Holy Land collection this weekend

During all Masses this weekend at St George’s basilica the Holy Land collection is being made.  The main income for the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land is the annual collection the friars make in all parishes of Malta and Gozo.  This weekend is our turn!  All those who attend Mass at St George’s this Sunday are being invited to be generous with the Franciscans and their mission in Jesus’ land.

Helping the Christian community in the Holy Land is a cherished tradition in the Roman Catholic Church.  Entrusted with this special mission of guarding the Catholic shrines on Israel’s soil, the sons of St Francis of Assisi are the offical representatives of the Catholic Church in the region, which currently is home to a Jewish-Palestinian rivalry which has created much political tension.

However, amidst such a difficult situation, the Franciscan friars, with the aid of so many Catholic communities around the world, are doing their job very well!  They do not only take care of the precious sites which are central to the History of Salvation, but sustain also the small faith communities which are still present in the Holy Land, in spite of so many challenges.  They are the ones who keep the faith alive there…  Besides this, their various “commissariats” in Europe organise regular pilgrimages to the Holy Land, helping Christian communities to discover their roots in the land where the Sciptures became alive and Our Lord announced the first Good News.

This is, in a nutshell, what it means to help the Franciscan mission on Holy Land Day.  It means ensuring that the Christian presence never ceases to exist on the land where it started two centuries ago.  Usually Fr Twanny Chircop himself, who heads the Maltese Commissariat of the Holy Land, makes sure to be here for the annual collection in our parish, which usually tops the list in our diocese.  Fr Chircop also accompanied a group from our parish, last February, for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by archpriest emeritus Mgr Joseph Farrugia, which happened to be a thrilling experience for many first-time vistors.  Another pilgrimage, hopefully, will be announced in the upcoming months.

Come on, let’s keep the record!

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