Pilgrim Escapes Holy Land Amid Missile Strikes with Faith and a Nun by His Side

Jerusalem, June 20, 2025 : Cameron Mumford arrived in Jerusalem on 6 June for a quiet solo Catholic pilgrimage. By the end of his stay, he was fleeing a war zone, clutching his rosary and scapular, accompanied by a Romanian Orthodox nun, as missiles streaked across the night sky.

“I did not let go of my rosary or my brown scapular,” the 29-year-old pilgrim from the Diocese of Nottingham told CNA. “I kept praying for people to be safe.”

Mumford had previously visited the Holy Land in 2017, but this time he returned seeking deeper spiritual healing and time for prayer. He stayed at a hostel just five minutes from the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and spent his days attending Masses with the Franciscans, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, and receiving a brown scapular from the Carmelites in Bethlehem. On his first day, he shared online: “Praying inside the tomb of Jesus Christ is a surreal experience. I’m so blessed to be here right now.”

But peace turned to panic on 13 June when sirens woke him at 3 a.m. Israel had launched Operation Rising Lion, striking over 100 Iranian targets. Iran retaliated that same night with missile and drone attacks. From his rooftop, Mumford saw the Iron Dome intercept missiles in a blaze of white light. “It was like meteorites,” he said.

Forced to take shelter in the hostel lobby, Mumford joined around 20 travellers — including a Romanian nun, Mother Epifania. The two kept vigil in prayer through the night. The next day, as pharmacies and churches closed and streets emptied, Mumford, short on medication, grew increasingly anxious.

On 15 June, sirens again wailed. “The whole building was shaking. I had a ‘memento mori’ moment,” he said. “I thought I might not wake up tomorrow.”

At dawn, Mother Epifania asked Mumford to escape with her. They stopped to pray at the locked doors of the Holy Sepulchre before making their way to the Allenby Crossing. Paying their way onto a bus near the front of the queue, they were the last vehicle permitted through before the border closed.

But their trials continued. As they waited, a siren sounded — an attack was imminent. “I wasn’t praying to be kept safe,” Mumford recalled. “I was asking God to forgive me and protect my family.” Mother Epifania whispered gently: “Don’t worry. God is with us. Keep praying.”

Eventually, they crossed into Jordan. Flights were scarce. Mumford booked a £470 flight to Düsseldorf while the nun found a connection to Istanbul. They parted ways at Amman Airport with a handshake and blessing.

Back home, Mumford is still coming to terms with the experience. “It amazes me,” he said, “that I went to Mass on Calvary the very morning it all began — and made it out with a nun beside me, reminding me to keep praying.”

Source: CNA News