St George's cathedral, Gethsamene, St Peter in Gallicantu and Mount Zion

St George's and organ, Garden tomb sign, St Stephen's, Gethsamene, St Peter Gallicantu and model of the city, Mount Zion, statue of David, Dormition abbey
Saturday 15th November. We had a morning off so set off for a walk from the hotel to St George's Anglican cathedral where I worshipped during Holy Week 1972. There is now a very fine Rieger organ and we were delighted to find embroidered hassocks from Coulsdon (St Andrew and St Francis) and Croydon. There is a very nice pilgrim house. The Garden Tomb is much bigger than I remember with a winepress. Nearby we found St Stephen's basilica and a Dominican Mass with organ in progress. This could be the site of Stephen's martyrdom. To the Church of All Nations, Gethsamane which was very crowded and a Brazilian Mass in progress. Nearby is the Tomb of Mary and the Betrayal grotto and olive press. Maranatha tours treated us to a Middle Eastern lunch after all our problems about hotels and cash! It was delicious but there was far too much to eat! To Mass at St Peter in Gallicantu. The church commemorates Peter's betrayal and the cock is seen as the weathervane of this fine church. The batteries in the keyboard failed so Liz sang the psalm unaccompanied. It was her birthday and the group gave her a lovely card and keyring. We descended to the prison below the church but it was too crowded and busy for us to go into the dungeon where Christ may have been held. This could have been the house of Caiaphas and the steps are certainly from the period. In 1972 we walked down them in the dark on Maundy Thursday going to Gethsamane led by Bishop George Appleton. We overlooked the possible site of the pool of Siloam which is where the baptisms at the first Pentecost probably took place. An interesting model of the city. To the Cenacle (Upper Room) which now a mosque in the middle of a Jewish diaspora school! Pope Benedict wants it back which is odd as it is not authentic! To the Dormition abbey Mount Zion for nice cup of tea and vespers in German. Fr Josef greeted us very warmly. The organ was well played if rather chromatic. Much mention of kings in the psalmody perhaps because the Kaiser founded the monastery. The community is young and growing and the abbot is only 38. Lay people sat with the monks in the apse.