Experience the Holy Land in Washington, D.C. This Easter Triduum

As the Church approaches the celebration of the Easter Triduum, many strive to enter into the mysteries of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. Some will attend the Church’s special Liturgies, or make the Stations of the Cross during this time. 

But those who live near Washington, D.C. have a unique opportunity to be transported right to the sacred sites of the Holy Land during these holy days. 

The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, established in Washington D.C. in 1899, was built to bring the holiest sites of the Holy Land to the United States by a special branch of Franciscan Friars: the Franciscans of the Holy Land.

“We are custodians of the shrines in the Holy Land,” said Fr. Ramzi Sidawi, OFM, Guardian of the Franciscan Monastery. “We have a replica of those places here, and here we want to bring the experiences of the Holy Land.”

The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America is home to various shrines and chapels that recreate the most sacred sites in the Holy Land and around the world. These replicas include, but are not limited to, the grotto of Bethlehem, Mt. Tabor, the early Christian catacombs, and even the grotto from Lourdes.

But the heart and focal point of the shrine is the recreation of sites related to Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. A pilgrim can climb the steps to pray at a Mount Calvary shrine, or duck one’s head to enter into a replica of the Holy Sepulchre itself.

While a pilgrim can visit the Calvary Shrine or visit the Holy Sepulchre chapel any time of the year, visitors during the Easter Triduum will feel truly transported to those sacred sites in a unique way.

“Special services happen in the Holy Land, and we try to do something similar here,” explained Fr. Sidawi. “In Gethsemane in the Holy Land, there is a grotto called the Grotto of Betrayal, where Judas betrayed Jesus. We have that replica here, and we process there after Holy Thursday Mass and pray on the way with particular meditations.”

The friars continue to help their visitors to enter deeply into the mysteries of Triduum into Good Friday, praying the Stations of the Cross in their gardens, reminiscent of the Via Dolorosa. One of the most unique devotions takes place in the evening of Good Friday and is closely tied with a special tradition in the Holy Land.

In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, there is a special relic called the Anointing Stone. It is traditionally held that the body of Jesus was laid on this stone and anointed before he was laid in the tomb. On Good Friday, there is a procession in which this loving action is reenacted with a statue of the body of Jesus.

“We try to do something similar here,” explained Fr. Sidawi.  “We go up to the Calvary shrine and bring [a statue of] Jesus down, as they did in Jerusalem. Then we bring him and place him on the Anointing Stone, where we anoint him and lay him in the tomb. We then seal the tomb.”

As the Holy Land itself remains at the center of conflict, the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America continues to be a place where pilgrims can immerse themselves in the mysteries of the Holy Land without leaving home. The Monastery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided tours to visit special shrines such as the Bethlehem Nativity grotto and catacombs are available upon appointment. 

The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America is also a pilgrimage site for the Franciscan Jubilee, and pilgrims may gain a plenary indulgence by visiting the Monastery until January 10, 2027.