A Litany for the Holy Land

 For use on October 17, 2023, a day of fasting and prayer, called by Archbishop Hosam Naoum, Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem

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God of Love, you created all people as one family and called us to live together in justice, harmony and peace.

Surround us with your love as we pray for the Holy Land.  Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer

God of Righteousness, who demands that our worldly governors take up their responsibility to protect those in their charge and uphold the dignity of all human beings, pour your wisdom into the leaders of this world [especially Benjamin Netanyahu, the leaders of Hamas, and Joe Biden].  

For all who bear such responsibility, that they may put the good of the whole over their own greed for power, Lord, in your mercy,
HEAR OUR PRAYER.

God of Compassion, who even in the darkest times, shows us your path: we give you thanks for all those who in the face of crisis wrought by evil-doers, work to help the helpless, to hold out hope to the desolate, to speak for the voiceless and to bring understanding and knowledge to a world darkened by ignorance and hate.

For our siblings who risk much to aid others, that their actions may be successful and their words may be heard, Lord, in your mercy,
HEAR OUR PRAYER.

God of Mercy, who binds up the wounds of those who suffer, bless the victims of the consequences of fear and hate in the last week and over the past 75 years of conflict in the Holy Land: those injured and traumatized, those bereaved and grieving, those held as captives and prisoners, those who face deprivation and desperation because of systems of violence and oppression, so that they may move forward in this life standing firm in your truth and avoiding the temptation of vengeance.

For all whose lives are forever marked by suffering, that they may be blessed with the hope of your presence, Lord, in your mercy,
HEAR OUR PRAYER.

God of Life, whose faithfulness to us in never-ending, we remember before you those who have died by the violence that has become shockingly routine in your Holy Land; receive them into your heart where they may know the peace and joy of eternal life in you.

For all who have died, that they may rest in that place where pain is no more, Lord, in your mercy,
HEAR OUR PRAYER.

God of Justice, who calls us to uphold the dignity of every human being, every child of this earth, beloved of you: empower your Church to help you heal this terrible cycle of violence and revenge; give us courage to rise above our fear that nothing can be done in the face of the conflict and chaos of our own creating; grant us the conviction to advocate for change and to work for the establishment of your peace, your shalom, your salaam, in this broken world.

For your dream of justice and peace on earth, and for us, that we may take up your call to build it, Lord, in your mercy,
HEAR OUR PRAYER.

All this we pray in the name of the One who offered his life so that we might live, Jesus the Christ.  AMEN.

22 October 2023 ~ Holy Eucharist at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Cathedral Road, Philadelphia

 

Jane N. Garrett, 1935-2023 Middlebury, Vermont

 Jane N. Garrett, 1935-2023

Middlebury, Vermont

October 19, 2023

JANE N. GARRETT

MIDDLEBURY — Jane N. Garrett died peacefully on Oct. 12, 2023, at her home at EastView in Middlebury, Vt. Born on July 16, 1935, Jane was the daughter of Edna Davidson Nuckols and D. Elwood Nuckols of Smyrna, Del.

After attending schools in Delaware, Jane earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Delaware. Her marriage in 1957 to Wendell D. Garrett ended in divorce in 1973.

From 1957-68, Jane held administrative positions at the Boston (Mass.) Athenaeum Library. From 1967-2011, Jane worked mainly from Vermont as an editor for the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in New York City, where eight books she edited won Pulitzer Prizes in history. Books Jane edited also won two National book Awards, eight Bancroft Prizes in history, and more than 50 other awards and prizes.

During her publishing career, Jane also lived a full life of ministry in the Episcopal Church. Ordained a priest in the Diocese of Vermont in 1981, Jane served the parish of St. Stephen’s Church in Middlebury as assistant from 1981 to 1987. From 1973-2003, she was very active in the church on the Diocesan and national levels, serving on commissions and committees concerned with peace, justice, and sexuality.

In 1973, Jane spent a year in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) doing adult literacy work, helping  develop a program to publish books for new adult readers; then, before she returned home, trained African teachers to carry on that work.

In 1997, Jane was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Middlebury College. In 1999, the University of Delaware awarded her its Medal of Distinction, “the highest medal awarded by the University… in recognition of cultural/intellectual/scientific achievements.”

Memorial gifts may be made in Jane’s name to Homeward Bound, 236 Boardman St., Middlebury, Vt., 05753; or to Elderly Services, Inc., 112 Exchange St., Middlebury, Vt., 05753.

A memorial service and celebration of Jane’s life will take place at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Middlebury at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.

Diocese of Pennsylvania ~ Diocesan Convention Eucharist ~ 20 October 2023

 

2023 Convention Materials

Jane Nuckols Garrett - 1935-2023

 

Jane N. Garrett, 88, of Middlebury

October 19, 2023

JANE N. GARRETT

MIDDLEBURY — Jane N. Garrett died peacefully on Oct. 12, 2023, at her home at EastView in Middlebury, Vt. Born on July 16, 1935, Jane was the daughter of Edna Davidson Nuckols and D. Elwood Nuckols of Smyrna, Del.

