On a recent visit to Auckland and Wellington, Dean of St George’s College in Jerusalem, the Very Rev Richard Sewell invited Anglicans from Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia to deepen their faith and biblical understanding through a study pilgrimage to the Holy Land. 

St George’s College sits in St George’s Anglican Cathedral close in East Jerusalem, and hosts study pilgrimages led by clergy scholars and chaplains.

St George’s was founded in 1920 as a seminary for Palestinian Anglican clergy and today continues its tradition of offering theological education on location at the sacred sites – with a Palestinian Anglican perspective and a scholarly edge. 

Manukura of St John’s Theological College Dr Emily Colgan met with Dean Richard Sewell at his talk at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland and was impressed to hear about the College's work, 

“It was inspiring to hear of pilgrims encountering God in Christ through their journeying to these ancient sacred places.” 

“St George's College is also an important presence in the Holy Land, engaging positively with Jewish and Palestinian communities amidst the deep complexities of that context.” 

Each of St George’s study pilgrimages are led by a priest-scholar and supported by a chaplain, often with backgrounds in related fields such as church history, archaeology or biblical scholarship. 

But Dean Richard says it’s not only academic depth or spiritual nurture that make St George’s pilgrimages a special way to bring Anglican and Episcopalian pilgrims to touch the stones where Jesus stood. 

“We always make a point of saying that in addition to the ‘ancient stones’, we are really concerned about the living stones – the Christians who are the community of the church in the Holy Land today.” 

Dean Richard says the 8000 Anglican Christians in Jerusalem Diocese know that they share in two millennia of unbroken Christian witness in their home, reaching back to the time of Christ and the Early Church. 

“We, the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem are part of that ancient church. We are the local church. Most of the clergy and the vast majority of the congregation are Palestinian people, and Israelis, and we continue that unbroken witness.” 

“It’s really important for people to realise that when they come, they are not coming simply to a museum of the past, but to the lived reality of the people today.” 

Auckland religious studies teacher Rebecca Berry Eden and her husband Archdeacon Michael Berry took part in the Palestine of Jesus pilgrimage back in 2018, and noticed the difference between their course and the way other tourist groups moved around.

“Typically, people in those groups were rushed around sites and told ‘look at that’ and ‘here is this thing’ and ‘on we go’.” said Michael. 

“I tell people who have even the slightest interest in the Holy Land that a pilgrimage with St George’s will provide for a far more faithful and meaningful engagement with this very special place.”

After three pilgrimages, Rev Ivica Gregurec from Holy Trinity Cathedral Auckland has been so inspired by St George’s window into faith and history, that now he serves on the College’s Pacific Regional Committee.

Ivica particularly cherishes his encounters in the Holy Land as the ministry of a sister church in the Anglican Communion.

“In places like the parish in Nazareth, it was very good to meet our people practising their faith in the land of Jesus and to get to know the living church today.” 

Ivica reports that hearing Anglicans’ stories of life in East Jerusalem was eye-opening too. 

“There are so many restrictions and limitations imposed by Israel’s occupation that have negative affect on Palestinians and Israeli citizens trying to live there as Christians.”

“For example, Palestinians from West Bank can’t visit Bethlehem without a permit – then only certain days and only limited numbers.”

Ivica was concerned to hear about restrictions on travel to important holy places, but discovered that was only the beginning. 

“For Palestinians who live in Gaza, it’s extremely hard, if not impossible, to visit family members or to get specialist medical care when they want to or need to – be it in Israel, or elsewhere in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.” 

Ivica also heard how difficult it can be for Arab Christians have to juggle living as a religious minority in the Palestinian majority Muslim context and as a Christian minority in Israel.

“So I really admire what the Church achieves despite their challenges. The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem does extraordinary work, which is much wider and bigger than the ministry to their own members.”

While in Aotearoa, Dean Richard met with Anglican Missions staff to catch them up on some of the work the Jerusalem Diocese does for its communities. 

For example, in East Jerusalem and in Gaza, the Diocese of Jerusalem provides health and education services for Palestinian people in areas where the Government of Israel doesn’t deliver services. 

These include Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City which offers specialist maternity services and the Princess Basma Centre in East Jerusalem which schools around 450 children, 40% of whom live with disabilities.

Each year St George’s College contributes financial support to the diocese, as well as ministering to its pilgrims. 

Due to pandemic pressures, St George’s study pilgrimages were booked out for 2023, but for 2024 scholars can choose from pilgrimages of between eight days and two weeks including: “Palestine of Jesus”, “In the Footsteps of Jesus”, “The Bible Lands” and “Easter in Jerusalem”. 

Also on offer next year are study pilgrimages on the “Holy Land and the Arts”, and true to its origins, a Jerusalem-based ministry formation course specially designed for clergy and ordinands. Opportunities to undertake a sabbatical at St George’s are also possible on negotiation with the College. "Women in the Bible" is another regularly run pilgrimage at St George's.

St George’s College offers one more course for scholars experienced in interfaith relations in a dialogue-shaped programme that welcomes pilgrims from across the three Abrahamic faiths: “Sharing perspectives: Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land.”

Dean Richard warmly invites Pacific Anglicans to experience the transformative experience of a study pilgrimage at St George’s College. 

"Many pilgrims tell us it is a uniquely moving experience to come and study the Holy Land at St George's. Pilgrims leave inspired afresh to live out their call to follow Christ – and they tell us that inspiration lasts a lifetime.” 

For more information go to Saint George’s College Jerusalem.
Watch a 10min video Introduction to St George’s College study pilgrimages