In 1291, the city of St. Jean d’Acre — the last remaining Crusader stronghold — fell into Muslim hands. The Franciscans of the Holy Land found refuge in Cyprus, yet they returned to the area less than four decades later. Since 1333, Franciscan friars have served as custodians of the region’s holy places. Today, the friars ministering in the Holy Land are in: Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and the islands of Cyprus and Rhodes. There are more than 300 friars in these lands, working in collaboration with 100 sisters from various congregations. The Franciscans serve the principal shrines of the Christian faith, among them the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Annunciation in Nazareth. The work of the friars includes support of schools and missions in the Holy Land, as well as caring for refugees and other marginalized people throughout the region.
Date |
Name of the Friars |
Events |
Year |
01 |
Charles Mathew Kolanchery Deepak Kumar |
Birth Birth |
1947 1994 |
02 |
Joseph Raj M. |
Birth |
1975 |
04 |
Charles Bernard |
Birth |
1963 |
05 |
Lawrence Simon Bala Marneni + Thomas Thannikary + Bernard D’ Silva |
Birth Birth Home Home |
1949 1962 1996 2010 |
06 |
Singarayar A. Salvador D’Souza Clinton J. |
Birth Birth Birth |
1970 1979 1992 |
07 |
Hemant Xess |
Birth |
1975 |
09 |
Saji P. Mathew |
Birth |
1975 |
10 |
Augustine Pinto + Wilbert Smit |
Birth Home |
1936 2003 |
11 |
Fulgence Ekka Basil S. Lobo |
Birth Birth |
1964 1971 |
14 |
+ Mark O’Rourke Salvador Drego Kalyan Kumar |
Home Birth Birth |
1974 1984 1994 |
15 |
+ Anthony Almeida |
Home |
1970 |
17 |
Elizabeth of Hungary Vinoth Kumar T. |
Feast Birth |
1993 |
18 |
Blessed Salome |
Feast |
|
19 |
Agnes of Assisi Thomas Joseph + Kamal Ekka |
Feast Birth Home |
1962 2008 |
20 |
Irudayaraj Fernando + Bonaventure Davis + Bishop Ambrose Y. + Jesu Irudayam |
Birth Home Home Home |
1966 1971 1997 2009 |
21 |
Silash Panna |
Birth |
1990 |
23 |
+ John C. O’Dowda |
Home |
1982 |
24 |
Rajesh Praveen Kumar |
Birth |
1994 |
25 |
Gregory Fernandes Carlos Dias Tojy M. |
Birth Birth Birth |
1930 1959 1970 |
26 |
Balthazar Pinto |
Birth |
1960 |
27 |
Johnson M. V. Abraham Vadana |
Birth Solemn Vows |
1969 1976 |
29 |
All Saints of the Seraphic Order Dependent Custody Foundation,North East. Amaladass Manickam |
Feast
Erection Erection Ordination |
2008 2008 1985 |
30 |
Prasad Papabathuni |
Birth |
1970 |
