2023 - A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

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.

I invite you to join me, along with members of the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulcher, in a pilgrimage to this Holy Land. 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.

A highlight of the trip will be when “first time” pilgrims, who are members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, will receive their pilgrim shell from the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. All will then make a solemn entrance into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher! We will return home with a renewed faith and deeper understanding of the Word of God.

Although our journey is a pilgrimage it is not designed to test your physical endurance. We eat well, stay in comfortable lodgings, and travel in an air-conditioned bus. We celebrate Mass daily at one of the principal shrines. We do a good bit of walking (whenever possible, downhill) and we have a wonderful time. But reasonably good health is necessary and handicapped-accessible accommodations are seldom available overseas.

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.

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

All of the above may be found in the seven-page document below.