Join HCEF Fact Finding Mission and Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) invites you to travel with us on a Christian pilgrimage to see the holy sites and meet with the living Christian communities in the Holy Land. Fr. Drew Christiansen, SJ and Donald Kruse will lead our pilgrimage. Both are members of the HCEF Board of Directors, and both Fr. Drew and Don have led many pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Fr. Drew is a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University. The Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah invested him as Canon of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Don Kruse is retired from the United States Foreign Service and has led many pilgrimages to the Holy Land since he was deputy Consul General at the American Consulate in Jerusalem in 1979.

The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)*

Announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 30, 2002

Join HCEF Fact Finding Mission and Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

July 5- 17, 2002

After two thousand years, Christian families are still living and worshiping in the land where Jesus was born, died, and was resurrected. These Christians are not immigrants. They are not converts from Judaism or Islam. They are the descendents of those who first believed in Jesus Christ. They live in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and other places in the Occupied Territories and Israel. They are Arab Palestinian Christians – Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant, the living stones of Christianity. Together, they comprise the Mother Church of the Holy Land. They are calling to us to go and visit them – to be in Christian solidarity with them.

The pilgrimage dates: July 5-17, 2002, Cost: $2,250, Includes round trip airfare from anywhere in the U.S. For more information go to https://www.hcef.org/events/pilgrimage/index.cfm or contact us at toll free no.866-871-HCEF (4233), toll free fax no. 866-871-4234, email: news@hcef.org

These “forgotten faithful” have had a continuous presence in the Holy Land since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago. HCEF is engaged in a number of projects that provide hope and support for the beloved Holy Land Christians. HCEF encourages Christians to remain in the Holy Land in order to maintain a Christian legacy in the land where Christianity was born. HCEF provides funds received from donors to support education of Christian children. HCEF also encourages pilgrimage to the Holy Land and has thus far arranged two Christian pilgrimages during 2002. Military occupation and the Intifada have resulted in the collapse of the tourist and handicrafts industries in the Holy Land. To mitigate these events, HCEF creates markets in the United States for olive wood and mother of pearl handicrafts produced by the 40-50 family workshops in the Bethlehem district. Most importantly, HCEF is creating awareness of the plight of Holy Land Christians and informs Americans about the impact that military occupation has had on the spiritual, social and economic lives of all Palestinians living in the land where the Prince of Peace was born, taught and died.

The Holy land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is an all-volunteer 501c3 organization with the mission of informing Americans about the ongoing plight of Christians in the Holy Land and provides humanitarian assistance to relieve suffering, educational support and assists in job creation.

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* The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a tax exempt, non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of Christians in the Holy Land by developing bonds of solidarity with Christians in the United States. HCEF, PO Box 6687, Silver Spring, MD 20906. (301) 951-9400, Fax (301) 951-9402, www.hcef.org. email: news@hcef.org, Toll Free (866) 871-4233