Every Good Friday, Catholics worldwide unite to preserve the Holy Land through the Pro Terra Sancta Collection, a tradition rooted in centuries of faith.
Newsroom (01/04/2026 Gaudium Press ) Every Good Friday, when Catholics around the world gather to recall the Passion of Christ, a centuries-old act of solidarity unfolds: the Collection for the Holy Land. Known today as the Pro Terra Sancta Collection, this initiative supports the preservation of the sacred sites where Jesus lived, died, and rose again, while sustaining the Christian communities that continue to dwell there.
The effort is organized through the Custody of the Holy Land, a Franciscan province established by St. Francis of Assisi. For centuries, the friars of this order have been entrusted with safeguarding the spiritual and historical treasures of the region, ensuring that the places of Christ’s life remain accessible and alive for pilgrims and worshippers of all nations.
Roots in History and Papal Support
The story of this charitable collection runs deep into history. The earliest record dates back to 1455, when Pope Calixtus III issued a papal bull authorizing Franciscan friars to travel across Christendom collecting funds to preserve the sacred sites of Christianity. Over the following centuries, successive pontiffs—more than one hundred according to the archives of the Custody—have reaffirmed the importance of this endeavor through official documents and appeals to the faithful.
By the 20th century, the tradition was revitalized thanks to Pope Paul VI, who provided a renewed vision in his 1974 Apostolic Exhortation Nobis in Animo. In that document, the Pope called upon all Christians to acknowledge the “growing needs of the Church in the Holy Land” and to contribute generously. His exhortation formalized the collection as a universal act of solidarity, reminding the world of the Holy Land’s unique role in salvation history.
The Modern Mission of the Franciscans
Today, the Custody of the Holy Land continues its centuries-old mission not through crusades or conquest, but through peace, presence, and preservation. As Franciscan historian Friar Narciso Klimas has noted, the friars are “successors of the crusaders,” yet their cause is one of dialogue and service rather than warfare.
Funds from the Good Friday Collection are crucial for maintaining churches, shrines, and monasteries, as well as supporting schools, hospitals, and social programs for local Christian families. These believers—often called the living stones of the Holy Land—represent a minority facing economic hardship and cultural isolation. The collection helps ensure that Christianity remains a living presence in the very land where it was born.
How to Help the Holy Land Today
The distribution of the collected funds reflects a carefully managed structure: 65 percent of the proceeds go directly to the Custody of the Holy Land for its pastoral and preservation work, while the remaining 35 percent aids other institutions operating in the region to foster harmony and human development.
Participation is simple yet profoundly meaningful. Every parish around the world organizes the collection on Good Friday, and donations are gathered by the Commissaries of the Holy Land—Franciscan representatives who act as bridges between the faithful and the Holy Land itself. In the digital age, contributions can also be made year-round through the Custody’s official website, allowing anyone to share in this global act of faith and charity.
A Living Connection Across Centuries
At its heart, the Collection for the Holy Land is more than a donation—it is a living bond that unites Christians across time and continents. From the faithful in small rural parishes to global cities, from 15th‑century Europe to today’s connected world, this collection continues to express a shared commitment: to keep the light of Christianity burning in the land where it first shone.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa
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