On the 9th of June, the Custody of the Holy Land celebrated its Chapter lived a moment of particular importance and where Fr. Noel Muscat OFM was elected. During the celebration of Vespers, the friars prayed for and remembered the deceased brothers of the past triennium.

The remembrance of those who preceded us in the walk of faith is frequently an efficacious stimulus to help us confront the future with faithfulness. Today the Custody Chapter, looking to the future, chose the new Discreets of the Holy Land. Before the election the chapter members prayed, invoking the Spirit of the Lord. They also listened to words of wisdom of St. Francis, which describe the qualities of Friars who are proposed to be leaders of their brothers.

The following were elected: Fr. Gregor Geiger, Fr. Athanasius Macora, Fr. Noel Muscat, Fr. Rachid Mistrih, Fr. Dobromir Jasztal, and Fr. Nicolas Marquez. After the elections, the new Discreets received congratulations from all the chapter members. We wish them the best in serving the other brothers with wisdom and responsibility!

Immediately after the elections, the Friars walked to the new Church of the Theotokos (“Mother of God”), built adjacent to the Milk Grotto. A festive Mass was celebrated there in honor of the Friars who celebrated their priesthood anniversaries. Fr. Angelico Pilla and Fr. Garret Edmunds celebrated 50 and 25 years of priesthood, respectively. Fr. Angelico, in his homily, remembered, with likeable wittiness, some significant episodes in his long missionary life. It is always with gratitude that one celebrates faithfulness to their vocation, which is certainly a gift from God, but which is also the fruit of a humble and constant commitment on the part of man.
The Holy Mass was followed by a festive lunch at Casa Nova (Franciscan hotel for pilgrims). The chapter members warmly received the Friars celebrating their anniversaries, manifesting to them fraternity. In the afternoon, after a meeting dedicated to the approval of some norms regarding the Statutes, the chapter members participated in the ceremony of inauguration of the new Catholic Action Sports Center of Bethlehem.

We would like to wish Fr. Noel every success in his new post.