We wanted to share the words of Archibishop Suheil, from the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, regarding an exciting new covenant signed between both of our dioceses:
Archbishop Suheil is pleased to announce his signing today of a Companion Relationship Covenant between the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Diocese of Pennsylvania, led by Bishop Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez.
Bishop Daniel was an honored guest at our Diocesan Council (Majma) last November, and he also serves as a board member of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (see pictures below). More recently, he was elected as Chairman of the Compass Rose Society, which has also enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the Diocese of Jerusalem.
Within the Covenant, the two dioceses agreed to pray and support each other, sponsor mutual visits of clergy, laity and youth within each other's dioceses, establish links between diocesan schools, and provide for pilgrimage and sabbatical opportunities for members of the two dioceses.
Archbishop Suheil is especially grateful for the Diocese of Pennsylvania's financial support of many of our charitable institutions, including the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre, the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf, Al Ahli and St. Luke's Hospitals, and the recent relief effort of All Saints, Beirut. This year the Diocese of Pennsylvania will also be hosting the American side of the Christmas simulcast held jointly between Anglicans and Lutherans at the Christmas Church in Bethlehem.
We look forward to the deepening of the relationship between our two dioceses, as well as to welcoming Bishop Daniel back to Jerusalem at some point next year when hopefully the pandemic will have subsided.
