A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Bishop Weisenburger

Please pray for Bishop Weisenburger and his fellow pilgrims as they journey to the Holy Land to walk in the footsteps of Jesus!

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The term “pilgrim” refers to a person on a journey in search of God. In a real sense, this can describe an entire lifetime. Paradoxically, however, we also know that God is present everywhere and needs only to be found in the everyday experiences of our lives.

There is something very special and sacred for Christians in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the land of Jesus. Within the boundaries of present-day Israel and Palestine is a history of God’s revelation that extends some 4000 years ago, beginning with the days of Abraham and Sarah. It was the land of promise for Moses and the site of the Temple in the time of Solomon. It is the land where Jesus was born, lived, died, and resurrected. It is the one place on earth where God has walked among us.

Our pilgrimage is a perfect way to celebrate the ways in which God has blessed us in past years. We will visit Nazareth, Cana and walk the shores of the Sea of Galilee. We will spend some time in Bethlehem, visit his birthplace in the Church of the Nativity and then journey up the mountain to Jerusalem. There we will visit and pray at the sites of His final days--the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. We will follow the Via Dolorosa (the Way of the Cross) and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site of both Calvary and the Tomb where He was buried and from which He rose from the dead.

The experience of the Holy Land is like no other in your life. At each location we will read and reflect on the Gospels and their words will come to life for you. When you read them again you will recall the places where Jesus walked. Two thousand years of history have passed since the time of Jesus. Many changes have transpired. Yet the hills of Galilee, the peaceful Sea where the disciples fished, the rugged terrain and the holy mountain that is Jerusalem will provide images and memories to last a lifetime. We will return home with a renewed faith and deeper understanding of the Word of God.

If you have dreamed of this pilgrimage then perhaps this is the moment you have been waiting for. We would love to have you join us next year.

Peace and blessings,
Most Rev. Edward J. Weisenburger, Bishop of Tucson