Fr Kelly with Everest Academy students.

By Kelly Luttinen

Clarkston, Michigan, May 21, 2010 – Fr. Eamon Kelly wants to encourage everyone to visit the Holy Land. Calling the place the “5th Gospel,” Fr. Kelly said, “In our age it is hard to hand down our heritage, to help people understand the facts about Revelation. But we are called to a new evangelization, and the Holy Land is a superb resource. It offers a gentle revelation. There the stones talk.”

He believes there is good reason God chose the Holy Land as the place to bring about man’s salvation. “An ancient map of the world shows that the Holy Land’s location between Asia, Europe and Africa was considered ‘the center of the world,’” he said.

Kelly has been a Legionary for 36 years and serves as Vice Chargé of Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center in Jerusalem, Israel. The center is property of the Vatican and is run by the Legionaries of Christ since 2005. It provides lodging for pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, a school for students studying hospitality, and a meeting ground for ecumenical, interreligious, and diplomatic meetings. Fr. Kelly discussed his experience at the Jerusalem Center with parents and students at Everest Academy in Clarkston, Michigan,

	The Everest visit was part of an intensive US tour by Fr. Kelly ending in early June.

on May 21, 2010. Some Everest families and friends will be making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Fr. Daniel Pajerski LC in April 2011. (For more information, see below.)

The Everest visit was part of an intensive US tour by Fr. Kelly ending in early June. Other stops on the tour include Connecticut, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, Denver, Washington and Atlanta. He presented at various venues such as LEGATUS and LUMEN Chapters, Schools, several Catholic churches, a synagogue and even a Presbyterian church.

Living at the Jerusalem Center brings the full experience of the Holy Land, Fr. Kelly said. “We are located just 200 yards from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We can see the Mount of Olives from our window, and we are not far (11 minutes of walking) from the location of the Upper Room (the site of the Last Supper).”

Fr. Kelly has given more than 1,000 tours at the Notre Dame Center featuring the “The Man in the Shroud” display at the center’s Museum, about the Shroud of Turin. Fr. Kelly discussed some stunning features of this “icon written in blood” as Pope Benedict commented on May 2, 2010 after venerating the image in Turin, Italy.

Fr.

	The Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

Kelly told students that an Israeli botanist has discovered images on the shroud of flowers that grow only in the Jerusalem area. He also said that shroud’s image has characteristics which allow the development of a three-dimensional light image, a hologram. “Who could make such an image?” he asked the children. He did not give an answer, saying that he always leaves such conclusions to his audience.

Also during this presentation, he discussed the September 2009 discovery of a first century synagogue, (reported by CNN last summer -click link) considered to be the oldest synagogue in northern Israel, on the property where the Notre Dame of Galilee Center is being developed. The synagogue is located in the former town of Magdala on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Fr. Kelly told his audience that ceramic and coin evidence shows the synagogue had not been used since the year 67 AD, when historical records show Magdala was destroyed by the Romans. He also showed his audience a slide of a large limestone rock the size of a small altar, including a carving of a 7 branched menorah, or candelabra, thought to be the oldest such depiction of the ancient Jewish religious symbol.

For more information about the “Man in the Shroud” Museum, the Jerusalem Center or the Galilee Center go to www.notredamecenter.org or and www.magdalacenter.com.

Those interested in details about the Everest Academy family pilgrimage to the Holy Land from April 22-May 1, 2011, can contact Fr. Daniel at 248-620-3390, extension 9323 or dpajerski@everestacademy.org.