Connecticut Episcopalians, bishop arrive home after Iran attacks end Holy Land pilgrimage

A group of 10 Episcopalians from the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, including Bishop Jeffrey W. Mello, bottom right, landed safely at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on March 3 after armed conflict broke out in the Middle East last weekend, abruptly ending their Holy Land pilgrimage. Photo: Jeffrey W. Mello/Facebook

[Episcopal News Service] A group of 10 Episcopalians from the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, including Bishop Jeffrey W. Mello, arrived safely home in Connecticut on March 3 after armed conflict broke out in the Middle East last weekend, abruptly ending their Holy Land pilgrimage.

“We have felt deeply supported by all of your prayers for us. And we are grateful for your prayers for our siblings in the Holy Land, and for all living under the threat of violence and war right now,” Mello said on a March 3 post on his personal Facebook page.

The pilgrims, who arrived Feb. 21 in Tel Aviv, Israel, had just completed the eighth day of their 12-day pilgrimage and were in Bethlehem when the United States and Israel on Feb. 28 launched a series of joint attacks on Iran. The pilgrims sheltered in place for a day at St. George’s College in Jerusalem after Iran began firing retaliatory missile and drone strikes throughout the Middle East, including the Holy Land.

The pilgrims’ guides helped them transfer by van to neighboring Amman, Jordan, whose airspace is still open as of March 3, according to the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority. They flew from Jordan and arrived back in the U.S. at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York one day before they were scheduled to return to Connecticut.

In his Facebook post, Mello called for prayers for armed conflict to end peacefully, and for the safety of those who live in the Holy Land.

“Please continue to pray for a swift, just, and peaceful end to this conflict, and for all peoples of the Holy Land who remain in harm’s way,” Mello said. “May the peace that passes all understanding be upon them, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.”