones of those sanctuaries," he said, emphasizing that without these communities, the Holy Places risk becoming little more than museums.

 

Concluding his address, Fr. Ielpo thanked the benefactors for their continued support, reminding them that their generosity makes it possible for schools to remain open, families to remain in their homeland, and Christian communities to continue their witness in the places where the Gospel was first proclaimed.

 

The Gala also featured the drawing of the Monastery's VIP Pilgrimage Raffle, in which the Custos participated in selecting the winning ticket. The winner received two places on a future Franciscan pilgrimage to the Holy Land, an initiative intended to encourage renewed pilgrimage to the sacred sites and strengthen the bonds between American Catholics and the Christians of the Holy Land.

 

The celebrations marked a fitting conclusion to the Custos' visit, bringing together the spiritual heritage of St. Francis and the continuing mission of his brothers in the Holy Land. They also reaffirmed the essential role played by the Franciscan Monastery in Washington in strengthening the bonds between the Custody of the Holy Land and the Catholic faithful of the United States.