My brothers and sisters,

It feels good to be back home here at Mount Carmel. As you all know, I have been away for several weeks traveling! I would like to take this opportunity to share with all of you my experience. My brother seminarians and I were on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land from January 5-18. This was my first time visiting this amazing place and I must admit it was very transforming. It is an honor and will always be an honor to walk in the same footsteps of Jesus Christ. “Walking in the footsteps of Jesus, our Lord and God,” sums up these two weeks.

The sites that we visited were: Jaffa, Akko, Nazareth, Sepphoris ,Sea of Galilee, Jericho, Jerusalem, Ein Karem, Bethlehem, Masada, Bethany, and Emmaus. This pilgrimage offered each seminarian and myself the opportunity to encounter Jesus in this very unique and personal way. Not only were we hearing about Jesus in the Gospels but we were with Him on the land that he walked. It was indeed and still is a transforming experience. One cannot leave the Holy Land without coming into contact with the humanity of Jesus, to experience what He experience, to see what He saw.

I cannot say that there was one experience that seemed to be the highlight of the pilgrimage. Each site that we visited, each thing we saw, we found ourselves saying, “it cannot get better then this” and somehow it did. To try to understand what this pilgrimage was about, I invite you to open up the gospels and read it, because what you read or hear at Holy Mass, we were present. There is so much truth in the saying that the Holy Land is the fifth gospel.

I would like to share with you some of my experiences. Friday, January 15th we had early morning Mass at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre which is the burial site of our Lord. Please understand what a privilege it was for us to have Holy Mass at this Holy Site! The tomb of Jesus is very small and only three people could fit into it, so it was just enough room for the priests. We stood outside the tomb in a little chamber and celebrated Mass together. I had the privilege of reading at this Mass. This is the spot where Jesus our Lord was raised from the dead, so Jesus was no longer present in the tomb but during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass through the words of institution of Msgr. Swiader (Vice Rector) and Msgr. Vaccari (Rector), Christ was present in the Eucharist in His Body and Blood. After Mass, each of us at the opportunity to spend time in prayer and to venerate this holy site before the crowds came.

One other experience that I would like to share with you was walking the stations of the Cross. For years, I have always tried to imagine what it was like for Jesus to take up His cross and carry it, to experience what He experienced. I have read devotional books, seen videos, and the most famous of all, the film “The Passion of the Christ,” by Mel Gibson. Nothing in my perspective comes close, then walking in the actual footstep of Jesus. We began the stations at the Chapel of the Flagellation, where Jesus was tried and condemned by Ponius Pilate. Together we carried our own personal crosses that we carry in our lives as we retraced Jesus’s last footsteps just before His crucifixion which brought us to Calvary.

The part that made it all very special for me, was the honor of bring your prayer intentions with me to all these Holy Sites. All of you were in my prayers. What is great about bring your prayer intentions is that you were present with me in prayer at all these Holy Sites. In a spiritual way all of you were on pilgrimage with me. All the prayer request, all the crosses that we carry were left in the places that came into contact with Jesus Christ. That leaves a deep satisfaction in all of our hearts to know that our prayers are with Jesus Christ. I thank all of you for taking the extra time few weekends ago to write out your prayer intentions so that I was able to bring them to the Holy Land. All of us have benefited from this powerful experience.

On January 18th we packed our bags and spent 24 hours traveling from Tel Aviv to London and London back to New York. What is awesome about this pilgrimage is that it never ends. Every time, I open up the Scriptures, or hear it proclaimed at Mass, I go back to these Holy Places in mind and spirit and remember your prayer intentions that you all have entrusted me with. I thank you for that. If you have not yet had the opportunity, please check out the blog that myself and another seminarian posted almost daily with our experiences.

http://seminariansintheholyland.blogspot.com/

United in Prayer,

Seminarian Sean

A Video

Fr. Peter's homily in Nazareth, the site of the annunciation of Gabriel to Mary.

pictures

Click here for more pictures of our final days!

With the Nuncio to the Holy Land













With the Chancellor of the Latin Patriarchate of the Holy Land










Msgr. Swaider celebrating the Eucharist in the Holy Sepulcher

Coming Home

Right now Deacon Alonzo, Sean, and I are sitting in the airport having a croissant and cappucino waiting for our 7:30 flight to London. No problems getting though security, now just tired and waiting. Pray for a safe flight.

