Once again, welcome!  Feel free to contact us with any questions, suggestions, thoughts or ideas to help us continue into a wonderful and exciting future.  May Our Lord guide and direct us, and grant you and yours His blessings and peace.
 

There were 21 of us from the parish who set out to Israel to visit the Holy Land.  The pilgrimage was wonderful.  It was beautiful and inspiring.  We visited, with a knowledgeable guide, many important historic places of Jesus’ life and ministry.  We celebrated Holy Mass everyday at a different location, some included, the place of the Holy Sepulcher, The Church of St. Joseph, where the Holy Family lived, and Peter’s Primacy, close to the rock where Jesus after He resurrected, told St. Peter to “feed my sheep.” 

We stayed at a resort on the Sea of Galilee in Tiberius for a few nights, and then journeyed by bus to the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem for the remaining eight nights.  There in Jerusalem, we were a couple of blocks from the Old Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified. 

We traveled by bus to so many sites.  All amazing!  The place where Jesus’ first miracle took place at the wedding feast in Cana, the hill where Jesus wept over Jerusalem, Mt. Tabor where Jesus was Transfigured before His Apostles, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, a holy hour alone in the Garden of Gethsemane at night, Bethlehem, Jericho, the Dead Sea scrolls, Caiaphas’ home, St. Elizabeth’s home where she greeted her cousin Mary and Luke’s Gospel recalls Mary’s response:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
He has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed;
The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him,
From generation to generation…     

I could go on and on about the trip.  Luckily, we didn’t get hung up in Heathrow airport because of the volcano in Iceland.  We flew out right on time.  The flights were long.  Boston to Heathrow, then Heathrow to Tel Aviv. 

And yes, I did go on the wrong bus once.  I ran out of the restaurant and right into a bus that looked like ours…but instead, was filled with Iraqi tourists who were surprised to see me to say the least! 

My guide told me that Jerusalem is special when it comes to tourism.  Jews, Christians, and Muslims from all over the world, visit the Holy Land, because of its importance to each group.

Our bus driver, Ferris is a Catholic from Jordan who’s living in Israel.  Our guide Maher is a Catholic Palestinian living in Israel.  They were both fantastic and very helpful. 

I hope to display some pictures of the trip on the website…I’ll keep you posted!!