DOVER
September 2017 THE BEACON Page 19
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Communities
All Saints Parish parishioners and other community faithful enjoyed a ten-day Pilgrimage to the Holy Land . The group posed in Bethany with the Beacon .
DOVER
By Ray Johnson
Community Correspondent
rayjohnson . thebeacon @ etczone . com
After many months of waiting , planning and praying , I embarked on an experience of a lifetime . On June 19 , I set out on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land . I was joined by seventy-five people including over fifty parishioners of All Saints Parish and others from area faith communities . Having never flown internationally , and a bit of a home body , I was a little anxious . I decided to place my anxiety on the back burner and focus on the positive , knowing that so many friends and family were excited for our group and praying for our safe pilgrimage .
The pilgrimage was organized by Father Jonathan Meyer in conjunction with Tekton Ministeries . I have included some of our highlights , as we encountered so much more . We traveled in two different groups . My group flew from Cincinnati to Toronto then onto Tel Aviv , Israel . Upon arrival , we traveled to old Jaffa , where we celebrated Mass at St . Peter ' s Church . Our hotel that evening was in Netanya overlooking the Mediterranean Sea . That afternoon , many of us walked along the Sea . The next morning , day three , we drove along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea , where St . Peter preached and St . Paul was imprisoned for two years . We celebrated Mass at Mt . Carmel , then traveled to Tiberias , our home for the next three nights . We were lucky that our hotel room overlooked the Sea of Galilee . I was able to capture the sun rising every morning over this special place .
Day four we were in Cana , where Jesus performed his first miracle , changing water into wine . At this holy site , wedding vows of our pilgrims were renewed . We celebrated Mass at St . Joseph ' s Church of Nazareth , Church of the Holy Family . We then traveled to the summit of Mt . Tabor , where Jesus transfigured himself .
Day five , our group celebrated Holy Mass at the House of St . Peter in Capernaum . This was the center of Jesus ' public ministry for three years . Many miracles occurred here- Jesus healed St . Peter ' s mother-inlaw of a fever , cured a leper , healed the centurion ' s servant , cast out a demon from a young boy , and healed all that were sick . We then visited Tabgha , where Jesus multiplied the Loaves and Fishes and fed over 5000 people . The Mount of Beatitudes , the site of the Sermon on the Mount , was our next stop . We were also treated to an awesome tour by boat on the Sea of Galilee .
Day six began with Mass at the Mount of Beatitudes . We traveled to Kursi , where Jesus met a possessed man and miraculously cast out a legion of demons into the herd of swine . We renewed our baptismal vows at the Jordan River , where St . John the Baptist baptized Jesus . Lunch was served in Jericho , after which we traveled to Jerusalem , our home for the remaining five nights of our trip .
Day seven began with a group of us walking to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for morning prayer . Inside this church is both the Resurrection Tomb and Mount Calvary . We drove to the top of The Mt . of Olives , for a spectacular view of Jerusalem . A visit to the Church of Pater Noster was next , where Jesus taught his disciples how to pray the “ Our Father ,” followed by a
stop at the Ascension Chapel , the site where Jesus ascended into heaven . We then walked the " Palm Sunday Road " to Dominus Flevit , where Our Lord wept over Jerusalem . We celebrated Holy Mass at the Church of All Nations on the Rock of Agony at the Garden of Gethsemane . We visited Ein Karem , the birthplace of St . John the Baptist , to see the Visitation Church where Mary proclaimed her famous " Magnificat ".
Day eight included a stop at the Grotto of Jesus ' birth and the Nativity Church , built in the fourth century by the Emperor Constantine . We also toured the Manger and the Church of St . Catherine . Holy Mass was celebrated in Bethlehem at the Shepherd ' s Fields . We also visited the Franciscan Family Center and the Milk Grotto Chapel .
On Day nine , we entered the Old City of Jerusalem through St . Stephen ' s Gate to visit the church of St . Anne , where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born . Next to this site is the Pool of Bethesda , where Jesus healed the paralytic man . We then walked the Via Dolorosa finishing in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher , where we celebrated Holy Mass . We climbed Mt . Calvary and prayed at the site of the crucifixion , venerated the site where Jesus ' body was anointed , the tomb where he was buried and rose from the dead . While we were in the Old City , we also saw Pilate ' s
Ray Johnson renewing Baptismal vows in the Jordan River during Pilgrimage to Holy Land in June .
Greg and Tina Connolly enjoying a gondola ride in Venice , Italy .
Judgement Hall , the Chapel of Flagellation and visited the Pool of Siloam , where Jesus healed a man born blind . We visited the Upper Room , the site where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper . Prayer was offered in the Church of Dormition , where Mary was assumed into heaven .
On Day ten , we visited the Wailing Wall , drove to Bethany for Mass at the House of Mary , Martha , and Jesus , and traveled to the Tomb of Lazarus . We ended our day with a stop at the Dead Sea , where we swam / floated . We celebrated with a farewell dinner that evening .
So many marvelous experiences that I have not mentioned occurred on this trip . Fr . Meyer and Fr . Bolek were wonderful as our spiritual leaders . Fr . Meyer has traveled to the Holy Land in the past , so he knows all there is to experience and witness . Many friendships were developed , and existing ones were made even stronger . Since I have returned , I experience Mass , prayers , and readings in a completely different way . I will always be forever Grateful for this experience . Please see our group picture with The Beacon .
Greg and Tina Connolly were on the Holy Land pilgrimage as well but decided to add on six days in Venice , Italy while the rest of us returned to the States . They spent time in St . Mark ’ s Square , where they captured some good pics on top of the Bell Tower in the Square , toured the Dolce Palace , enjoyed great pizza and a gondola ride . They traveled by train to Padua and attended Mass at St . Anthony of Padua ' s Church . While in Padua , they toured the Scrovigni Chapel where Christ ' s life is depicted beautifully on frescos by Giotto . They enjoyed a lot of fun the last night with the locals and took a boat ride over to Murano and Burano which are islands off of Venice .
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