The idea of buying territory is foreign to our U.S. way of thinking in the 21st century…..foreign, except for Donald J. Trump, who suddenly stunned the world by proposing that the U.S. should buy Greenland (currently a possession of Denmark). Love him or hate him, we are all used to the sudden statements coming from the mouth of Mr. Trump. Obviously those outbursts haven’t hurt him, since he was inaugurated (for the second time) as President of the United States.
But is it really such a crazy idea? Are there any precedents for this?
Over the course of time, the United States has acquired territory through purchase, conflict, and compromise.
Some of the territories the U.S. has purchased include:
Louisiana (1803): Purchased from France for $15 million (doubling the size of the U.S.)
Florida (1819): Purchased from Spain (in the land deal of the century, Spain received no compensation…United States merely agreed to assume liability for $5 million in damage done by American citizens who had rebelled against Spain.)
Gadsden Purchase (1853): United States agreed to pay Mexico $10 million for a 29,670 square mile portion of Mexico that later became part of Arizona and New Mexico.
Alaska (1867): the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire for a sum of $7.2 million. It was dubbed “Seward’s Folly” at the time, after the Secretary of State who put the deal together. The purchase was controversial because many Americans thought the land was worthless and uninhabitable.
U.S. Virgin Islands (1917): Purchased from Denmark for $25 million (yes, the same Denmark that now owns Greenland).
In addition, The U.S. has also acquired territory through conflict, for example Texas (1845), Hawaii (1898) and Guam (1898).
So, perhaps this suggestion is not quite as crazy as it sounds. Greenland is actually closer to the U.S. than Denmark and the rest of Europe, which makes it a possible partner in national defense (there is already a U.S. Air Force Base on Greenland) but perhaps equally important is the possible mineral wealth (especially rare earth metals) underneath the permafrost that covers much of Greenland. The battle over these world-wide promises to increase every year. And, it looks like the U.S. has done business with Denmark in the past…the U.S. Virgin Islands being an example.
So, what has all this to do with Catholic travel?
Well, it has brought public interest in Greenland, a territory of Denmark, which we suspect many people are not very well familiar. Yes, Greenland is an island (the largest in the world), with a surface area of 836,330 square miles (2,166,086 square kilometers), making it dwarf the country of France (551,695 square kilometers or 213,011 square miles) or the State of Texas (268,597 square miles).
Some 75% of Greenland is covered in ice, which would account for its low population density. The entire population of Greenland was 56,865 in 2023, according to World Bank records.
The whole island is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Copenhagen, Denmark.
There’s a lot of confusion over luggage limitations when flying, particularly for passengers from the U.S.A. Changes are inevitable, and it can be difficult to plan for your trip when you don’t quite know the rules.
If you have been on social media lately, you have probably seen a lot of talk about changes to airline carry-on rules. Many posts say things like, “60% of all carry-on luggage no longer meets the airline restrictions” or “TSA Banning New Items.”
There’s nothing worse than having to unload your carry-on while standing in line to check in at the airport and then stuff most of it in your checked bags..or even worse, having to throw it away (not to mention the looks you get from the people behind you!).
Some airlines have changed the dimensions of acceptable carry-on luggage and may be stricter about enforcing carry-on rules, including weight limits.
However, this is not universal, and you should be certain to confirm your airline’s rules close to travel for the best guidance.most of the information we’ve seen floating around online is clickbait at best and downright misinformation at worst. Reliable sources are hard to find.
While we read and hear much about the war in Gaza and beyond, it is nice to hear some good news from the Holy Land. Recently, a new church was consecrated at , the site of the Baptism of Jesus. The site has been recognized by the Catholic church for years as the actual spot of the baptism of Our Lord, and now there is a new church dedicated to the baptism. Bethany Beyond the Jordan, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, has seen the dedication of a new church on January 10, 2025.
The church was built of tafouhi, a yellowish stone from Hebron in the West Bank, while its stained-glass windows were made in Lebanon in a style intended to resemble that of the medieval Chartres Cathedral in France. It is the largest church in the Middle East, with a capacity of over 1,000.
