Bishop Richard J. Malone will be among 18 Catholic bishops from the United States taking part in the Bishops' Prayer Pilgrimage for Peace in the Holy Land, scheduled for Sept. 10-19. Bishop Malone will deliver a prayer at Jacob's Well in Ramallah on Sept. 14, and lead a Muslim-Christian Prayer for Peace with students at Bethlehem University on Sept. 18.

A collaborative project of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services, the pilgrimage will raise consciousness in the U.S. about the need to pray for peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land.

"There is an urgency to give a witness on the part of the Catholic Church in the United States, through the bishops, to recognize the need for peace and justice, and use this witness as another way of resolving this violent situation," Bishop Malone said.

The itinerary includes Jerusalem for a tour of Church of the Holy Sepulchre and an interfaith prayer service with Christians and Jews; Mass with Palestinian Christians in Ramallah; Masses at the Mount of Beatitudes in Galilee and the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth and a meeting with Michael Ratney, U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem.

This marks Bishop Malone's third pilgrimage to the Holy Land. "I always look forward to walking in the places where Jesus and the apostles walked," he said. "It's powerful. For example, when you stand in the Garden of Olives, you never ever hear or read those scripture stories again the same way."

Bishop Malone will be tweeting from the Holy Land @BishopRJMalone.