The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is on a pilgrimage of prayer and solidarity - meeting, praying and worshipping with Palestinian Christians in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Israel.
Archbishop Sarah is on pilgrimage with the Most Revd Dr Hosam Naoum, Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem and Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East.
From June 20, the 5-day pilgrimage includes visits to Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem and Birzeit. The archbishops are prioritising visits to schools, healthcare projects, churches and Christian holy sites, as well as meeting with ecumenical leaders and organisations doing good work in the region.
Speaking about the pilgrimage, Archbishop Hosam said: ‘It is a profound joy and an honour to welcome Archbishop Sarah to the Holy Land for this historic pilgrimage. Her visit comes at a time when our communities deeply need the global Church’s prayerful presence and solidarity. As we travel together from Bethlehem to Jerusalem and throughout the Holy Land, following the path of our Lord’s earthly ministry, we are reminded of our shared calling to be instruments of his peace and reconciliation.
‘The Christian presence here is a living bridge down through the centuries, and having Archbishop Sarah alongside us strengthens our spirits as we navigate our daily challenges. We look forward to introducing her to the vibrant local clergy and parishes, as well as to the tireless ecumenical and interfaith groups who labour every day toward a future of true justice, peace, and mutual respect for all people in this land as a major component of our witness in Christ.’
The pilgrimage day-by-day
Day one – Visiting health and social care facilities in Jerusalem
On the first day of the pilgrimage, June 20, Archbishop Sarah and Archbishop Hosam visited healthcare institutions and social projects run by the Episcopal (Anglican) Diocese of Jerusalem and other Christian organisations to hear about their work and the many challenges they are facing.
The archbishops visited the Princess Basma Centre, an institution of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem that has been providing integrated support and care to Palestinian children with disabilities since 1964. During the visit, Archbishop Sarah and Archbishop Hosam made a video call to the Princess Basma team at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which is supported by the Diocese of Jerusalem. They heard about the courageous work that the team have been doing to care for children wounded and traumatised by the war in Gaza, working under immensely difficult conditions.
Archbishop Sarah talks to staff at the Augusta Victoria Hospital.
Photo: Lambeth Palace
Later, the archbishops also met with healthcare and social care professionals at Augusta Victoria Hospital and East Jerusalem YMCA, which works with Palestinian children from marginalised communities, supporting them through trauma.
The Revd Canon Don Binder, Canon of St George's Cathedral, Jerusalem and Chaplain to the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem and the Middle East, shared that it was a ‘pleasure to introduce Archbishop Sarah to three of our direct or partner ministries doing the Lord’s work in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank: The Princess Basma Centre, Augusta Victoria Hospital and the YMCA.
‘Here, she heard the stories of the young and vulnerable, as well as those dedicated doctors, teachers and counsellors who are working to give these families hope in the midst of oppression, degradation, medical need and economic hardship.’
Day two – Visiting the Palestinian Christian town of Birzeit
On June 21, the archbishops visited St Peter’s Anglican Church in the Palestinian Christian town of Birzeit. Archbishop Sarah gave the sermon and Archbishop Hosam presided.
Archbishop Sarah, Archbishop Hosam and Fr Fadi at St Peter's Anglican church in Birzeit.
Photo: Lambeth Palace
In her sermon, Archbishop Sarah thanked the rector, Father Fadi Diab, and congregation for their hospitality and spoke about living faithfully in times of fear, trusting in the promises of Christ, and Christian hope as an act of resistance. Archbishop Sarah told the congregation, ‘I am grateful for your hospitality today. It is a privilege to spend time in solidarity with you and learn about your lives here in Birzeit. It is an honour to spend time with Archbishop Hosam this week, to meet Father Fadi and clergy from the surrounding area, to gather with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, to pray and worship, and to learn about the life of the Church in this place….
‘I hope that, through my visit, you may also know that you are not forgotten by the wider Body of Christ. The Church is called to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep. The Church stands with you in your right to live in freedom and dignity.’
After fellowship with the congregation, the archbishops heard testimonies from lay and women’s ministry leaders about their experiences across Gaza and the West Bank. They also met with local ecumenical clergy from Birzeit, Ramallah and Taybeh, who spoke about their experiences of ministry in the occupied West Bank, their hopes for justice and freedom, and the need for solidarity from the global Church.
The archbishops also visited Layan Nasir, a 26-year-old Palestinian Anglican woman who has spent three periods in Israeli administrative detention and prison over the last five years and was finally released in May this year. Layan’s parents, Lula and Sami, welcomed the Archbishop to their home during her visit to Birzeit after the service at St Peter’s Anglican Church, where Layan is a member.
Archbishop Sarah with Palestinian Christian Layan Nasir.
