Today was an historic day in the Diocese of Jerusalem. For the first time since the establishment of Israel in 1948, a brand new Episcopal church has been consecrated in the Holy Land: Christ the King Church Tarshiha in Upper Galilee, near the Lebanese border. At noon, Archbishop Suheil Dawani, Bishop Hosam Naoum, and diocesan clergy gathered with Fr. Hatim Jiriys and representatives from his congregation for a moving service of consecration for the beautiful new building. Over the past three years, the parish has partnered with congregations in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, who have generously contributed towards the construction [...]

The Diocese of Jerusalem and the Diocese of Southwark in England met together online to sign an historic Covenant Agreement, formalizing a Companion Relationship between the two dioceses. Following their worship together in noonday prayer, Archbishop Suheil Dawani and Bishop Christopher Chessun signed the agreement, which commits the two dioceses to deepening their relationship with each other in prayer, spiritual reflection, theological education, mutual support, and pilgrimage. The event was broadcast live on YouTube and can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/OwvdnvXLz84

Because of lockdown restrictions, today's annual exchange of Christmas greetings between the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem was smaller and had to be done virtually. Nevertheless, the shared messages of hope in our celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas time were no less heartfelt, as were the expressed wishes for a Happy New Year, one in which we see an end of the pandemic and a new commitment by the nations of the world to work for a just and lasting peace here in the land where Jesus was born.