After attending schools in Delaware, Jane earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Delaware. Her marriage in 1957 to Wendell D. Garrett ended in divorce in 1973.

From 1957-68, Jane held administrative positions at the Boston (Mass.) Athenaeum Library. From 1967-2011, Jane worked mainly from Vermont as an editor for the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in New York City, where eight books she edited won Pulitzer Prizes in history. Books Jane edited also won two National book Awards, eight Bancroft Prizes in history, and more than 50 other awards and prizes.

During her publishing career, Jane also lived a full life of ministry in the Episcopal Church. Ordained a priest in the Diocese of Vermont in 1981, Jane served the parish of St. Stephen’s Church in Middlebury as assistant from 1981 to 1987. From 1973-2003, she was very active in the church on the Diocesan and national levels, serving on commissions and committees concerned with peace, justice, and sexuality.

In 1973, Jane spent a year in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) doing adult literacy work, helping  develop a program to publish books for new adult readers; then, before she returned home, trained African teachers to carry on that work.

In 1997, Jane was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Middlebury College. In 1999, the University of Delaware awarded her its Medal of Distinction, “the highest medal awarded by the University… in recognition of cultural/intellectual/scientific achievements.”

Memorial gifts may be made in Jane’s name to Homeward Bound, 236 Boardman St., Middlebury, Vt., 05753; or to Elderly Services, Inc., 112 Exchange St., Middlebury, Vt., 05753.

A memorial service and celebration of Jane’s life will take place at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Middlebury at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18. 

Deadly blast at Anglican hospital in Gaza was ‘crime against humanity,’ archbishop says

 

Deadly blast at Anglican hospital in Gaza was ‘crime against humanity,’ archbishop says BY DAVID PAULSEN Posted 22 hours ago

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[Episcopal News Service] Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum on Oct. 18 decried the blast that reportedly killed hundreds at Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza as a “crime against humanity,” and he called for warring parties on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to bring an end to the violence plaguing the Holy Land.

Naoum, who leads the Anglican province that includes the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, said many Palestinians had come to the Anglican-run hospital seeking a safe haven from the hostilities around them. Groups were gathered Oct. 17 in the courtyard singing songs calling for peace, he said. Soon after, the courtyard was decimated by an apparent airstrike.

The number of casualties and extent of the damage have been hard to verify so far, and Palestinian and Israeli officials have traded blame since the explosion. U.S. officials said Oct. 18 they agreed with Israel: Initial evidence, they said, suggests it was an errant Palestinian rocket, not part of the barrage of rockets Israel has fired into in Gaza targeting Hamas since the militant group’s Oct. 7 cross-border attack. Last week, another part of the hospital complex was damaged by an airstrike.

“We stand as churches united together in condemning this dreadful and devastating massacre,” Naoum said in a news conference that was livestreamed on Facebook. He was joined by other heads of the 13 Christian denominations in the Holy Land, known as the patriarchs. “We regard this as a crime against humanity and we call upon all sides, that this war must come to an end.”

Ahli is one of 22 hospitals in northern Gaza that have been struggling to remain open and respond to the growing humanitarian crisis. The Palestinian territory, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007, now faces renewed Israeli airstrikes and Israel’s impending military attack on Hamas, which controls Gaza. Israel declared war on Hamas after it waged a surprise land, sea and air attack on Israeli soil Oct. 7, massacring hundreds of Israeli civilians. As many as 200 more were taken hostage by Hamas, which the United States has labeled a terrorist organization.

People on Oct. 18 carry an injured man in the area of Al Ahli Arab Hospital where hundreds of Palestinians were believed dead in a blast the day before. Photo: Reuters

The strike that hit the Ahli hospital on Oct. 17 added to already volatile conditions in northern Gaza, which Israel had ordered evacuated as it positioned Israeli soldiers on the border. Palestinian officials say the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed thousands of Palestinians there, though the Israeli military denied that one of its rockets hit the Ahli hospital. Its evidence suggested a Hamas ally, Islamic Jihad, was to blame for the misfired rocket. Islamic Jihad has issued its own denial.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who traveled to Israel on Oct. 18 in a show of support for the country, endorsed Israel’s version of events, saying “data I was shown by my Defense Department” backs it up.

Gazans initially estimated a death toll in the hundreds. As day broke Oct. 18, Palestinians were becoming aware of the full scope of the carnage. “There are still lots of bodies they haven’t yet collected,” a paramedic told The New York Times. “There are too many bodies.”

Naoum said the hospital is closed while authorities tend to the dead and injured, assess the damage and plan next steps.

“We are determined to keep our institutions open, to keep our place of worship, our churches, open and as places of sanctuary, especially to those who are disadvantaged, especially to those who are vulnerable.”

Gaza, with about 2.3 million people confined to about 140 square miles, is one of the most densely populated places in the world, and many of its residents had been sheltering around the hospitals seeking safety from Israeli airstrikes since Oct. 7.

