On tour to support the Christians of the Holy Land

Cervia, Rimini and Florence: a grand success for the first three stops of the presentation of “Holding onto One’s Roots: Stories and Faces of the Christians in the Holy Land“, the book that seeks to support the living stones and ATS pro Terra Sancta.

“I arrived in Italy with the hope that my testimony might in some way make others passionate about what over the course of two years became a passion for me” − recounts Andrea Avveduto, a journalist and the author of the book, who lives in Jerusalem and works for the Franciscan Media Center – “and the greatest surprise was to see how fifteen and sixteen year-old students were so interested in and moved by the stories. This has served above all as a confirmation for me that the Holy Land is truly a fascinating place and one that merits all our interest and support.” The encounter in Rimini was in fact attended by 250 students from the Valturio and Einstein high schools.

According to Giovanni Zennaro, a photographer and co-author of the book: “The theme of the Christian presence in the places of the Gospels is one that always needs to be taken into consideration. The war in Gaza these past weeks has made even more timely and urgent the need to bear witness to the presence of Christians in the midst of a situation that is so complex in political and social terms. As Fra Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, reminds us, it is only through their lives that Christians can bear witness that good is present even in the most difficult situations. We have encountered a very interested public, eager to learn about and to help the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land in their mission.”

You too can meet the authors at one of their forthcoming encounters: 4 December in Seveso, 5 December in Milan and 7 December in Chioggia. 

For additional information please visit the Internet site www.aggrappatialleradici.com