The Monastic Communities of Jerusalem have been given the traditionally French parish in Rome, located at the top of the Spanish Steps:

The Holy See and the city of Rome agreed to assign the care of the historic church, at the top of the Spanish Steps, to the monastic community founded by Father Pierre-Marie Delfieux in 1975.

The Monastic Communities of Jerusalem are a fast-growing community of "monks inside the city," dedicated to contemplative prayer in urban locations. Already based in Paris, Strasbourg, Brussels, Florence, and Montreal, the order has about 200 members, representing 25 different nationalities. There are 12 members in the new Rome site: 4 monks and 8 nuns.

To mark the arrival of the religious community– which takes place officially on September 1– the French Catholic community of Rome has joined with the French ambassador to the Holy See to organize a 3-day religious and cultural festival. Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, the primate of Gaul, presided at an opening Mass at Trinita dei Monti on September 1.

On Saturday, the monks will sing the office of Lauds in the crypt of the Vatican basilica, with Archbishop Renato Boccardo, the secretary-general of Vatican City governance, in attendance. After touring the historic sites of Rome, the members of the Jerusalem Communities will arrive at the basilica of St. John Lateran for a Mass at which Cardinal Camillo Ruini (bio – news)will preside. Finally, on Sunday, Cardinal Paul Poupard, the French president of the Pontifical Council for Cutlure, will celebrate Mass at the church above the Spanish Steps. The founder of the Jerusalem Communities, Father Pierre-Marie Delfieux, conceived the idea for the religious orders while living as a hermit in the Sahara. Persuaded of the need for contemplative communities "in the desert of the cities," he launched the order with the approval of Cardinal Francois Marty of Paris. The "watchmen on the city’s walls" have been successful in attracting young members; the average age of the religious is only 33.