Some of you have noticed that recently we’ve been including our “Sister Parish in the Holy Land” as we say the Prayers of the People every Sunday. Who is our Sister Parish, and why we are praying for them?
Some years ago, when Denis O’Pray was our rector, he decided to offer a COS Pilgrimage to the Holy Land as a way to make Lent more meaningful. Many of us went, and it was an incredible experience! When we came home we wanted to share with our friends what we had learned and felt. We came up with the idea of adopting a Sister Parish over there.
The church, St. Paul’s Anglican Episcopal Church, was chosen in consultation with the Bishop of Jerusalem and our bishop at the time, Jon Bruno. St. Paul’s is 150 years old and is located in Shefa Amr, a suburb of Nazareth, in the Galilee area of Israel. Its parishioners are Palestinian Episcopalians (who are also citizens of Israel). The parish is about the same size we are.
The very dynamic rector of this wonderful church is Fr. Fuad Dagher. Besides being the rector there, Fr. Fuad is also the “Canon for Reconciliation” for the entire Diocese of Jerusalem. Quite a big job! Blessed with a magnificent voice, Fr. Fuad is invited to sing and play his guitar frequently, in many churches (including COS). He has been over here to visit us three times. COS parishioners have made several pilgrimages over the years since that first one, and all of our pilgrims have visited St. Paul’s.
So far, the unrest in Israel and Gaza has not directly threatened our Sister Parish. They have definitely welcomed our prayers!