The altar consecrated by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin at the inaugural Mass houses the relics of Pope St. John Paul II and the Holy Martyrs of Damascus.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin officiated at the consecration of the altar…….also attended by the patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, son of Prince Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan. the dedication was attended by some 6,000 faithful, including around 1,000 inside the building — according to an estimate by the Jordan Tourism Board. Among them were around 100 priests and 15 bishops from several countrie
It also reflected the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan’s determination to establish itself as an essential stop-off point for pilgrims to the Holy Land, as well as a haven of peace for the world’s Christian faithful, who are increasingly reluctant to travel to a region torn apart by geopolitical and ethnic-religious conflicts. Jordan remains a bright spot among so many tragic stories.
“So many biblical events and figures meet here that we could say that this place embraces the entire expectation of the Old Testament as directed to the coming of Christ, the manifestation of the Father,” said the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the ceremony of consecration of the altar on Friday morning,
2025 Will be a Jubilee Year……here’s what to expect
It’s been announced that the year 2025 will be a Jubilee Year (also known as a “holy year,”). An ordinary Jubilee Year is a special year in the life of the church that is only celebrated every 25 years.
Jubilee years have been held on regular intervals in the Catholic church since 1300, but they trace their roots back to the Jewish tradition of marking a jubilee year every 50 years.
According to the Vatican website for the jubilee, these years in Jewish history were “intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.”
The most recent ordinary jubilee was in 2000; however, Pope Francis called for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016.
The theme of the Holy Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The papal bull, issued May 9, 2024 that introduced the coming Jubilee Year is titled “Spes Non Confundit,” or “Hope does not disappoint,” drawn from Romans 5:5. “Everyone knows what it is to hope,” Pope Francis wrote. “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.we expect that Italy will be high on everyone’s list of destinations.
Jubilee 2025 opened Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024 at 7 p.m. with the rite of the opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican immediately before Pope Francis celebrated midnight Mass.
Holy Doors will also be opened at Rome’s three other major basilicas:
A Holy Door was also opened December 26 at Rebibbia Prison, a Roman prison Pope Francis has visited twice before to celebrate Mass …… and wash inmates’ feet on Holy Thursday.
The doors represent the passage to salvation Jesus opened to humanity. In 1423, Pope Martin V opened the Holy Door in the Basilica of St. John Lateran — the Diocese of Rome’s cathedral — for the first time for a jubilee. For the Holy Year of 1500, Pope Alexander VI opened Holy Doors at Rome’s four main basilicas. At the end of a holy year, the Holy Doors are formally closed and then bricked over.
We expect even larger crowds than normally, but don’t let that deter you. If you are considering going to Italy for the Holy Year 2025, as we are, there are some things that will help prepare you for the experience and make your trip enjoyable. Whether traveling individually or with a group, planning ahead can make any trip more enjoyable.
We present the following for your discernment. It will make some happy and others angry (just check social media to see how true that is)….such are the emotions surrounding the reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the assent of Pope Francis, grants approval for devotion linked to Medjugorje, recognizing the abundant spiritual fruits received at the Sanctuary of the Queen of Peace without making a declaration on the supernatural character of the Marian apparitions.
Here is the latest statement on the reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, (courtesy Vatican News Service):
“The time has come to conclude a long and complex history that has surrounded the spiritual phenomena of Medjugorje. It is a history in which bishops, theologians, commissions, and analysts have expressed a series of divergent opinions.”
Beginning with the words “The Queen of Peace,” the Note about the Spiritual Experience connected with Medjugorje was signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and Monsignor Armando Matteo, respectively Prefect and Secretary for the Doctrinal Section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Pope Francis approved the Note on August 28. It recognizes the goodness of the spiritual fruits linked to Medjugorje, authorizing the faithful to adhere to it – according to the new Norms for discerning these phenomena – since “many positive fruits have been noted in the midst of a spiritual experience, while negative and dangerous effects have not spread among the People of God.”
