2010-10-12 Holy Land Pilgrimage

October 24th letter from the trip’s Spiritual Director:

I pray this day and everyday finds you finally safe and sound in your homes. It is cold and windy here in New York about 50 degrees cooler than Israel. I have been praying for your safe arrivals and also thanking God for giving me the privilege of serving you on our recent pilgrimage. You are a very wonderful, devout group of people. I know some of you had truly profound experiences with the living God in Israel and I pray that God will continue to pour abundant blessings and graces upon all of you and your families. Sorry my cold slowed me down a bit, so I pray I can serve better next time with more love and joy. I will keep you in my private intentions at Holy Mass and in my private prayers. If there is anything I can do for you please e-mail or call, its no problem. If you are ever in NY, please let me know.
God bless you all always.

In Christ’s love and peace,
Fr. Tom Desimone

Pre-Pilgrimage Letters are now linked below to help you prepare for your trip.
Letter #1 Who you will meet, and & important documents you should have
Letter #2 Packing and preparation tips
Letter #3 What will happen once you arrive, procedures and expectations

Pilgrims please comment below or email us with links to your photo albums.
Here are a few that have been sent to us already:
Dennis and Paula Jean Conrad’s Photos on facebook (you may need to be their “friend” to view)
Album 1, Album 2, Album 3, Album 4

We will be posting virtual pilgrimage videos  and pilgrim photo albums here as they become available. Stay tuned…

Arrival

Capernaum, Boat Ride & More…

Beatitudes, Tabgha, Transfiguration

Fifty excited pilgrimages on my bus through the Holy Land. Started with Mass at the place where Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) with the Sea of Galilee below us. Fr. Tom DeSimone celebrated a reverent Mass with an exhilarating homily.

Then to the place where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish — and YES, it was really a miracle and not just teaching selfish people to share. Read my article on that topic here.

Then to the Primacy of Peter where Jesus met the disciples after his resurrection and made them breakfast on a charcoal fire. We all saw the rock where he fed them and waded in the sea.

After that we ate St. Peter’s Fish then drove to the mountain of Transfiguration. Amer and I each gave a talk about the Church and the Transfiguration before we headed back to the hotel to give every one the late afternoon and evening free to swim in the Sea of Galilee, to pray or rest. All is going very well.

Nazareth

Bethlehem Parts 1 & 2

Breakfast, shopping, Nativity, Shepherd’s Field, Mass in a Cave, Hebron.

Part II: Dinner and dancing in Bethlehem

Via Dolorosa, Mass at the tomb of Christ, Run around walls of Jerusalem

We started the day with a 4:30 AM wake-up call. Too early? None of our pilgrims thought so since we could enjoy the Way of Sorrows, the Stations of the Cross, without crowds that swell the streets of Jerusalem these days.

We prayed the Stations of the Cross into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where we all touched the top of Calvary. Had we touched it 2,000 years ago our hands would be sticky with His Blood.

Then we toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and got our benches for Mass in front of the Tomb of Christ. This is a very special honor and very few people get the privilege of this Mass. Fr. Tom and Fr. Ambrose did a great job.

Then we walked back to Notre Dame’s Vatican Hotel for breakfast and to freshen up. Then to the Western Wall and the Church of the Visitation.

After that we gave everyone the afternoon and evening free to go back and visit the Tomb, shop, rest, take walks, and more. I took three pilgrims on a run around the Walls of Jerusalem.

Tomorrow is a busy day exploring the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion. We will have Mass at Gethsemane.

Run

Mount of Olives, Mount Zion, and more.

Last Day

Today we went to Qumran, Masada, Jericho and the Dead Sea. After floating in the Dead Sea we rode camels.

Final Mass with blessing of religious objects, comments from pilgrims as they reflected on their trip, and their departure.