World

ISRAEL HAMAS CEASEFIRE REAX

Outgoing custos leaves with gratitude but a bittersweet longing for peace in Holy Land

As he prepared to leave his position as Franciscan custos of the Holy Land after nine years of service, Father Francesco Patton told OSV News that the time he has spent in the Holy Land as the superior of all Franciscans in the Middle East and the guardian of Catholic holy places in the region has been the most “important formative” experience of his life, and has “pushed him to dream” of a world without borders.

BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS TOMB ASSISI ITALY

In historic Assisi, pilgrims seek modern witness of holiness

For centuries, pilgrims came to Assisi to walk in the footsteps of a saint who preached to birds, embraced poverty, and wandered the hills barefoot. But today, many arrive in search of a different model of holiness: that of a teenager in Nike sneakers who built websites and coded for Christ.