The overall judgment of the messages is generally positive, though several clarifications are offered regarding certain expressions. “It is important to clarify from the outset that the conclusions of this Note do not imply a judgment about the moral life of the alleged visionaries,” and, in any case, the spiritual gifts “do not necessarily require those involved to have moral perfection.”
Positive fruits
The places linked to the Medjugorje phenomenon have become pilgrimage destinations for people from around the world.
“The positive fruits are most evident in the promotion of a healthy practice of a life of faith, in accordance with the tradition of the Church,” reads the Note.
It recognizes “abundant conversions” of people who have discovered or rediscovered their faith, many people have returned to confession and sacramental communion, and numerous vocations have been confirmed, as well as “many reconciliations between spouses, and the renewal of marriage and family life.”
“It should be noted,” adds the Note, “that such experiences occur above all in the context of pilgrimages to the places associated with the original events rather than in meetings with the ‘visionaries’ to be present for the alleged apparitions.”
“Numerous healings” have also been reported. The parish of the small town in Herzegovina has grown into a place of worship, prayer, seminars, spiritual retreats, youth gatherings. “People seem to visit Medjugorje mainly to renew their faith rather than to seek help with specific requests,” says the Note.
Charitable works have also emerged, including the care of orphans, drug addicts, and people with disabilities, and the Note points to the presence of Orthodox Christian groups and Muslims at the Sanctuary.
The message of peace
The Dicastery’s Note continues by examining the central aspects of the messages, starting with that of peace understood not only as the absence of war but also in a spiritual, familial, and social sense. The most original title that Mary attributes to herself is indeed “Queen of Peace.”
“I have presented myself here as the Queen of Peace to tell everyone that peace is necessary for the salvation of the world. Only in God can you find true joy, which is the source of true peace. Therefore, I ask for conversion” (June 16, 1983).
This peace is the fruit of lived charity, which “also implies a love for those who are not Catholic,” an aspect better understood “in the ecumenical and interreligious context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been marked by a terrible war with strong religious components.”
God at the center
There is a frequent invitation to confident abandonment to God who is love: “We can see a nucleus of messages in which Our Lady does not place herself at the center but shows herself to be fully directed toward our union with God.”
Furthermore, “the intercession and work of Mary are shown to be clearly subordinate to Jesus Christ, who is the author of grace and salvation for every person.”
Mary intercedes, but it is Christ who “gives the strength. Therefore, her whole maternal work consists in motivating us to turn to Christ.”
“He will give you strength and joy in this time. I am close to you with my intercession” (November 25, 1993).
Additionally, many messages invite the faithful to recognize the importance of seeking the help of the Holy Spirit: “People are wrong when they turn solely to the saints to ask for something. The important thing is to pray to the Holy Spirit to descend upon you. When you have him, you have everything” (October 21, 1983).
Call to conversion
The messages also contain “constant call to abandon a worldly lifestyle and excessive attachment to worldly goods appears in the messages, along with frequent calls for conversion, which makes true peace in the world possible.”
Conversion seems to be the focal point of the Medjugorje message. There is also “an insistent exhortation not to underestimate the gravity of evil and sin, and to take very seriously God’s call to fight against evil and the influence of Satan,” indicated as the origin of hatred, violence, and division.
Prayer and fasting are also essential to the message of Medjugorje, as well as the centrality of the Mass, the importance of fraternal communion, and the search for the ultimate meaning of existence in eternal life.
Necessary clarifications
The phrase nihil obstat means “nothing stands in the way.”
For example, that the faithful are free to believe in a certain spiritual phenomenon, or when it comes to written material, that nothing stands in the way for a book to be read or printed, or that a holy soul’s Cause may proceed toward canonization. The nihil obstat is often the Church’s highest form of approval giving the faithful the security in knowing that, whatever the object of its writ, it does not contradict Sacred Tradition. Even private revelation that has received a nihil obstat and imprimatur does not necessarily mean a declaration of supernaturality.
