800 years ago, the Roman Catholic Church entrusted the guardianship of the Holy Land of the Christian religion to the Holy Land Friars of the Order of St. Francis, creating what is now known as the Custody of the Holy Land. Their mission is to support the Holy Land and its people and preserve its holy sites. This work has grown to support schools and missions and helps care for children, elderly, families, refugees and others in need throughout the region.
The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, DC is a national shrine run by the Custody’s friars based in America and helps sustain the mission of the Custody. It receives more than 50,000 tourists and visitors annually and sits on 42 acres, with century-old gardens and full-sized replicas of shrines from the Holy Land. Additionally, our vegetable gardens produce over 16,000 pounds of produce every year for the city's poor.
Donations from visitors are always appreciated to help support the work of the Franciscan Friars.
