Since the 13th century, Franciscan friars have been present in the Holy Land, and today they minister at shrines throughout that region. In his Christmas message, the Custos (Franciscan provincial superior), Father Francesco Patton, OFM, said that “for the second consecutive year, here in Bethlehem, families are suffering the serious economic consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic.”
“They are families in which the parents just like Saint Joseph and Mary his wife try to do everything possible to take care of their children in a historical moment of serious difficulty,” he continued.
Father Patton also reflected on the significance of the Chapel of the Milk Grotto of Our Lady in Bethlehem.