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.

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. 

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.