In late November, Dean Gregory Jenks met several Bishops of the Episcopal Church of the Philippines during his  brief visit to St Andrew’s Theological Seminary in Manila. During that visit the Prime Bishop mentioned that he was leading a delegation of bishops to Jerusalem in December and asked if the College could facilitate their program.

The visit was to be very brief: just 5 days. But the College was able to arrange a program at short notice. The Dean had the pleasure of renewing his acquaintance with these Filipino bishops and the other members of the delegation, as he accompanied them to selected holy sites: Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A highlight of the last day in this program was to walk the Via Dolorosa prayerfully together as pilgrims in the streets of the Old City.

After joining the Arabic congregation for worship on Sunday morning, together with a number of Filipino Episcopalians who are here as guest workers, the Bishops led a  performance of indigenous music and dance. The brief video of this performance, which was offered as an expression of thanks for their pilgrimage in the Holy Land, offers a glimpse into this aspect of our ministry at the College.