On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the Holy Coordination of Episcopal Conferences, who have been on a pilgrimage of solidarity in support of the Church in the Holy Land since January 17, visited the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

During the visit, the delegation met with His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who briefed them on the four regions of the Diocese of Jerusalem and the pastoral challenges facing the local Church.

The visit continued with the celebration of Holy Mass at the Pro-Cathedral, followed by a meeting with Mr. Sami El-Yousef, Chief Executive Officer of the Latin Patriarchate, who presented the Patriarchate’s efforts in stewarding the mission of the Mother Church, concluding with a Zoom call with Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, who updated the delegation on the current situation in Gaza.

The theme of the 2026 visit is: ‘A Land of Promise: Encounter and Dialogue with People of Hope.’

The official title for the group is the ‘Holy Land Co-ordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land’, and it comprises bishops from Europe, the United States and Canada.  Representing Ireland is Bishop Paul Dempsey, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dublin and chairman of Trócaire; Mr Seán Farrell, chief executive officer of Trócaire; and, Rev Dr Gary Carville, executive secretary of the Commission for Social Issues & International Affairs of the Bishops’ Conference.

According to Bishop Dempsey, “Our visit is pastoral in nature and seeks to offer confidence and reassurance to the Christian communities of the Holy Land by way of prayer, pilgrimage, presence and dialogue.  We also hope to remind Catholics across the world to remain attentive to the conditions under which their sisters and brothers live, and worship, in the land of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.  We are particularly looking forward to meeting the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa OFM, who visited Ireland in July 2024.”

Mandated by the Holy See, the Holy Land Co-ordination meets and travels to the Holy Land every January with a focus on prayer, pilgrimage and persuasion.  Its aim is to act in solidarity with the Christian community as it experiences pressure in the Holy Land.  Since 1998 the Coordination group has met at the invitation of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land.