Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Christian pilgrims should return to the Holy Land to support the mission of Palestinian Christians to their own young people - the Revd Samuel Barthoum, Vicar of Christ Church, Nazareth told over 35 Walsingham pilgrims from the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Nazareth this weekend.

It was a unique meeting. The Revd Philip North, the Administrator of the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (known as England's Nazareth) celebrated Mass in the Anglican Church, just a few hundred yards from the historic place of the Annunciation.

Father Barthoum joined the congregation for a Mass for peace. Afterwards, he urged more British pilgrims to come to Nazareth to support his mission to encourage young people not to emigrate but to stay in the town where Jesus spent most of his life in the Holy Land. "For the future of the Church in this Holy Land, we need them to stay. Come and pray with us and support us," he told the pilgrims who are on an 8-day pilgrimage.

During the week they also visited Bethlehem, Jericho, Jerusalem and the whole Galilee Region. The group experienced no problems in visiting all of the places on their programme.

A highlight of the pilgrimage was a celebration of the Mass at the Mount of Beatitudes when Father North led the Walsingham pilgrims in prayers for peace.

The Holy Land Pilgrimage brings a year of "Magnificat" at the Shrine to an end before Advent begins.

During 2004 the image of Our Lady has visited a wide range of secular places including a prison, an army barracks, an airport and shopping centre

Article from: Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

Further Details available from:
James Pieslak at the Shrine Media Office
01274 599622
pr33rpm@aol.com
http://www.walsingham.org.uk