Bishop Perez is among 10 bishops on pilgrimage for peace
Cleveland Bishop Nelson Perez, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops? Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs, is one of 10 U.S. bishops visiting the Holy Land as part of a pilgrimage for Peace. Bishop Perez was elected as chairman of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church at the USCCB?s fall meeting in November.
During the pilgrimage, the bishops are meeting with Israelis and Palestinians to better understand the situation in the Holy Land and to advocate for bridges, not walls.
They are participating in a prayer event and a Mass each day at a significant site, praying that peace might come to the Holy Land. The bishops are praying with Jewish and Muslim leaders in addition to visiting holy sites, meeting Church leaders, local Christians, talking with Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups, seeing the work of Catholic Relief Services in the area, speaking with public officials and learning about the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Their first stop was Jerusalem. The bishops also visited the Western Wall and Gaza, as well as Wahat al Salam-Neve Shalom (Oasis of Hope), an international community of Palestinians and Jews dedicated to building peace and equality in Israel and the region.
