The Holy Land Co-ordination of Episcopal Conferences in support of the Church of the Holy Land, the Holy Land Co-ordination, will take place in and around Jerusalem from Saturday, 17 January to Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
The theme for the visit, inspired by the Church’s recent Jubilee Year, is: A Land of Promise: Encounter and Dialogue with People of Hope.
The Holy Land Co-ordination is a pastoral and ecclesial gathering, rooted in prayer, reflection, and attentive listening to the Christian communities and peoples of the Holy Land. The celebration of Mass is central to each day and shapes the rhythm of the meeting.
Bishops attending will represent the Episcopal Conferences of England and Wales, Italy, Germany, the Nordic countries, Ireland, France, the United States, Scotland, Canada, and Spain.
Delegates from the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) and the Anglican Church will also attend, alongside representatives of Catholic organisations working to support the region’s people.
The meeting will be moderated by Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Bishop of Plymouth and Chair of the International Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
The visit will combine meetings with representatives of the local Church with pastoral visits and encounter with local communities. A particular emphasis is placed on support, solidarity and care for the Living Stones – the Christians of the region.
A busy programme includes a visit to the Comboni Sisters to witness their pastoral and humanitarian ministry among Bedouin communities, marked by long-term presence, care for families, and a quiet commitment to dignity and justice at the margins of society. The Sisters’ work supporting Bedouin women was recently recognised with a Caritas Internationalis ‘Weavers of Hope’ award.
The local Church features prominently in the programme. The bishops meet with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, His Excellency Archbishop Yilana, who is also Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.
They will also participate in an online meeting with Fr Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest serving the small Catholic community in Gaza that sheltered hundreds who lost their homes during the conflict.
Further meetings will take place with the Saint James Vicariate, with members of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, and with Rabbis for Human Rights. Delegates will also hear about the work and ministry of the John Paul II Foundation, which focuses on human and community advancement.
Additional pastoral visits include the Ephpheta Paul VI Institute in Bethlehem, which provides rehabilitation and education for deaf children from across the Palestinian Territories, and the Taybeh Elderly Home.
The delegation will visit the Latin Patriarchal Seminary which forms the future pastoral life of the local Church through prayer, study, and service, supporting both ordained ministry and Lay Adult Formation for service across the Holy Land in demanding circumstances.
Finally, a meeting will take place with the Parents Circle – Families Forum, a joint Israeli–Palestinian organisation of more than 800 bereaved families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. In the midst of profound personal loss, members of the Parents Circle have chosen a courageous path: to transform their grief into a commitment to reconciliation, dialogue, and peace.
A vital element of every Co-ordination meeting is celebrating Sunday Mass with a local community. This year, the bishops will celebrate Mass with the parishioners of Christ the Redeemer in Taybeh, spending the day in the village to listen, to share life, and to hear directly of the challenges faced by its people.
Rt Rev Nicholas Hudson
Bishop of Plymouth
Moderator of the Holy Land Coordination
Chair of the International Affairs Department, Bishops’ Conference
England and Wales
Rt Rev Nicolo Anselmi
Bishop of Rimini
Italy
Most Rev Udo Bentz
Archbishop of Paderborn
Germany
Rt Rev Peter Burcher
Bishop Emeritus of Reykjavik
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland
Rt Rev James Curry
Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster.
International Affairs Department, Bishops’ Conference.
England and Wales
Rt Rev Paul Dempsey
Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin
Ireland
Rt Rev Michel Dubost C.I.M.
Bishop Emeritus of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes.
France
Most Rev Antoine Herouard
Archbishop of Dijon
Co-President of Justice & Peace, Europe
Vice-President of COMECE
France
Rt Rev Joseph Kopacz
Bishop of Jackson
International Justice and Peace Department, Bishops’ Conference
United States of America
Most Rev William Nolan
Archbishop of Glasgow
Justice and Peace Scotland
Scotland
Rt Rev Christian Rodembourg M.S.A.
Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe
Canada
Most Rev Joan Enric Vives Sicilia
Bishop Emeritus of Urgell
Spain
Rt Rev Abdallah Elias Zaidan
Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, Bishops’ Conference
United States of America
