Cardinal FiloniWe must love the Holy Land".From July 21 to 31 a group of pilgrims will visit the places where Christ preached. The initiative stems from the organization MagdalaIn addition to having an archaeological preservation task of great interest, it is intended to be a meeting point between Jewish and Christian history.
The Magdala project, promoted by the Regnum ChristiThe center has a prayer center for Christians of all denominations ("Duc in altum"), an institute for the development of human dignity and spiritual and psychological renewal ("Magdalene Institute"), an archaeological park, which includes the oldest synagogue in the world ever found, and a guesthouse. All this is in a unique enclave on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, as is the ancient city of Magdala, where Mary Magdalene is believed to have been from.
In 2023, the Magdala organization has decided to organize a pilgrimage that will be repeated annually until 2033. The aim is to prepare Christians for the third millennium of the Resurrection of Jesus. All the information is available on the website "Encounter Magdala".
Travel itinerary
- DAY 1: On Friday, July 21, travelers will arrive at Tel Aviv airport. They will then transfer to a hotel in the Galilee.
- DAY 2: The group will be able to visit Mount Arbel, take a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee and go to Magdala. Here they will attend Mass with the priest Juan Solana, who initiated the great project that is today the organization.
- DAY 3: The pilgrims will go to Mount Tabor, to Nazareth (they will attend Mass at the Church of the Annunciation), to the home of Mary and the Holy Family, and to Cana.
- DAY 4: Travelers will visit Caesarea Philippi and the Golan Heights, meditating on the conversion of St. Paul. Later, they will return to Magdala to attend a musical event with international artists such as Ana Bolivar, Paola Pablo and David Filio.
- DAY 5: Pilgrims will go to see the last Crusader stronghold in the Holy Land and Mount Carmel. Again, they will then go to Magdala for worship and praise near the Sea of Galilee.
- DAY 6: Walk along the "Via Maris" in Galilee, visit the Mount of Beatitudes, the Primacy of Peter and Capernaum.
- DAY 7: The pilgrims will go to Jericho, renew baptismal promises in the Jordan River, visit the Dead Sea and hike in the Judean desert.
- DAY 8: The groups will go to Bethlehem and attend Mass at the Church of the Nativity. Afterwards, they will start visiting Jerusalem, passing by Mount Zion, the Tomb of David, the Upper Room and the Israel Museum, among other places.
- DAY 9: The pilgrims will continue to visit Jerusalem. They will pass by the Grotto of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, various churches, the Tomb of Mary, Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher, as well as many other points of great interest in the Holy City.
- DAY 10: On the last full day in the Holy Land, pilgrims will be able to go to ancient Jaffa, today Tel Aviv, and to Caesarea Maritima, where there will be a celebration of the Eucharist.
- DAY 11: On July 31, the group will leave Holy Land.
Practical issues
The entire trip is priced from $1,300, which does not include airport taxes, airfare, or personal expenses. The group of pilgrims will be divided into several different hotels and will be provided with buses for transportation.
In addition, there will be guides in English and Spanish throughout the tour. There will also be daily Masses, in addition to those indicated in the itinerary.
Coming soon...
What if I can't go this year? No problem, because Magdala assures that next year they will repeat the experience. In fact, they have already opened the registration to receive any kind of update on next year's "Encounter".
