According to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, a number of contemplative communities in the Holy Land are now accepting e-mail prayer requests, says the Zenit news agency.

In a statement, the patriarchate—the diocese for about 70,000 Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, and Cyprus—acknowledged these prayer intentions "may be very important to you and this is the reason why you want to entrust them to the people who have devoted their life to God and who live and pray in the Holy Land."

The statement also quoted the upcoming synod of bishops for the Middle East, which states that "the first mission of the monks and moniales [cloistered religious] is the prayer and intercession for society."

The patriarchate invited the faithful to send their prayer requests to one or several of the religious communities. It noted: "You can entrust them your prayers, specifying the details you want to communicate. All this will stay private and only be known by you and the community!"

Here are the communities' email addresses given by the patriarchate:
• Poor Clares, Nazareth: clairemarie1884@bezeqint.net
• Carmelites, Mount Carmel, Haifa: zanotiel@netvision.net.il
• Nuns of the Emmanuel, Bethlehem: community@emmanuelmonastery.org
• Bridgettine Sisters, Bethlehem: brigida@p-ol.com
• Silent Workers of the Cross, Mater Misericordiae, Jerusalem: betaniasilenziosi@yahoo.com
• Benedictines, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem: benetur@netvision.net.il
• Poor Clares, Jerusalem: mi.yesh@gmail.com
• Carmelites of the Pater, Jerusalem: edcarmelpn@live.com
• Nuns of Bethlehem, Bet Gemal, Bet Shemesh: midbar@gmail.com
• Little Family of the Resurrection, Jerusalem: pfrjer@alqudsnet.com

Hagia Maria Sion Abbey, a Benedictine abbey in Jerusalem just outside the walls of the Old City near the Zion Gate: