The pilgrimage from the Diocese of Meath to the Holy Land in association with MAP Travel was led for the seventeenth time by Sr. Consilio Rock and Frs. Gerry MacCormack and Dwayne Gavin.
The 9 day pilgrimage began in Jerusalem with a visit to all of the main sites including the Via Dolorosa, the Holy Sepulchre, Mount Zion and the Holocaust Museum-Yad Vashem. The pilgrims went to Bethlehem and Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
They visited Emmaus on the way to Tiberias, their base for the final 3 nights. From there went to Nazareth, Cana, the Mount of Beatitudes, Mount Tabor, Capernaum and enjoyed a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee.Fr. Eamon Kelly was delighted to welcome the Meath pilgrims to Duc in Altum and the Abbot of Latrun also personally met and prayed with the pilgrims.
The hand knitted blankets, sweaters and other crafts from Kingscourt Stitch & Knit Club were presented to the special needs school in Bethlehem run by The Sisters of the Incarnate Word on Wednesday , a project supported by TROCAIRE in Palestine. Petitions of parishioners were placed at The Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem on Thursday last. Masses and various religious services in all the religious sites were the highlights of a very prayerful and memorable pilgrimage.
A word of very sincere Thanks to MAP Travel, specialists in pilgrimages to the Holy Land who superbly crafted and knitted together this very memorable pilgrimage. Thanks to Samir our excellent guide and Raphael our coach driver. Thanks also to Sr. Consilio Rock whose deep study of the scriptures ensured our pilgrimage was our very own personally guided retreat in the footsteps of the Lord. All of the pilgrims have returned home to their families renewed in faith and refreshed in spirit by this great and truly blessed pilgrimage.