Franciscan monastery in Washington offers glimpse of Holy Land

Published: 2007-07-24

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Since 1899, a Franciscan monastery in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington has been a popular stop for pilgrims who want a glimpse of the Holy Land. The grounds of the monastery feature dozens of replicas of significant Christian sites from Europe and the Holy Land, including many surrounding the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The friars of Mount St. Sepulcher Franciscan Monastery and Commissariat of the Holy Land represent the Christian interest in the Holy Land, and it shows in the beauty of their church and the surrounding gardens. Brother Maximilian Wojciechowski, a friar of the monastery since 1994, said the places surrounding Jesus' life can sometimes seem surreal when they appear in Scripture. He said the monastery brings new life to the Gospel. He said the appeal of the Holy Land to Christians is that "it's actually where Christ was born and died and raised." The church is the dominant structure on the grounds. It is not a replica of any one structure found in the Holy Land. Within, beneath and around the church are full-size reproductions of Holy Land sites, including churches, memorials, shrines, tombs and monuments.

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