RECOMMENDATIONS
Lord Jesus Christ, you were a pilgrim in this Holy Land. Now you lead and guide us on our pilgrimage. As we follow in your steps, we ask the grace to keep our eyes on you. Open our hearts that we may find you not only in ancient stones, but in your people and in each other.
Let your words be a fire burning within us. Write your Gospel upon our hearts. Give us a spirit of prayer that we may return full of grace and love – and not return full of facts only. Lord, Teach us to pray in the very land where you taught your disciples.
The Right Rev. Jon J. Bruno
Bishop of the
Diocese of Los Angeles
California
"Iyad Qumri is an Arab, A Palestinian, and a Christian." He initially began to learn his profession under the tutelage of The Rev. Canon John Peterson, at that time the Dean of St. George's College (Jerusalem); and he became licensed as a Guide by the State of Israel's Ministry of Tourism in 1997. He is fluent in Arabic, English and Hebrew; and by all accounts, he has become one of the most knowledgeable guides in the Holy Land.
Over and above all of this, he is the only Licensed Guide we know of who is an Episcopalian; and having spent most of his life in and around St. George’s Cathedral and College, he is thoroughly familiar with the diocesan parishes and institutions in Israel and the West Bank. In fact, as the direct result of guiding close to 300 Pilgrims from Southern California over the last five years and introducing them to his Palestinian Episcopalian brothers and sisters, I recently had the privilege to make him a Honorary Canon of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Everyone who has traveled with him knows how deserving he is of this recognition, but without exception they also will say that his wife Simone and sons Sami and Rami contribute mightily to his ministry and should share in this recognition. I wholeheartedly agree, and I state unequivocally that there is no one in the Holy Land better equipped to assist in planning and constructing a Pilgrimage tailored to any Pilgrim’s specific objectives and needs."
The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno
"I have worked with Iyad to design pilgrimages since 1999, and the groups always express deep appreciation for his thoughtful attention to minimizing wasted time standing in lines, and creating unique opportunities for prayer and reflection at many of the Holy Places we visit."
The Very Rev. David Duplantier
The Very Rev.
David Duplantier
Dean Christ Church Cathedral
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Right Rev.
Edward J. Konieczny
Bishop of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
"Iyad has the ability to weave historical, cultural and Biblical facts into our Christian story that enhances the spititual nature of the pilgrimages he leads. Working with Iyad to plan our Journeys to the Holy Land is always a joy! His knowledge and attention to detail has made every trip a huge success."
"There are many guides in Israel, but none who possess the commitment, character, and professionalism seen in Iyad. Through his extensive experience, knowledge of the Holy Land, and professional relationships, Iyad is able to guide so journers into a life changing and spiritually enriching pilgrimage. There is no other guide I would consider for any of my trips to the Holy Land."
The Right Rev. Edward J. Konieczny
The Rev. Canon
John L. Peterson
Hendersonville, North Carolina
"For the last 33 years I have been working closely with Iyad Qumri at St. George's College, Jerusalem, and now with Qumri Pilgrimages. Over these three decades I have seen Iyad grow into one of the best, if not the best, tour guide, licensed under the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, leading church groups on Pilgrimages in the Holy Land. Because Iyad is a faithful Palestinian Christian Anglican in the Diocese of Jerusalem, he understands the culture and traditions of pilgrims.
Today the staff of Qumri Pilgrimages offers a high quality pilgrimage for parishes, cathedrals and dioceses. No one can be on a Qumri Pilgrimage without having their understanding of the Scripture deepened and their faith strengthened. Qumri Pilgrimages always open new windows into the Bible, the land, the historic churches in Jerusalem, and the peoples of the land for all pilgrims."
The Rev. Canon John L. Peterson
The SJJE Brothers
Cambridge, MA
"The leadership provided by our longtime friend Iyad Qumri for the 30 members of our “Fellowship of St. John” and four SSJE Brothers was inspired and inspiring. Iyad’s melding of historical, biblical, and political insight; his attention to countless details for us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” in this land of promise and conflict; his gentle humor and sometimes-hard questions made for a transformative experience for all of us pilgrims."
-Curtis Almquist, SSJE
Bishops, Clergy
& Other Group Leaders
We at Qumri Pilgrimages are grateful for these bishops, clergy, and other group leaders with whom we have had the joy of collaborating…and for our abiding friendship!
(In no particular order)
The Reverend Andrew T.P. Merrow
The Reverend Beth Phillips
The Reverend Brenda G. Husson
The Reverend Canon Anne Tumilty
The Reverend Canon Deborah G. Tammearu
The Reverend Canon Denis O’Pray
The Reverend Canon Diane M. Jardine Bruce
The Reverend Canon Howard Anderson
The Reverend Canon John H. Taylor
The Reverend Canon John L. Peterson
The Reverend Canon Susan C. Harriss
The Reverend Carol Anderson
The Reverend Carol Arney
The Reverend D. Wallace Adams–Riley
The Reverend Daniel Simons
The Reverend Deacon Nancy R. Crawford
The Reverend Dennis Gibbs
The Reverend Dr. Anders Bergquist
The Reverend Dr. David Jackson
The Reverend Dr. Deborah Dresser
The Reverend Dr. Jane Patterson
The Reverend Dr. John G. Lewis
The Reverend Dr. Kathleen Galvin
The Reverend Dr. Luk De Volder
The Reverend Dr. Luis Leon
The Reverend Dr. Samuel T. Lloyd III
The Reverend Dwight Dela Torre
The Reverend Donald L. Hamer
The Reverend Doyt L. Conn
The Reverend Eliza R. Ragsdale
The Reverend Gary Bradley
The Reverend Gena Davis
The Reverend Hannah E. Atkins
The Reverend Jodene Hawkins
The Reverend Jonathan B. Coffey, Jr.
The Reverend John D. Badders, Jr.
The Reverend Keith G. Owen
The Reverend Keith Yamamoto
The Reverend Lane Hensley
The Reverend Mark D. Wilkinson
The Reverend Matthew Moretz
The Reverend Meredith Holt
The Reverend Nigel J. Taber- Hamilton
The Reverend Pamela L. Werntz
The Reverend Pat McCaughan
The Reverend Paul Lillie
The Reverend Peter Haynes
The Reverend Peter F. Walsh
The Reverend Ripp Hardaway
The Reverend Robert L. Sessum
The Reverend Robert G. Trache
The Reverend Roy A. Cole
The Reverend Scott J. Brown
The Reverend Stephen Huber
The Reverend Susan Thon
The Reverend Thomas J. Brown
The Reverend Thomason L. Newcomb
The Reverend Whitney Edwards
The Right Rev. Dr. Douglas John Fisher
The Right Reverend Andrew Dietsche
The Right Reverend Anne Hodges-Copple
The Right Reverend Ann Ritonia
The Right Reverend Artemio M. Zabala
The Right Reverend Austin A. Rios
The Right Reverend Bob Gordon Jones
The Right Reverend Carrie Schofield-Broadbent
The Right Reverend Craig W. Loya
The Right Reverend David G. Read
The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe
The Right Reverend DeDe Duncan-Probe
The Right Reverend Don Edward Johnson
The Right Reverend DeDe Duncan-Probe
The Right Reverend Don Edward Johnson
The Right Reverend Dr. Edward J. Konieczny
The Right Reverend Eugene T. Sutton
The Right Reverend Gary Lillibridge
The Right Reverend Gayle E. Harris
The Right Reverend George E. Councell
The Right Reverend Glenda S. Curry
The Right Reverend Gordon P. Scruton
The Right Reverend Jeff W. Mello
The Right Reverend Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows
The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno
The Right Reverend Joe G. Burnett
The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane
The Right Reverend Julia E. Whitworth
The Right Reverend Laura J. Ahrens
The Right Reverend M. Thomas Shaw
The Right Reverend Mary D. Glasspool
The Right Reverend Michael J. Hanley
The Right Reverend Morris K. Thompson
The Right Reverend Canon Philip A. Jackson
The Right Reverend Sally French
The Right Reverend Samuel S. Rodman
The Right Reverend Sean W. Rowe
The Right Reverend Sergio Carranza-Gomez
The Right Reverend Stacy F. Sauls
The Right Reverend Thomas C. Ely
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle
The Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutiérrez
The Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher
The Rt. Rev. Jose A. McLoughlin
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas
The Very Reverend Melissa McCarthy
The Very Reverend Troy Mendez
The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori
The Rev. Gayle Catinella
"Dear Iyad, This pilgrimage has been deeply meaningful. I am so thankful for your deep spirituality, amazing insight and gracious hospitality. I felt safe and able to see all perspectives. I would highly recommend your pilgrimage to anyone and hope to bring my parish someday."
