קתדרלת סנט ג'ורג'

For any Anglican especially, a visit and worship service at St. George’s Cathedral will be quite meaningful. Many pilgrimage groups stay in its guest house. The complex includes a school, college and the offices of the Archdiocese of Jerusalem. Small, as cathedrals go, it’s Gothic Revival architecture and familiar space plan will be recognizable to anyone of this faith. The nave alternates rough and smooth surfaces in the side aisles and pilasters holding up a wooden ceiling. Particularly charming are the needlework kneelers (used as seat cushions here) contributed by parishes across England. I found US Episcopal prayer books in the pews. An ornate baptismal font presented by Queen Victoria completes the effect. The close is organized around a series of small gardens with such Anglo names as Myrtle and Lavender. One can only imagine a parish tea in the larger Bishop’s Peace Garden. The guest house offers small and spare en suite rooms with comfortable beds and reliable hot water. Meals are presented buffet style, and a basic bar offers cocktails and Palestinian wine and beer. When I returned, friends asked me had I seen the Cathedral Cat. Yes, I had. Sunning in the gardens and curled up beneath the Archbishop’s chair, this tabby holds tenure.