A nun at the Church of the Flagellation at the Second Station of the Via Dolorosa, first built in the 12th century, restored and renewed in the 20th century. Jerusalem, Israel. 30-Nov-2012.<br />
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Of the 20,000 Franciscan monks worldwide about 300 reside in Israel as well as some 1,000 nuns. Saint Francis Francesco of Assisi first arrived in the Holy Land in 1219 and they have been custodians of the holy sites ever since.