Pro Terra Sancta – Newsletter – 04/2010

foto Sebaste 1 foto Sebaste 2 foto Sebaste 3

Dear Friends of the Holy Land,

Pro Terra Sancta is the aid organisation of the Franciscans in the Holy Land. Since the 14^th Century the Franciscans have been protecting the Holy places of Christendom on behalf of the Church and supporting the Christian minority in the Middle East. The purpose of the aid organisation is to support the Franciscan’s projects financially, to enable them to perform their ministries on behalf of the Universal Church in the homeland of Jesus and for the needy of the Holy Land.

In particular this month we would like to present the following project: Sebastaya

The unique cultural heritage of Sebastaya is thriving thanks to the commitment and support of Pro Terra Sancta. Sebastaya, one of the cities founded by Herod the Great in ancient Samaria, is the location of the grave of John the Baptist and numerous ruins from the Roman, Hellenistic and Byzantine eras. Together with the community and the Mosaic Centre Jericho, the aid agency of the Franciscans in the Holy Land is committed to the restoration of the town centre and the ancient buildings.

ATS has been working in Sebastaya since 2005 to enable the preservation of the town centre and to enlighten the local population. Thanks to the financial support of Italian development aid and their donations several buildings in the city centre can already be saved from collapse.

After the removal of rocks and debris from the town centre a fortification, a tower and a chapel, probably dating from the 12^th century, were discovered. Remains of two mosaics, which probably belonged to the neighboring Byzantine monastery, were also uncovered.

The project has already been visited by several people: Tony Blair, Representative of the Quartet on the Middle East (EU, USA, Russia and the United Nations), Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian territories
Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land and many other visitors have commented positively on the works.

Help us to carry out the activities planned for the coming months: training courses for the local community on the responsible handling of the sites and cultural heritage; support for local handicraft production; the opening of a business for selling local products; a training course for tourist guides.