Diocesan News
Looking back on Connor Pilgrims' Journey of Faith
A group of 85 pilgrims from the Diocese of Connor travelled to the Holy Land from March 22 until April 1.
Pilgrims during the Service of Holy Communion on the shores of the Sea of Galilee
It was a wonderfully enriching experience for all, and memories of the sights, smells, worship and fellowship they experienced will endure.
The pilgrims’ journey took them from the wet and windy lanes of the old City of Jerusalem to the sunny shores of the Sea of Galilee and many places in between.
Bishop Alan reflects during the boat ride across the Sea of Galilee
In Jerusalem they walked up the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, site of the crucifixion, prayed in the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane, and took time for reflection at the Wailing Wall in the Jewish Quarter.
They travelled to Bethlehem where they stopped at the place of Jesus’s birth and received communion in the Field of the Shepherds. They floated in the Dead Sea, and climbed high atop the ruins of Herod’s spectacular palace at Masada.
The Rev Jonathan Carmyllie prepares to take the service of Holy Communion in the Field of the Shepherds, Bethlehem
They witnessed the genius of Herod’s builders in the stones of the once magnificent port of Caesarea, and relaxed in the sunshine of Tiberias, where they experienced the calm of Capernaum, celebrated Holy Communion on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and prayed, sang and reflected together on a boat which sailed across that very sea.
The Rev John Cunningham and his wife Linda floating in the Dead Sea
There were many other places to visit along the way, Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, the Dome of the Rock, the Garden Tomb, the sycamore tree in Jericho, the breathtaking wilderness, the Upper Room, St George’s Cathedral where they joined with local Christians in Sunday worship, and the colour and heady smells of the bustling souk.
Then there was the moving Yad Vashem Memorial to the Holocaust, and the Jeel al-Amal Boys’ home where the faces of children with so little shone with joy and love. There were ruins at the Crusader capital Acre and Banias, churches high on the hills of Mount Tabor and the Mount of Olives and many other sites in between, wine to sample at Cana and fun and fellowship to be had at every step.
Everyone who was able did a reading or prayer at the different sites visited along the way.
The sun comes out in Jersualem as Connor pilgrims begin their walk up the Via Dolorosa
The trip was not without times of sadness and some incidences of illness. The bomb in Jerusalem on the first day impacted heavily as the victim, Mary Gardner, was a close friend of one of the group, the Rev Mercia Malcolm. Mary had been on her way to meet Mercia at the pilgrims’ hotel when the bomb exploded.
The pilgrims missed the company of the Rev David Humphries, who took ill just before he was to jointly lead them along with Canon John Mann. Many thanks are due to the Rev Jonathan Carmyllie, Diocese of Manchester, who filled in. Jonathan was an inspirational leader and by the end of the pilgrimage a good friend to all.
The pilgrims crossed borders from Israel into Palestine and Syria, and looked across at the lands of Lebanon from the Golan Heights. Despite the divisions within Israeli society they were greeted with a warm welcome wherever they went
At the final Holy Communion service, on the Galilean lakeshore beside the Church of the Loaves and Fishes, Bishop Alan sang the Blessing with only the birdsong and the lapping lake as accompaniment. It was a memorable moment for everyone
A huge thanks must go to Canon John Mann and the Rev David Humphries for the planning and preparation of the pilgrimage, to Helen Mann, Bishop Alan, his wife Liz and the Archdeacon of Connor, the Ven Dr Stephen McBride, for their friendship,
guidance and good humour.
Canon Mann said: "Helen and I find it hard to put into words the experience that this pilgrimage has been - a huge privilege to lead, with many unforgettable moments of shared singing, reading, prayer and relaxation in the land where Jesus walked."
Bishop Alan described the pilgrimage as “inspirational, challenging and a wonderful way to come back into ministry in the diocese.”
For further information please contact:
Connor Diocesan Communications Officer
Contact Details
Karen Bushby
028 4066 0798
07766103880
[email protected]