Supporting the Holy Land... at a distance
Every gesture of support towards the Holy Land is an act of solidarity that preserves peace, but also the spirituality of a place that is the heart of our faith.
Brother Diego, in charge of the Gethsemane hermitage, tells us about a musical initiative to support the Holy Land and the Christians who live there. Art thus becomes a bridge between cultures and teaches us how each of us, through concrete gestures, can make a difference.
Br DIEGO DALLA GASSA, ofm
Head of Gethsemane Hermitage
Coming here to visit the Holy Places represents for the people who live here, for Christians, a sign of hope, a return to normality. While remaining within situations where conflicts remain.
On the one hand there is a great desire on the part of many Christians from different parts of the world to return to the Holy Places to visit them. But it is also true that our task is also to go to different countries abroad to raise awareness. Because when people know that their help, even that small drop they can give, goes to support Christians in need and to preserve the holy places, their gesture acquires an even deeper value.
The 21st Pro Romitaggio Concert - which in recent years has become Pro Terra Santa - is held in the Brescia area of Italy. It falls every year on the second Sunday of January, usually coinciding with the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord. It is an event organised by the Shalom or Queen of Peace community, led by Sister Rosalina.
The initiative sees the participation of numerous singers and artists, some of national fame, who perform for free. The proceeds of the event are entirely destined for the neediest Christians, especially those in the most difficult circumstances, as a tangible sign of solidarity and concrete support.
Br DIEGO DALLA GASSA, ofm
Head of Gethsemane Hermitage
All the proceeds are handed over to us and we are very grateful. In the face of the immense need in the Holy Land wounded by this conflict, what we can do may seem very little. Yet we know that as Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, ‘even a small drop makes the ocean bigger’.
In a world often marked by conflicts and divisions, solidarity is not only limited to concrete acts. As we are often reminded, a simple gesture is enough to start building bridges of understanding and not walls of separation.
Br DIEGO DALLA GASSA, ofm
Head of Gethsemane Hermitage
It is a message of solidarity. Inevitably, we also talked about the need for dialogue and a change of narrative. We must be people who proclaim peace, respect and not prejudice.
