Catholics in Australia are asked to show solidarity on Good Friday with people living in the Holy Land who face immense hardship. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
The Pontifical Good Friday Collection, taken up each year in parishes worldwide, provides critical support for the sacred sites of Christianity and the small but vital Christian communities in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and beyond.
In 2024, Australian Catholics gave generously, contributing more than $1.5 million to the cause.
In a letter to the Church in Australia, Fr Bernie Thomas OFM, Commissary of the Holy Land, writes, “As many of you are aware, for 800 years the Franciscan Friars have shared the difficult lives of Christians in the countries that make up the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land … Among them, the friars have never ceased offering their pastoral care.”
This year’s appeal comes at a time of mounting uncertainty and unrest in the region.
While there had been hope earlier this year that a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza might hold, fighting has resumed and intensified, tensions remain high and the challenges for local Christians are growing.
Against this background, Fr Thomas’ hope “is that our Australian parishioners, parish priests and bishops will again be as generous as they have always been”.
“Our donation is a direct way to make a difference in the lives of people who are keeping alive the Christian presence in the land of Jesus, often in the face of great difficulty in recent years,” Fr Thomas said.
The Franciscans, through the Custody of the Holy Land, have a long-standing mission of preserving both the sacred heritage of Christianity – the “ancient stones” – and supporting the lives and dignity of today’s Christians – the “living stones”.
The Good Friday Collection supports five key areas: the upkeep of the Holy Places, social and charitable outreach, educational and scientific activities, pastoral care, and media and ecumenical initiatives.
Despite the ongoing conflict and the collapse of the pilgrimage economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and now again due to the war, the Franciscan Friars have continued to safeguard and care for these sacred sites.
FULL STORY
Living and ancient stones: why the Good Friday Collection matters more than ever (Melbourne Catholic)
