On Saturday, October 18, the XVIII Day of Volunteer Associations supporting projects in the Holy Land took place in Rome, at the Antonianum Auditorium, with the participation of Br. Francesco Ielpo, for the first time in the role of custos of the Holy Land.

"Pilgrims of Hope in the Holy Land" was the title of the meeting that brought together about one hundred volunteers from all over Italy, active in associations that, through various forms of commitment, care for the Holy Places and the Christians who live in the Holy Land.

In the Jubilee Year dedicated precisely to hope and on the eighth centenary of the composition of the Canticle of the Creatures by St. Francis, the meeting was an opportunity for formation, exchange, and mutual enrichment. Br. Giuseppe Buffon, who teaches Church History at the Pontifical Antonianum University, dedicated an introductory lecture to the Canticle of Brother Sun. Br. Buffon outlined the cultural influence of Francis of Assisi’s composition over the centuries, particularly the way it stimulated reflection on the relationship with nature. The Church, beginning with the visit of Pope John XXIII to Assisi, also embarked on a journey that led to the encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015). In it, Pope Francis defined a model of integral ecology, capable of considering the environment in its entirety, uniting ecological, social, and cultural issues.

While the wounds of the conflict in the Holy Land remain open and deep, two friars of the Custody shared concrete experiences of openness and hope. Br. John Luke Gregory, parish priest in Rhodes and Kos, recounted his work of welcoming migrants and refugees who, with great difficulty and danger, seek to reach the Greek islands and find new life opportunities in Europe. In past years, most were Syrians attempting the crossing; today, more and more are people from the Gaza Strip who are in need of first aid. For several years, the parish of Rhodes has offered concrete gestures of hospitality in the face of humanitarian emergencies that still have no end.

A different but equally strong example of encounter and sharing comes from the Magnificat Institute, which for 30 years, in the convent of St. Savior, has brought together in music young people of Arabic and Israeli language, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim students. Br. Alberto Joan Pari, who is responsible for the music school, movingly recounted both the difficulties the Institute faced after the shock of October 7, 2023, and the path to overcoming them and continuing to make music together. The result is the series of concerts that the Magnificat string ensemble performed in northern Italy in September, and that the choir of the Institute will soon perform in Rome and the Lazio region.

"Pilgrims of Hope" was not intended to be just a title for the Volunteers’ Day but also a wish: returning as pilgrims to the Holy Places will be the way to strengthen the bonds that the associations’ volunteers have with so many friends and acquaintances. Silvano Mezzenzana, who for decades has traveled through the Holy Land as a biblical scholar and group guide, presented a new tool to promote slow pilgrimages, the "cammini": the app Holylandtrails (https://holylandtrails.it/trails), which contains information for organizing and undertaking some walking pilgrimages. At the moment, there are four detailed proposals, but the app may be enriched in the future with new routes, with the aim of assisting the Custody when pilgrims once again return in great numbers to walk in the footsteps of the Gospel.

A posthumous testimony of dialogue, openness, and hope was brought by Osama Hamdan, who passed away last year. A Palestinian architect who dedicated years of his life to the historical and artistic heritage of the Holy Land, Osama collaborated for a long time with the Custody. His life was retraced during the screening of the documentary film "Osama. In viaggio verso casa," produced by the Pro Terra Santa Network. Andrea Avveduto, one of the curators of the work, presented the video rich in testimonies of those who knew a man capable of transforming art into opportunities for peace and inclusion.

As every year, the Day of Associations engaged in the Holy Land was an opportunity for meeting and exchange among members, some of whom briefly presented new projects and initiatives. The Day concluded with the reflection of Br. Francesco Ielpo, present for the first time as custos, a few months after his appointment.

The custos gave a clear invitation: to be a concrete sign of God’s love. In a time marked by wars, pain, and division, hope is born only if one returns to the source: the free gift of God. Quoting St. Francis of Assisi, he reminded that life is not beautiful when everything goes well—an impossible condition—but when one learns to see, even in pain, the reflection of the Giver. The Franciscan heart of the mission, said Br. Ielpo, lies precisely in the logic of the gift: not in what one does, but in the way one does it. It is gratuitous love that makes God’s mercy visible. And even uncomfortable gifts—such as suffering, loss, insecurity—can become paths of goodness if accepted in the light of faith.

Touching was the account of a journey made in Syria, where Br. Francesco met the father of a murdered boy. The tears of that man were not only for his son but for the love received from those who, from afar, had chosen to help without knowing him. This, he said, is the face of the Church: not an organization, but a people able to make the Giver visible through concrete gestures.

Being a volunteer in the Holy Land, he concluded, is a vocation: to be like the water praised by St. Francis, humble, clear, useful. Transparent, to let the light of God pass through. It is not only about bringing aid, but about sharing hope—the one that is born when one recognizes every day that everything has been received freely.