The morning began with each of the coaches setting off to visit a project, which the churches in and around Bethlehem are working on to ensure that people who are on need are cared for appropriately. The red coach went to L’Arche near Bethlehem. In keeping with all L’Arche projects this one works with people with disabilities. Usually, the communities are residential but it is not possible here because of the restrictions on Palestinian people. But, a group of young people and adults come each day and work together on money generating projects which help them to live and help the L’Arche community as a whole. There is a hostel run by L’Arche near the community and two of the core members of the community work here. This project was supported by a recent Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call.

The green coach went to St Martha’s House which is a project for older women. Most of them have been widowed and their families have emigrated to find work and build a future and so they have no one to look after them. They visit two days a week and spend time together with activities, food and conversation, when they would otherwise be alone. It is the first project of its kind near Bethlehem and the project director hopes to be able to offer more services, including hospice care in the future. Keeping these projects going is very hard and they both rely on donations. St Martha’s House is likely to be one of the projects for the 2024 Bishop’s Lent Call. We were reminded during the day to support the Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call for 2023. This year’s project in the Holy Land is The Arab Episcopal Medical Centre in Ramallah, Palestine and it, and the other projects, need our prayers and support so do consider what you can give to them by finding out more at southwark.anglican.org/lentcall.

The groups joined up again when the coaches arrived at The Field’s of the Shepherd’s Grotto where we celebrated a mass at which Fr Michael presided and Bishop Christopher gave the homily. It is always weird to sing carols in March, but it is so appropriate to do so and we much enjoyed ‘While Shepherds watched their flocks’ to the tune of On Ilkley Moor Bar Tat! This is a beautiful place to explore and there is a wonderful chapel there as well as the altar spaces in the fields for the pilgrims to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

After lunch, we went to Bethlehem to visit the Basilica and Grotto of the Nativity and were really pleased to be able to visit the grotto, where Jesus is said to have been born and where we can see the manger, without the horrendous queue that we had been expecting.

We were also able to visit the beautiful Church of St Catherine next to the Basilica but didn’t make it to St Jerome’s caves because there were services going on in there.

Thursday included shopping too!

Back to our hotel, and dinner and the evening meeting, before packing up as we left Jerusalem on Friday for the Lake of Galilee and the sites of so much of Jesus’ ministry. At each meeting we have been asking our Pilgrims to share their thoughts as they have journeyed round. These words from Justin and Cecilia Gillot takes us back a bit to the night that we arrived in Tel Aviv. Cecilia was born and brought up in Brazil and it might be that this caused some of the issues that arose. But what it does show us is that it can never be taken for granted that things will be easy and go simply in this wonderful varied and troubled land.

They write:

“For us, the trip started with a rather light interview at the El Al check in desk, but then there were some signs of what was to come ahead.

When Cecilia tried to board the plane her boarding card flagged up as red and she was asked some more question and they also looked at my passport. Cecilia’s passport includes 2 family maiden names in the surname so our names are not identical and they kept asking us if we were married.

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv airport and at passport control Cecilia was detained and not allowed through as more questions needed to be answered. They kept her passport and she had to go and wait at the side. Apparently, they offered her a sandwich while she waited which could be an ominous sign of how long she was going to be detained. Looking a bit shell shocked I took my issued visa and went off to get the bags and find help.

I was glad to find Mark Charlton – one of the leaders of the Pilgrimage – who arranged for luggage to be taken to the hotel, and the two of us waited for the outcome.

Having seemed to answer all the extra questions correctly, Cecilia and I were reunited in the baggage claim hall after about an hour.

Mark had decided the fastest way into town was via a train, so we all went to find the station which was conveniently just outside the exit of the airport terminal. Our £4 tickets got us into Jerusalem in 40 mins. We were also helped by friendly locals travelling in the same direction who ensured we got on the correct train as we were looking a bit lost.

We then jumped into a cab and arrived at the hotel at about 23.50. We were greeted by the Dean Andrew and Bishop Christopher, who were glad to see we had made it to the hotel. Food and little wine was consumed and off to bed we went at about 1 am, as breakfast was at 7am, with the coaches leaving at 8am on the dot.”

Another of our number was detained too but arrived at the hotel with Justin and Cecilia. The Holy Land is a wonderful place and full of so much to see, do and learn but it is always worth expecting the unexpected!