My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Greetings in the Lord! At the Good Friday liturgies on March 29, parishes will conduct the annual Pontifical Good Friday Collection. This collection supports the work of the Church in the Holy Land.
Supporting the Church in the Holy Land is an historic mission. Since the time of Saint Paul, Christians throughout the world have understood the responsibility to support the land where Jesus walked.
As you can imagine, hope is much needed now for the Christians of the Holy Land. The tragic events that started on Oct. 7, 2023, have brought many disastrous consequences, including a greatly increased need for support for the Christian community. Most of our faithful rely on the pilgrimage industry to make a living. After two years of pandemic, during which no pilgrims could reach the Holy Places, Christians in the Holy Land were just starting to repay their debts when the war broke out. Now, once again, they find themselves without a source of income. People need support for everything, including medicine, surgeries, food and school tuition.
Among many programs and projects, this collection supports 65 sanctuaries and 23 parishes, 17 schools with more than 10,000 students, 53 friars preparing for the priesthood, six guest houses for pilgrims, 509 university scholarships, and 1,020 employees in Israel and Palestine. It also helped more than 8,000+ Syrian families, 700 refugees on the island of Rhodes, and 650+ Lebanese families.
Through the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, you join with Christians around the world to stand in solidarity with the Church in the Holy Land. Thank you for your generosity!
Please know that I remain,
Sincerely in the Lord,
Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre
Archbishop of Louisville
