On December 2, 2024, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem planted the first of 100 olive trees on the grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The ceremony was attended by Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantine, Archimandrite Christodoulos, Archdeacon Mark, and other clergy members. This tree planting marks the start of a project to renew the monastery grounds, as reported by the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s official website. Following the ceremony, Patriarch Theophilos reviewed ongoing renovation work on the monastery buildings and landscaping efforts.

The Monastery of the Holy Cross is one of Jerusalem's most revered sites, with its origins tied to legends from the 4th century, during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother, Empress Helena. According to tradition, the monastery stands on the site where the tree of the True Cross once grew.

Another account credits the monastery's founding to King Mirian III of Georgia, who received land near Jerusalem as a gift from Emperor Constantine. Initially under Georgian Orthodox Church jurisdiction, the monastery later came under the control of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.

Historical and archaeological records confirm the monastery's existence since at least the 4th–7th centuries. Artifacts suggest it was active even before the Arab conquest of Palestine in 638 AD.

The monastery’s main church preserves Byzantine-style frescoes, including remnants of an iconostasis, though some icons are missing. Inscribed walls in Georgian and Greek narrate the stories of saints and historical events associated with the monastery.

The monastery is famously linked to Shota Rustaveli, a celebrated Georgian poet who lived there. In 2005, a monument was erected near the monastery in his honor, and in 2010, Jerusalem's municipality named an alleyway near the monastery "Shota Rustaveli Street."

The olive grove project, along with the ongoing renovations, aims to revitalize this historically and spiritually significant monastery, ensuring its preservation for future generations.