The second part of the Note emphasizes how “a few” messages deviate from the content listed so far.
“To prevent this treasure of Medjugorje from being compromised, it is necessary to clarify possible points of confusion that can lead some small groups to distort the valuable proposition of this spiritual experience”.
If some messages are read partially, they may appear connected to “confused human experiences, theologically inaccurate expressions, or interests that are not entirely legitimate,” even if some errors may not be “not due to bad intentions, but to the subjective perception of the phenomenon.”
“In some cases, Our Lady seems to show some irritation because some of her instructions were not followed. So, she warns about threatening signs and the possibility of no longer appearing“.
However, other messages offer a correct interpretation: “Those who make catastrophic predictions are false prophets. They say, ‘In such a year, on such a day, there will be a catastrophe.’ I have always said that chastisement will come if the world does not convert. Therefore, I call everyone to conversion. Everything depends on your conversion” (December 15, 1983).
Insistence on messages
Other messages destined for the local parish sometimes seem as if Mary is seeking to control details of the spiritual and pastoral journey, “giving the impression that she wants to substitute herself for the ordinary parish structures meant for participation.”
At other times, Mary insists that everyone listen to and accept her messages, likely provoked by “the love and generous fervor of the alleged visionaries who, with goodwill, feared that the Blessed Mother’s calls for conversion and peace would be ignored.”
This insistence becomes more problematic when the messages “refer to requests that are unlikely to be of supernatural origin, such as when Our Lady gives orders about dates, places, and practicalities and when she makes decisions about ordinary matters.”
In reality, Mary herself relativizes such messages by subordinating them to the value of the Word revealed in Scripture: “Do not go in search of extraordinary things. Instead, take the Gospel, read it, and everything will be clear to you” (November 12, 1982); “Why do you ask so many questions? Every answer is in the Gospel” (September 19, 1981); “Do not believe the lying voices that speak to you about false things, a false light. You, my children, return to Scripture!” (February 2, 2018).
Synthesis of the Gospel
The Note says some messages are problematic when they attribute expressions like “my plan” and “my project” to Mary, expressions that “might create some confusion.”
“In reality, everything Mary accomplishes is always at the service of the Lord’s plan and His divine plan of salvation,” it says, adding that Christians must never “attribute to Mary a place that belongs uniquely and exclusively to the Son of God made man.”
Instead, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith emphasizes a message that can be considered a synthesis of the Gospel proposal through Medjugorje: “I desire to draw you ever closer to Jesus and his wounded heart” (November 25, 1991).
Authorization of public worship
“While this does not imply a declaration of the supernatural character of the phenomenon in question (cf. Norms, art. 22, §2), and recalling that the faithful are not obliged to believe in it, the nihil obstat [issued by the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno in agreement with the Holy See, ed.] indicates that the faithful can receive a positive encouragement for their Christian life through this spiritual proposal and it authorizes public acts of devotion.”
The Note clarifies that “the positive assessment that most of the messages of Medjugorje are edifying does not imply a declaration that they have a direct supernatural origin.”
Even though there are – as is known – various opinions “about the authenticity of some facts or certain aspects of this spiritual experience, the ecclesiastical authorities of the places where it is present are invited to ‘appreciate the pastoral value of this spiritual proposal, and even to promote its spread’.”
However, adds the Note, each diocesan bishop has the freedom and authority to make prudent decisions regarding “groups or persons who, by misusing this spiritual phenomenon, act in a mistaken way” in his own diocese.
Finally, the Dicastery invites pilgrims who visit Medjugorje “to be strongly advised that pilgrimages are not made to meet with alleged visionaries but to have an encounter with Mary, the Queen of Peace.”
Editor’s Note: While we recognize the need for the Church to exercise caution when it comes to reported apparitions, this really seems to us to be “straddling the fence” a bit too much. This announcement will not, of course, please either the proponents or the opponents of the reported apparitions in Medjugorje. In any case, it will at least dispel rumors that the apparitions in Medjugorje have been condemned by the church….something which some critics seem to imply.