Photo: Lambeth Palace
Archbishop Sarah also spoke with the parents of Natalie Abuddayeh, a Lutheran Palestinian Christian from Beit Jala, who was arrested from her student apartment in Birzeit earlier this month and placed into Israeli administrative detention. Archbishop Sarah shared that she would continue to pray for the Nasir family ‘and for God’s blessing and healing for Layan after the terrible ordeal of her incarceration. I pray for the release of all people who have been unjustly imprisoned, here in Palestine and Israel and around the world.’
The archbishops concluded the day with a visit to the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, at the Armenian Patriarchate in the Old City of Jerusalem. They spent time reflecting on the relationship between the Church of England and the Armenian Church, the challenges facing Christians in the Holy Land, and the need to preserve the indigenous Christian communities in Palestine and Israel.
Day three – Visiting Nazareth
On June 22, the archbishops met with Father Nael Abu Rahmoun, Vicar of Christ Church, Nazareth and together the group visited Christ Anglican School, which is the largest school owned and operated by the Diocese of Jerusalem. The school serves both Christian and Muslim students, providing a safe space for co-existence and learning. The group met with teachers and visited several classes to speak and sing with the children.
The group went on to visit two churches in Nazareth that are significant sites in the story of the Annunciation, when the coming of Jesus was revealed to the Virgin Mary. They visited St Mary’s Well at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, which, according to some apocryphal texts, is believed to be where the Archangel Gabriel first appeared to Mary as she was drawing water. The group later went on to the Roman Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation, which is thought to be on the site of Mary’s home, where the news that she would give birth to the Messiah was delivered. Since Archbishop Sarah was installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury on the Feast of the Annunciation, these holy sites were of particular interest to her.
The group toured the churches, including visiting and praying at the Grotto of the Annunciation, before concluding the day at Christ Anglican Church with Father Nael, local clergy and parishioners, for a time of prayer and reflection.
Archbishop Sarah said: ‘It was deeply moving to visit Nazareth, the place where Mary received the news that she would carry Jesus into the world.’
The archbishops will continue their pilgrimage through the Holy Land until Wednesday, June 24. During this time, they will visit spiritual sites, meet with ecumenical partners from other Christian traditions in the region, as well as Anglicans, to listen to their experiences and challenges.
Day four – Visiting Bethlehem and the Tent of Nations
On June 23, Archbishop Sarah visited Bethlehem, where she prayed at the Church of the Nativity and in the Grotto of the Nativity, the traditional site of Jesus’ birth. She was welcomed by the Greek Orthodox Archbishop, His Eminence Metropolitan Benedictos of Diocesarea.
Reflecting on the visit, Archbishop Sarah said: ‘Here in Bethlehem, the place where Jesus was born, we remember that God chose to enter into our world – and that he is always with us.’
She also spoke of the challenges facing the local Church and wider community in Bethlehem, where fewer pilgrims have been visiting in recent years as war continues to affect the region. Archbishop Sarah encouraged Christians around the world to remember their Christian sisters and brothers in Bethlehem and to stand alongside them in prayerful solidarity.
Later in the day, Archbishop Sarah travelled to the Tent of Nations, an educational and ecological farm owned by Palestinian Christian farmer Daoud Nasser and his family, located just outside Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The Archbishop heard how the farm has been in the Nasser family for more than 100 years, and how the family has been engaged in a long legal struggle to register and protect their land since the Israeli authorities declared it State land in 1991.
Despite the challenges they face, the Nasser family continue their work with a commitment to nonviolence and faith, guided by the principle: ‘We Refuse to Be Enemies.’
Archbishop Sarah Prays At Tent Of Nations In Front Of Olive Tree She Has Just Planted.
Photo: Lambeth Palace
During the visit, Archbishop Sarah planted an olive tree on the farm as a symbol of hope for justice and peace.
Reflecting on her visit, Archbishop Sarah said: ‘It was a privilege to meet and pray with the Nasser family today. They are an example of creative, hopeful, Christian resistance to injustice, and they need the support of Christians around the world.
‘At a time when many Palestinian Christians are leaving, olive trees are a symbol of their deep roots in this land. As this tree grows, I pray that peace grows too in Palestine and Israel. Please pray for the Nasser family, Palestinian Christians and all those working for a just peace in the Holy Land.’
More information
Read more about the Pilgrimage of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
See a social media post from Archbishop Hosam about the joint pilgrimage.
Learn more about the Princess Basma Centre, which is supported by the Diocese of Jerusalem, assisting Palestinian children with disabilities, and Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem, which is supported by the Lutheran World Federation.
Read an article from Anglican News about the release of Palestinian Christian woman, Layan Nasir.
Learn more about Christ Anglican School, Nazareth.
Find out more about holy sites in Nazareth.