The Order's stable support in the Holy Land through regular contributions
Sami El-Yousef, Amministratore Delegato del Patriarcato Latino, coordina a Gerusalemme l’aiuto inviato dall’Ordine in Terra Santa, tramite il Gran Magistero.
At the end of 2024, Sami El-Yousef, CEO of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, provided us with data on the monthly aid received from the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. We publish below the full text of this important document.
The support that is received on a monthly basis from the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is directed to sustain the operations of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (LPJ) being the Catholic Diocese of the Holy Land covering the four countries of Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus. This support ensures continuity to provide services to over 200,000 faithful Catholics within the Diocese; employ over 2,000 of mostly Christian staff deeming the LPJ as the largest employer of Christians; and serve 19,500 students studying at 44 schools. This annual support covers five main areas being institutional support, education support, the Seminary at Beit Jala, pastoral activities, and humanitarian support. A Memorandum of Understanding is signed annually through a process of joint planning between the Latin Patriarchate and the Order to align projected income from the Lieutenancies and the needs of the Patriarchate. For the year 2024, such funds amounted to $11.4 million, representing approximately 20% of the annual budget. It is important to mention that such funds are hardly highlighted though they amount to close to a million dollars per month given that they are the collective effort of all Members, unlike the support to projects which is usually more attractive as it is for a specific purpose and a Lieutenancy finds it easier to fundraise for and take ownership of. This becomes even more attractive when groups of pilgrims visit the respective location they supported and form bonds with the parish, school, or center where the project is implemented.
Through the institutional fund support, $3.85 million is received from the Order to subsidize the operating costs throughout the LPJ’s five Vicariates: Jordan; Palestine and Jerusalem; Israel; Cyprus; and Migrants and Asylum Seekers in addition to service centers such as Our Lady of Peace in Amman, and the Beit Afram Elderly Home in Taybeh. This in reality is what keeps the LPJ functioning since it is through these Vicariates and centers that we continue to strive to offer the administrative support throughout the Diocese. Categories such as administrative salaries to cover religious stipends and employee expenses, legal and professional fees, utilities, communication and transportation are amongst the many expenses that are partially covered through this support through the general administration in Jerusalem. It is hard to see the LPJ function without this core funding. Additionally, no other donor is willing to contribute to core funding, and the LPJ does not have the means to generate such funds on its own, though a small contribution comes from endowments income.