For us, we certainly agree that there are many fruits that have come from Medjugorje: vocations, conversions and reneweal of faith.
On Thursday, September 19, 2024, Cardinal Victor Fernandez, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, will host a press conference at the Vatican, focusing on the “spiritual experience” of Medjugorje.
Although further specifics about the press conference have not been revealed, it is taking place within the context of the new “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena,” released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in May. Since the publication of these norms, the Vatican has addressed various alleged Marian apparitions, offering guidance on discerning their authenticity and spiritual impact.
This much-anticipated event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Rome time and is expected to offer valuable insight into the Church’s ongoing discernment of the reported Marian apparitions in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Monsignor Armando Matteo, the secretary to the dicastery’s Doctrinal Section, and Andrea Tornielli, the editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication. will participate in the conferrence. Vatican News Service will broadcast the conference live on its YouTube page.
When Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, the foundress of The Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles, died on May 29, 2019 at age 95, her body was not embalmed and was placed in a simple wooden coffin to be buried in the convent where she lived.
Recently, it was decided to move her body into the chapel of the convent. When the body was exhumed and the coffin opened, it was discovered that there was a crack in the wooden casket that had allowed dirt and moisture into the coffin, which would have accelerated any decomposition. Despite this, her body had not decayed as expected and appeared to be relatively intact. In addition, her habit, which she so zealously fought for, was completely preserved, while the lining of the coffin had deteriorated and was gone.
The nuns created a wax mask for Sister Wilhelmina’s face and also coated her hands with wax, the story said. Her body was displayed in the chapel at the Abbey of Ephesus in Gower, Missouri until May 29, 2024. After that, her body was encased in glass in the chapel and remains there today.
We are not in a position to say that the body is incorrupt….nor are the Sisters. The local ordinary, Bishop Vann Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, visited the monastery to see Sister Wilhelmina’s remains. Johnston issued a statement the same day, saying that a “thorough investigation” was needed to answer “important questions” raised by the state of her body More investigation will be required before that can be decided.
You can read the latest statement from the Bishop here.
You can find an email that was recently sent out by the Sisters of The Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles explaining the recent events here.
Here is a video with Reverend Mother of the Order describing the unearthing of the body.
Visitors viewing the body of Sister Wilhelmina (photo courtesy Alex Simone | News-Press NOW)
Huge crowds came to see her body while it was still open for visitors to see and touch. Now, her body has been placed in a glass case but can still be viewed.
As you can imagine, this has created an influx of visitors to the Abbey….and, in fact, the Sisters are no longer taking phone calls since it interferes with their spiritual life.
If you do plan a visit to view the body of Sister Wilhelmina in Gower, Missouri, please be aware of the following;
1. There is a dress code in their chapel; Marian modesty: Women must wear sleeves, a veil, and a dress below the knees or lose fitting pants when they visit. Veils, skirts, and shawls can be borrowed. Men also need sleeves.
2. DO NOT TALK. Not at all.
3. You are in their home. Be aware of that. They are VERY hospitable, and won’t complain if you violate things, but please be respectful.
One of the most desired activities when visiting Lourdes is, of course, the baths. Being immersed in the baths is something most pilgrims look forward to. Beginning in November 2023, the baths were closed for actual immersion, although the Shrine developed an alternative plan of sprinkling the water on pilgrims as well as, in some cases, drinking some of the water. It should be pointed out the the Covid-19 virus is airborne….not spread through contact with water, so we assume that they were trying to avoid crowds gathered in one space rather than any concerns about the water itself.
As of August 14, the Baths at Lourdes have now been re-opened for full immersion.
Furthermore, there is this information about the water from the taps at Lourdes:
The Taps
The water taps at Lourdes
Located at the bridge next to the arches, these taps have sufficient pressure to allow you to fill any containers that you might want to take back for yourself or your loved ones. Note that many souvenir-type bottles, although attractive, are not necessarily the best quality and could leak during travel. We recommend used commercial bottled water bottles as more durable for travel…then when you get home you can transfer into the souvenir bottles.