When asked by a reporter, Naoum declined to speculate on who was behind the explosion at the Ahli hospital, but he said Palestinians in Gaza are now living under constant threat of the airstrikes – in their homes, in the streets and even at hospitals. “We hope that in the end people will come to the conclusion that enough with this war and enough with the lives that have been lost on every side,” he said.

Al Ahli Arab Hospital has been ministering as a Christian witness in Gaza City since 1882. The institution was founded by the Church of England’s Church Mission Society and was later run as a medical mission by the Southern Baptist Conference from 1954 to 1982. It then returned to the Anglican Church. Photo: Mary Frances Schjonberg/Episcopal News Service

The hospital’s cancer unit had sustained damage from a previous strike. Four staff members were injured in the Oct. 14 strike, according to AFEDJ. An earlier strike in Gaza destroyed the house of the hospital’s medical director.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby released a written statement on Oct. 18 condemning the most recent attack on the hospital. “This atrocity violates the sanctity and dignity of human life,” Welby said, and while facts about the blast are still in dispute, “it is a violation of humanitarian law, which is clear that hospitals, doctors and patients must be protected.”

“The evil and heinous terror attacks by Hamas on people in Israel were crimes against God and humanity,” Welby continued. “Israel has a legitimate right and duty to defend itself, and to pursue a proportionate and discriminate response to establish its security. The rules of war are there to safeguard civilians and the value of every human life. They must be upheld to the highest degree possible amidst the chaos of conflict, otherwise the cycle of violence will continue for generations to come.”

The strike on the Ahli hospital occurred on a global day of prayer and fasting that was called by the Christian heads of churches in the Holy Land, including the Anglican province. After news of the hospital blast, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry urged Episcopalians to pray for all those harmed or killed in the rapidly evolving conflict.

Curry’s written statement offered a personal lament for the Ahli hospital, noting his visit to Gaza during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land five years ago. “My heart aches when I remember visiting al-Ahli hospital in 2018 during Holy Week to meet the medical teams and all the people of that remarkable ministry,” Curry said. “They were passionately committed to anyone who had need.”

Episcopal leaders also are encouraging Episcopalians to donate to American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, or AFEDJ, which supports the Ahli hospital.

“We are shocked, outraged, and devastated,” Churches for Middle East Peace said in a statement released late Oct. 17. The Episcopal Church is a founding member. “Our hearts are deeply grieved at hearing this news. We express our deepest condolences and ask that the Lord be with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, staff, and all people affected by the bombing of Al Ahli Hospital.”

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

Join us for Prayers for Peace, Tuesday October 17th from 11am-1pm

Join us for Prayers for Peace at St. Mary's Episcopal Church 

on Tuesday October 17th from 11am-1pm

Our doors will be open, 

and our sanctuary and grounds will be open for prayer and meditation.

Join us as we pray for Peace in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, 

as well as Peace around the world.

~The Very Reverend Peter Carey, Rector, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God (Matthew 5:9) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) My Siblings in Christ, As you know, our diocese has a very close, covenantal, relationship with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. In the midst of this terrible violence and bloodshed, my friend Archbishop Hosam asks that Tuesday, October 17th be marked as a day of fasting and prayer. You can read his full letter here.  As Christians we are intimately connected to one another. We are part of the larger Body of Christ. As Episcopalians, we are united with our siblings of the global Anglican Communion.  I therefore ask that the people of this diocese join with our siblings in Jerusalem, the Holy Land, and around the world, on Tuesday, October 17th in deep prayer and fasting. To further support this commitment, I also ask that our churches be opened as sanctuaries of prayer that day. Let us join together to pray for peace, reconciliation and an end to war. The Rt. Rev. Daniel G. P. Gutiérrez X VI Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

A call for prayer and fasting from the Anglican Archbishop and Primate of Jerusalem

 

A LITANY FOR THE RESTORATION OF PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND

 

A LITANY FOR THE RESTORATION OF PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND

God of peace, we pray for the people of Palestine and Israel in these perilous and dangerous times.

For all who are fearful for the safety of their loved ones and themselves, we pray that the assurance of unfailing love, even in the midst of danger, settles upon them. Shelter them from despair and protect them from harm.

For all who are wounded, we pray they find healing.

For all who have died, we pray they find rest.

For all who grieve, we pray they find comfort.

For leaders on all sides, we pray for a renewed will to lay down arms, for the strength to put the grievances and wrongs suffered by their people to rest, and for the conviction to embrace a path of reconciliation and peace that preserves the rights and dignity of all of your children.

God of mercy, help us to remember there is no border that can separate us from your great love and protection, no stone that can sound the well of your deep mercy.

God of justice, we pray with hopeful hearts that your beloved children of the Holy Land will be spared a future of sustained violence and unrest and that a recognition of the humanity of all people will prevail.

We ask all this in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.



– American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

Rick Steves Video: The Holy Land: Israelis and Palestinians Today