Seeing groups of Catholic pilgrims coming and going from S. Saviour, the heart of the Custody of the Holy Land, to meet the Custos or some other friar is fairly usual and consolidated. However, it is far rarer to see groups of Israeli Jews doing the same thing.
Last 29th February, a group of forty Israelis belonging to the "Institute for the research of Eretz Israel, Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi" was received by a Franciscan student of the Custody of the Holy Land, who had a lengthy and friendly dialogue with them in Hebrew in the "mother of pearl room" .
The group of visitors, also called "Lovers of Jerusalem” (Ohavei Yerushalaim in Hebrew), had already spent the whole morning in the Franciscan presence in general in the Holy Land, visiting the Cenacle, the Capuchin Fathers, the Clarissa Sisters and ending their day at the Convent of St. Saviour, the seat of the Custody.
In introducing the meeting, the guide, Ms. Nirit Shalev-Khalifa, presented the presence of the Franciscans in the Holy Land in great detail and in a captivating way, giving particular importance to the love and tenacity with which they have maintained their bonds with the holy places now in their care, despite the great difficulties that they have encountered over the centuries. After this introduction, the friar presented the work of the Custody today and the past and present of the Convent of St. Saviour.
This was followed by many questions on a wide range of subjects from the attentive visitors. The meeting came to an end with an exchange of gifts. The group gave the Franciscan student the book written by Ms. Nirit, "Towards the enclosed garden. Visits to the country’s convents", a very fine volume, especially because of the beautiful photographs.
The student gave every visitor a copy of the booklet "The Franciscan presence in the Holy Land" and gave the guide a copy of the booklet published in 1985 "The Church of St. Saviour. History and Art" by Father Metodio Brlek. Before leaving the convent, the group visited the church, showing great interest in the new organ and promising to return for the inaugural concerts in April.
The last words exchanged were “Thank you” but above all “Goodbye until the next time”!
OM
The institute for the research of Eretz Israel, Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi
Last 29th February, a group of forty Israelis belonging to the "Institute for the research of Eretz Israel, Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi" was received by a Franciscan student of the Custody of the Holy Land, who had a lengthy and friendly dialogue with them in Hebrew in the "mother of pearl room" .
The group of visitors, also called "Lovers of Jerusalem” (Ohavei Yerushalaim in Hebrew), had already spent the whole morning in the Franciscan presence in general in the Holy Land, visiting the Cenacle, the Capuchin Fathers, the Clarissa Sisters and ending their day at the Convent of St. Saviour, the seat of the Custody.
In introducing the meeting, the guide, Ms. Nirit Shalev-Khalifa, presented the presence of the Franciscans in the Holy Land in great detail and in a captivating way, giving particular importance to the love and tenacity with which they have maintained their bonds with the holy places now in their care, despite the great difficulties that they have encountered over the centuries. After this introduction, the friar presented the work of the Custody today and the past and present of the Convent of St. Saviour.
This was followed by many questions on a wide range of subjects from the attentive visitors. The meeting came to an end with an exchange of gifts. The group gave the Franciscan student the book written by Ms. Nirit, "Towards the enclosed garden. Visits to the country’s convents", a very fine volume, especially because of the beautiful photographs.
The student gave every visitor a copy of the booklet "The Franciscan presence in the Holy Land" and gave the guide a copy of the booklet published in 1985 "The Church of St. Saviour. History and Art" by Father Metodio Brlek. Before leaving the convent, the group visited the church, showing great interest in the new organ and promising to return for the inaugural concerts in April.
The last words exchanged were “Thank you” but above all “Goodbye until the next time”!
OM
The institute for the research of Eretz Israel, Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi