Franciscan Father Francesco Patton’s nine-year tenure as custos of the Holy Land began unexpectedly in 2016 when he found himself “redirected” — as he put it — to a largely unfamiliar land while ...

Leo XIV has approved the election of the new leader of the Franciscan presence in the Holy Places, following in the footsteps of the saint of Assisi. Italian, 55 years old, the new custos takes over ...

While Bethlehem is not directly involved in the conflict, it continues to suffer under the weight of economic crisis, violence from Israeli settlers, and emigration. Children welcome the custos of the ...

“It was the most formative experience of my life. It further broadened my intellectual and spiritual horizons, thanks to the international nature of the role and the encounters and dialogue with ...

The Roman Catholic Church on Friday announced the appointment of Italian Franciscan Father Francesco Patton as the new guardian of the church’s sites in the Holy Land. Patton, 52, replaces Father ...

Brother Francesco Patton was confirmed as Custos of the Holy Land and Guardian of Mount Zion for the next three years on Friday in a Jerusalem ceremony. He has been serving for six years already and ...

“The encyclical does not offer solutions but guidelines and values to be embraced. Every person, in his or her own ambit, is called to welcome fraternity, dialogue and reconciliation in their lives.” ...

In this 2016 file photo, Franciscan Father Francesco Patton, custos of the Holy Land, sprinkles holy water on tombstones in the cemetery at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington to ...

Franciscan Father Francesco Patton, custos of the Holy Land, center, attends a ceremony to remove a stone tile from the floor in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem’s Old City March 14, 2022 ...

The Roman Catholic church on Friday announced the appointment of Italian Franciscan Father Francesco Patton as the new guardian of the Catholic church's sites in the Holy Land. Patton, 52, replaces ...