Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), will travel to the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem from Aug. 22 to 30. This trip, his first to the Middle East, honours a request from General Synod 2007 for a solidarity visit to the region.
The Primate and Dr. Andrea Mann, ACC’s global relations coordinator, are scheduled to visit several places in Israel and the Palestinian territories, including the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza; St. George’s College, Jerusalem; and the Cathedral Church of St. George the Martyr, Jerusalem, where he will preach. Archbishop Hiltz and Ms. Mann may also visit several traditional holy sites such as the Mount of Olives and Bethlehem.
“I’m going as a pilgrim,” said the Primate. “I know I’m going to see a lot, listen a lot, and learn a lot. That will help me make that transition to a real partner in terms of Christian witness in the Holy Land.
Archbishop Hiltz also hopes to discuss Anglican-Lutheran cooperation in the region with Bishop Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and Bishop Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
Through the work of its Partnerships department, the ACC has many long-standing connections with the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, of which the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem is a part. ACC provides a small solidarity grant to the province, has supported long- and short-term volunteers, and advocates for peace and justice in the region alongside ecumenical partners KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives and the Middle East Council of Churches.
For updates on this trip, follow Ms. Mann’s blog, Middle East Pilgrimage in Partnership.
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