The Friends of the Benedictines in the Holy Land received the approval of the IRS as a non­profit organization in 2012. It was founded by Fr. Mark Sheridan, OSB (born and raised in Washington, DC) “to provide financial support for the religious, charitable and educational activities of the canonically established monastic communities following the Rule of St. Benedict in the Holy Land including special assistance to people in need.” Monastic communities support themselves through their labor and the sale of the products they make. The Friends (FBHL) support all other activities which includes charitable work, extraordinary education of the members of the community – such as Hebrew and Arabic language classes which allow monks and sisters to communicate with their neighbors of many faiths.

Because the political situation continues to discourage pilgrims, especially from the United States, the income potential is tentative, so FBHL was formed to provide a consistent, dependable financial base. The Church in the Holy Land needs and deserves support yet little is known about the current situation of Roman Catholicism and the Orthodox Church in the Holy Land.

News from the Holy Land comes through a Jewish or a Palestinian filter in the United States. Rarely does one hear of the activity of Christians; nor is activity against Christians reported. The situation for Christians is complicated in the Holy Land: The Greek Orthodox is the largest group of Christians in the Holy Land; most are Arabic speakers. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to which the monasteries belong, is also an Arabic speaker. There are also Melkite and Syrian Catholics – the Melkites have a diocese in Haifa and in Galilee. There is a large Armenian Orthodox community in the Old City of Jerusalem including the Church of St. James.

Monks and sisters in residence have social contact with all these groups especially during important Church holidays/Holy Days like Christmas and Easter. This is why FBHL provided Arabic and Hebrew lessons for monks and sisters of Abu Gosh and even organized and supported a visit to the monks in Abu Makar in Egypt.