The Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land provides ongoing funding to help the Custody’s Foundation for monthly expenses of the church. Through the support of our faithful donors, we are able to keep funding available for needed maintenance as well as other greatest needs of the FFHL.
FFHL has committed funds to the Custody’s Foundation for the ordinary, monthly expenses of the convent at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other Holy Sites of prominence. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is widely accepted as the place both of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. It is also one of the highlights of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land’s pilgrimages.
Within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre lies the most adored site in the Christian world—the tomb where Jesus was buried and rose again. The Bible describes how Christ was buried in a rock-cut tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy Jewish follower of Jesus. Jewish tradition forbade burial within the walls of a city, and the Gospels specify that Jesus was buried outside of Jerusalem, near the site of his crucifixion on Golgotha ("the place of skulls"). A few years after the burial, the walls of Jerusalem were expanded, putting Golgotha and the nearby tomb within the city. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was first built over the tomb’s site and was destroyed and rebuilt several times, finally rebuilt by the Crusaders in the 12th century. In 2016, the shrine that encloses the tomb, known as the Edicule, was opened for the first time in centuries for restoration.
Given that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the historical location of the Crucifixion, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ, its upkeep and maintenance is of utmost importance.
You are making a difference in the Holy Land! The donation levels below illustrate some examples of the ways we use philanthropic gifts to support our programs.