Pilgrims Tim and Laurie Coughlin
"Iyad, Thank you for an enlightening, faith restoring, enjoyable and comfortable two weeks in the Holy Land. Our eyes were opened to the economic and political realities of the Palestinians, our Christian faith deepened, our fellowship expanded with new friends and our safety provided with no worries whatsoever. Our experience with you was the best trip We have taken in our fifty years of marriage. We will be recommending your unique and sacred Holy Land journey to our friends, and we hope to join them with you in the future. If we can ever serve as a reference for those considering a pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by you, please let us know so we can encourage them to take the trip of their lifetimes. God bless you."
Testimonials
The Rev. Doyt L. Conn, Jr.
"Dear Iyad, Just a quick note to thank you for a most wonderful pilgrimage. This is the 5th pilgrimage you have lead for Epiphany Parish Seattle, and as with the others, this was inspirational and transformative. A few of our pilgrims approached this trip with trepidation after the President’s decision to put the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. But you assured them that there was nothing to be uncertain about, and that has proven to be the case, as I knew it would. What I love about working with you, Iyad, is your knowledge of the places, people, and politics on the ground. Which is why you like to say, “Father Doyt. This is my home. I know what is going on here. I have cousins all over the place. I would never put you or anyone in harms way.” That is a true statement indeed, and has been my experience. If you ever have pilgrims that exhibit the same uncertainty that a few from our group did, please have them contact me at. Thank you for continuing to guide people in the footsteps of our Lord."
Pilgrim Alfred P. Moore
"Hello Iyad. I could not think of a better time to write to you about my experience on our journey with you than this our next to last morning in Jerusalem. In a word: it has been superb. Your arrangements for our transportation, accommodation and security have been first rate. Your work with my dear friend Canon Fr. John Peterson to unfold, to reveal his knowledge of faith, tradition and these historic and holy places has been meticulous. It is clearly deeply rooted in your own extensive knowledge, especially of scripture. Congratulations and do keep up the good work. I will be happy to be a reference for you at any time."
Charissa Bradstreet
"I just wanted to write and apologize for the concerns we raised, as it turns out unnecessarily, about safety. In light of President Trump’s announcement about moving the embassy to Jerusalem and declaring it the capital of Israel – and some of the television coverage of a few events in Israel and Palestine – we had three or four people who really weren’t sure they were going to continue with the trip. However, you assured us that you were on the ground, well-connected to sources of information in all the places we would be visiting, and would never put us in harm’s way. Now, having returned, it occurs to me that I could as well have been traveling in the American mid-west. We never encountered anything dangerous, or ever felt on guard. Upon arrival in Israel we stopped being afraid. When I returned home a colleague said to me, “I was worried for you – I saw that there was a huge riot in Bethlehem while you were there.” I replied that I had in fact been in Bethlehem on the day he was talking about and we saw no sign of a “huge riot” but we knew that there were some protesters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch that day. Neither on our way into town, or on our way out that day, were we the least bit concerned. That was a good example to me of how some media accounts exaggerate what is happening. Thank you for good guidance, and your patience with our concerns. We had no need to worry and highly encourage others to trust you and your commitment to providing a wonderful experience for anyone who makes a pilgrimage in the Holy Land. Thank you"
Pilgrim Pieter Drummond
"My son and I just completed a wonderful Pilgrimage in the Holy Land. Ither than a few days of rain the trip was perfect! We had a wonderful time visiting sacred places in many different locations. Not once did we feel concern about safety. In fact we were warmly welcomed in every neighborhood and town whether they were Palestinians or Israelis."