“Master, where do you live?”

“Come and see!” (John 1:38-39)

This same invitation extended by Jesus to his disciples is also extended to those interested in a March 2013 pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Fr. Daniel Brandenburg LC and Fr. Matthew Summe LC will be hosting this Spiritual Pilgrimage from March 9-19, 2013.

In a letter of invitation to pilgrims, Fr. Daniel wrote: “The Year of Faith just began, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has encouraged all Catholics with this suggestion:

-In the Year of Faith pilgrimages of the faithful… are to be encouraged… to the Holy Land, the place which first saw the presence of Jesus, the Savior, and Mary, his Mother.

“Whether you are considering this pilgrimage as an anniversary present, a birthday gift, or simply a personal opportunity to deepen in your faith in the very places where God became man and Jesus walked this earth… this trip will change your life."

Fr. Daniel encourages those interested to also extend the invitation to family and friends. 

Pilgrims will visit Galilee, the home of Mary and Joseph, where Jesus grew up and worked, and began his ministry.  They will walk where the Lord walked on the road to Jerusalem, and have the opportunity to spiritually relive Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection at the very sites where this took place.  Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane.  See the towns of Emmaus, Bethany, Jericho, Cana, Nazareth and Bethlehem.

The pilgrimage will begin with a stay at the Leonardo Plaza Hotel from March 10-12, and follow with six nights at the Notre Dame Pontifical Center in Jerusalem.  The center is an internationally recognized conference center in operation since 1884.  It serves pilgrims from all over the world, and was entrusted to the care of the Legion of Christ in 2004 by the late Blessed John Paul II.

Costs for the trip range from $1,875 to $2,375 per person.  Fees include accommodations and three meals daily, bus transportation, an English speaking guide, Catholic guidebooks to holy sites, entrance fees to the itinerary sites, and more.  Airfare is not included so that each person or couple can find the best fares from their city of origin. A non-refundable deposit of $400 is required to book a spot, and full payment is due by January 15, 2013. 

Spaces for the pilgrimage are limited, so registration is encouraged as soon as possible.  For more information contact Fr. Brandenburg at dbranden@legionaries.org or Fr. Matthew at msumme@legionaries.org.  To reserve a space, contact Candy Nesbit at Elite Travel at 203-271-0623 or at elitetravelcandy@snet.net. Click here for the pilgrimage brochure.