Be aware, for those traveling by air, most airlines and countries will not allow you to carry liquids on board. Rules vary, and in many cases a small bottle inside a secure plastic bag may be allowed.
For U.S.A. travelers, 3.4-ounce containers (or smaller) and then placed in one clear, quart-sized bag. Check with your airline first.
A warning for Americans who own guns…or ammunition…. traveling to other countries:
Many countries have much stricter gun control laws than the U.S. We encourage those of you who own guns…especially hunters..to double check, and triple check your baggage before leaving the country. Even one overlooked bullet or shotgun shell can cause a great deal of trouble. And (hopefully) it goes without saying….leave any weapons you own at home.
A warning for Americans traveling to the Turks & Caicos:
The territory of Turks and Caicos has enacted strict new laws, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 12 years for carrying guns or ammunition. Here is an example of how a simple mistake can land someone in prison for a very long time:
Ryan Watson from Oklahoma is behind bars there and has a bail hearing on April 25. The Oklahoma man was arrested when airport security found bullets in his luggage, which he says he brought by mistake. He is now facing up to 12 years in prison for having ammunition in his carry-on bag at a Turks and Caicos airport, according to a GoFundMe page for his family.
Ryan and Valerie Watson, the parents of two young children, were flying home from their island vacation, where they were celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday, on April 12 when they were arrested at the airport.
“They had their lives turned upside down when they tried to return home, as local airport security found four rounds of ammunition unknowingly left in a duff[le]bag from a deer hunting trip,” a description on the family’s GoFundMe page states. “It was not noticed by TSA when leaving America. Now, they are facing a legal system that is unfamiliar, daunting, and expensive that operates differently than the American Justice System.”
The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas issued a travel alert in September 2023 telling Americans not to bring ammunition to the islands.
One tip for U.S. gun owners traveling abroad that we like:
For hunters and shooters in general….have a separate bag for guns and ammunition….and be sure to leave that bag at home! That way you are unlikely to end up in the situation described above.
If you want to know the truth of what is happening to Christians in Gaza, we invite you to join this presentation by Select International Tours on March 14th at 8:00 PM Eastern time. Jeff Cavins and Fr. Leo Patalinghug will host a live online event Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.
If you have traveled with Select International Tours, you may know that in addition to running a pilgrimage company, they also run a charitable foundation called Select to Give, an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) charity founded in 2014.
What you may not know is the purpose and the scope of their foundation. You may not know that their primary focus is to help the suffering Christians who live in Bethlehem and Gaza. Select to Give is a large part of their mission, and they are grateful to each of you who has taken the time to learn about the foundation and support their work in the past.
The online event will be hosted by Jeff Cavins and Fr. Leo Patalinghug, with guests including Gus Lloyd, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Fr. David Michael Moses, as well as Christians from the Holy Land who share their personal experience of the current situation in the Holy Land.
You will hear from a Select to Give American volunteer who has chosen to live in Bethlehem during the last six months to help those in need the most. A very special guest will be the Pastor of Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Parish in Gaza. You can hear a first-hand testimonial from someone we can trust who lives in Gaza.
Click here to view the Live Presentation on March 14
The event will hosted on the Apostle website and will begin promptly at 8:00 PM. Please be sure to click the link above and create a Free Login with your email beforehand.
Donations: If you would like to support this effort, they will be accepting tax-deductible donations via credit card during the event. If you wish to donate by mail, please make your check payable to Select to Give, Inc. and mail it to:
Select to Give, Inc.
c/o Select International Tours
85 Park Ave.
Flemington, NJ 08822
A tax letter confirming your donation will be sent via email within 10 business days of the event.
Please help us promote this exceptional chance to learn from Christians currently residing in the Holy Land. Utilize the image and links above on your social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or via emails and texts. By broadening this campaign’s reach, they can connect with more Christians concerned about the struggles of our brethren in the Holy Land.
