Church of The Visitation

What Church of The Visitation does

The Custody of the Holy Land (Custodia Terrae Sanctae) is a Catholic religious institution of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor (OFM) that has held continuous responsibility for guarding the Christian Holy Places in the Holy Land for over 800 years. Its mission originates with the followers of St. Francis of Assisi following his death in 1226 and was formally entrusted to the Franciscans by Pope Clement VI in 1342. Headquartered at St. Saviour's Monastery in Jerusalem with a registered administrative office in Rome, the organization operates monasteries, convents, schools, sanctuaries, and pilgrim facilities across at least 12 countries, including Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and the USA. The current head is Fr. Francesco Ielpo in the role of Custos.

The Custody's portfolio of activities falls into five core service areas: (1) guarding and maintaining Christian holy sites including the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and Gethsemane; (2) pastoral care and ecumenical dialogue; (3) social work supporting local Christian communities in economic need; (4) culture and education through the Terra Santa Schools and the Terra Sancta Museum; and (5) pilgrimage services, including Casa Nova pilgrim accommodations, the Christian Information Centre in Jerusalem, and the Pilgrim's Medal. Supporting entities include Pro Terra Sancta (an NGO fundraising arm), the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, the Franciscan Archaeological Institute at Mount Nebo, and Terra Santa Rest Home in Larnaca.

The organization's revenue model is donations-driven and service-subsidized. Primary inflows come from charitable contributions channeled through the Pro Terra Sancta Collection, the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, and the Pro Terra Sancta association, supplemented by cost-recovery revenue from Casa Nova pilgrim accommodations, the Pilgrim's Medal, and educational fees at Terra Santa Schools. Operating segments include Catholic pilgrims and the faithful (primary), students and families, local Christian communities in the Holy Land, and international donors and benefactors. Distribution is delivered physically through the global network of monasteries and commissariats, and digitally through a multilingual website and a dedicated online donation platform.

Name

Church of The Visitation

Legal name

CUSTODIA DI TERRA SANTA

Website

https://custodia.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Custody of the Holy Land (Custodia Terrae Sanctae) is an 800-year-old Franciscan Catholic institution that guards Christian holy sites in the Holy Land and operates monasteries, schools, and pilgrim services across 12+ countries, funded primarily by donations and pilgrimage-related revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Pilgrimage Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAC

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAB

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAG

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAL

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYTHAKAHAB

Christian Pilgrimage & Holy Land Tour Operators

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Religious & Pilgrimage Travel Agencies

Keywords

• Holy places custodianship
• Pilgrimage services
• Religious education
• Pastoral care services
• Social charity work

Headquarters

HQ city

Jerusalem

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Support: The organization receives donations through the Pro Terra Sancta Collection, Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, and Pro Terra Sancta association. These funds support the upkeep of holy places, social work, and educational activities.
2. Pilgrimage Services: Revenue from pilgrimage accommodations (Casa Nova), pilgrim services, and the Pilgrim's Medal. The Christian Information Centre provides services to pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The organization is a Catholic Franciscan institution that guards and maintains Christian holy places in the Holy Land, including the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, Gethsemane, and other sanctuaries. It facilitates pilgrimages through Casa Nova accommodations and the Christian Information Centre, provides pastoral care and ecumenical dialogue, operates Terra Sancta Schools for Catholic education, and delivers social assistance to local Christian communities. The organization is funded through voluntary donations and charitable contributions from supporters worldwide.

Product overview

The Custodia Terrae Sanctae (Custody of the Holy Land) is a Franciscan order that has guarded the Christian holy places in the Holy Land for over 800 years. The organization offers a portfolio of religious, educational, and social services including: guarding holy places and sanctuaries; pastoral care and ecumenical dialogue; social work supporting local Christian communities; culture and education through Terra Sancta Schools; pilgrimage services via Casa Nova accommodations and the Christian Information Centre; and the Pro Terra Sancta fundraising NGO that supports emergency aid and development projects. The Custody operates monasteries and convents across Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Egypt, Syria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and the USA, and maintains the Terra Sancta Museum for cultural heritage preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guard the Holy Places
• Pastoral Care and Ecumenism
• Social Work
• Culture and Education (Terra Sancta Schools)
• Pilgrimages
• Christian Information Centre
• The Pilgrim's Medal
• Pro Terra Sancta
• Terra Sancta Museum
• Franciscan Formation Programs

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pro Terra SanctacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAn association that supports initiatives of the Custody of the Holy Land, providing fundraising, project implementation, and donor engagement. Pro Terra Sancta has responded to emergencies including COVID-19 pandemic support and ongoing humanitarian aid to Syria.
• Franciscan Foundation for the Holy LandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation that supports the Holy Land and raises awareness and funds for Christians and holy sites in the region.
• Pontificia Università AntonianumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFranciscan institute that partnered with the Custody to launch a three-year training course for formator friars of the Custody in the Holy Land.
• Commissariats of the Holy LandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational network of commissariats (representative offices) that promote the Custody's mission, collect donations, and support pilgrims from their respective countries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Internationalis: The global confederation of Catholic charitable organizations, including Caritas Jerusalem which operates in the same Holy Land geography. Directly comparable as a Catholic humanitarian network with a donations-funded model, social-services programming, and emergency response capability.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): The official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community, operating globally on Catholic social-services and emergency response. Comparable as a large Catholic institution executing social-work, education, and emergency aid programming funded by donations — similar revenue model and partner ecosystem.
• Pontifical Mission Societies: The Vatican's global Catholic mission-support network that channels donations to mission territories and operates formation programs analogous to the Custody's Franciscan formation work. Comparable as a Catholic institution built on donations and formation grants with a global donor base.
• Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem: Co-custodian of the main Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and the Holy Land under the historic Status Quo arrangement. Directly comparable because it shares the same custodial role at the same sites (Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, etc.) but operates under Orthodox rather than Catholic auspices with a broader congregational mission.
• Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA): A Vatican-aligned papal agency that funds and supports Eastern Catholic churches and related institutions in the Holy Land, Middle East, Northeast Africa, India, and Eastern Europe. Directly comparable because it channels Catholic donor funds into the same geography and beneficiary institutions as the Custody.
• Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem: The third co-custodian under the Status Quo for shared Christian holy sites, particularly at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Directly comparable in operating a historic religious custodial institution in the Holy Land with international donor support and a regional monastic-community structure.

Direct peers

• Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem: The Catholic diocesan authority for the Holy Land, parallel to and historically interlinked with the Custody's Franciscans. Operates parishes, schools, and social services across Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Cyprus with a similar geographic footprint and Catholic donor base.
• Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem: A Catholic lay order under papal authority whose mission specifically supports the Latin Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land in maintaining Christian holy sites and the local Christian community. Closely comparable as a Catholic institution whose activities are tied to the same holy sites and donor network as the Custody.
• Order of Friars Minor (OFM): The parent Franciscan order to which the Custody belongs; operates globally with a parallel charism of ministry, formation, and presence across multiple continents. Most directly comparable as the overarching religious order sharing the Custody's Franciscan identity, governance model, and member pipeline.

Emerging players

• Society of the Divine Word (SVD): One of the largest Catholic missionary religious orders, operating schools, parishes, and development programs across 80+ countries with a comparable member-pipeline and global footprint model. Comparable as a Catholic religious order with similar formation, social-services, and international institutional presence to the Custody.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/custodiaterraesanctae
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/church-of-the-visitation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Church of The Visitation