Bishop Donal McKeown A group of bishops from around the world is visiting the Holy Land to remind Christians there that they are not forgotten by their fellow Christians, Derry’s Bishop Donal McKeown has said.
Bishop McKeown is visiting Israel and the Palestinian Territories as part of an international delegation of bishops from Europe, North America and Africa. The annual visit, organised by the Bishops of England and Wales and first suggested by the Holy See 20 years ago with the aim of visiting and supporting Christian communities in the area, is this year focused on education and young people.
“A key purpose of our pilgrimage is to remind the Christian communities in the Holy Land that they are not forgotten by their brothers and sisters in other parts of the world,” Dr McKeown said.
The 15 bishops have been visiting schools and meeting students and other young people from Gaza, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. As part of their hope of contributing to peaceful dialogue in the area, the bishops also met in Jerusalem with the Parents Circle – Families Forum, a body which brings together more than 600 Israeli and Palestinian families who lost relatives due to the prolonged conflict and who today, through various initiatives, support peace, reconciliation and tolerance.