Association pro Terra Sancta is the nonprofit nongovernmental organization of the Custody of the Holy Land, is the nonprofit nongovernmental organization of the Custody of the Holy Land, present wherever there are Franciscan friars in the Middle East.  The Association supports the Franciscans of the Holy Land through the carrying out of projects, giving echo to the wish of the Custody of the Holy Land that everyone have the opportunity to share in the mission to support the Christian presence in this Land and to preserve the Holy Places.

The Association has offices in Jerusalem, Rome and Milan.

The Custody of the Holy Land is the name by which today are known the Franciscans of the Order of Friars Minor, who have been present in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean since the earliest days of the Order, which was founded by St. Francis in 1209.

Safeguarding and taking care of are the two activities that characterize the commitment and mission of Association pro Terra Sancta: safeguarding, i.e., preserving and enhancing the Holy Places through archaeological investigations, research, construction and renovation of the sanctuaries, and taking care of the “living stones” of the Holy Land, the local Christian communities who live in difficult conditions in the Holy Land and in the Middle East.