Last day

Well, it's just about over. We are getting ready to head over to the Latin Patriarchate to meet with the Chancellor at 4:30 to learn about the Church in the area. We will have our farewell dinner tonight and then our wakeup calls begin around 1:30am. We leave Jerusalem for Tel Aviv at 3:30, hopefully the weather will be good and we should land in JFK at 4:30, after a brief lay over in London.

Keep an eye out for pictures...

I give God the praise both now and forever!

Here is a guest post by Rodnev Lapommeray a seminarians for the diocese of Brooklyn, to be ordained a deacon in less than a year:

I give God the praise both now and forever! By His grace, this pilgrimage has been a moving and deepening experience for me. This pilgrimage to the Holy land—the 5^th Gospel—has deepened my appreciation for the Gospels. There is a special privilege to be able to go to the places where Jesus ministered and walk in His path. Each time I think I have reached a climax experience, the Lord just keeps blessing me with further graces.

This morning we, united as brothers, celebrated the Eucharist in the actual tomb where Jesus was buried. Words cannot describe the experience. Every morning at 5:30 AM, Fr. Peter has been taking anyone who’s interested to visit and pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is quite a testimony of faith to see the different people making the trip through the windy roads (really walkways) of the Old City to the church in the darkness and chill of that early morning. There was certain stillness as people seem to be moving with purpose—to praise God. This morning we made the journey pass the Israeli security guards at watch by the entrance to the old city gates and we were part of that background people scurrying in the darkness of alleys to reach the church. There is something just moving about this witness of devotion.

In the holy city of Jerusalem, I have been witnessing people’s great devotion throughout this pilgrimage. There have been plenty of other experiences which have been leaving an effect on me. Thursday we went to the Western Wall, which may be familiar to some as the Wailing Wall, where the Jewish people place their prayers in a wall connected to the temple before the desecration of the Temple. We were able to go to this wall and pray individually. There was something very powerful to seeing the men and boys praying so monastically. Their prayer involved many movements. Placing my own prayer there and praying with them at the wall moved me. We must not forget our Judeo-Christian roots.

The dynamics of how religion and society and culture intersect are present all around us. At the Western Wall, I saw Jewish youth in shorts putting on the prayer shawls and phylacteries—and then commencing to pray. There was just something interesting about the whole thing. Interesting also, the cloth used that day came from Brooklyn, NY—how funny. Despite all these minor points, there was something deep about these men praying so somatically. As we were leaving the area, like clockwork, a Bar Mitzvah party comes through with drums and singing. I had not realized before that Jewish prayer could be so animated.

During this trip we have been remembering people’s different intentions,

--.our family, benefactors. Of course, he have been calling on our Blessed Mother under the national tile of OU Lady of Perpetual Help, for the Haitian people. Our hearts go out to those who suffer as well as the many family members in the states who cannot get in contact with their relatives back home. In a special way, we continue to remember our brother seminarians from Haiti who are trying to contact their families.

By the grace of God, we were able to celebrate Mass at Dominus Flevit church, the church built on the mount where Jesus looked over the whole Jerusalem and He wept because Jerusalem missed the hour of its visitation. It was at this site that we were able to offer Mass for the people of Haiti and for our brother seminarians and their families. I ask if you would please join us in praying for the people of Haiti.

May Our Lady of Perpetual Help watch over us as we conclude this privilege and seek to let the graces of pilgrimage live in our hearts. May she intercede to God the Most High for the people of Haiti.

Mary, in the wake of this most recent disaster, comfort and console us

Be a mother to us in our times of despair, confusion, and heartlessness.

And lead us to the Holy Trinity.

Mary our Mother, protector and refuge pray for us.

Tomb and Fro, a Pilgrimage Within

A guest post by third Theologian Dennis Anthony Suglia:

The streets of the Old City in Jerusalem are quiet in the morning. As you wind you way inside the wall through the narrow corridors you may see a cat or two but may not see another soul. Early before sunrise we seminarian pilgrims make our way to the Holy Sepulchre for adoration and prayer in the holiest sites of all Christianity. Counted among these are the ground (Golgotha) where Jesus was crucified, the slab where his body lay after coming down from the cross and the holiest of all, the sacred tomb where he lay for 3 days before rising. These three places are within the Basilica, about 100 yards distance apart. Today our day began and ended at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the Tomb of the burial and resurrection of Jesus.

We had a magnificent privilege today, as we had a private Mass in the Tomb at 6.30 this morning. The Tomb is small, only 3 grown adults can fit in the burial chamber. This is where Monsignors Swiader and Vaccari along with Deacon Alonzo Cox stood while the rest of us were just through the low archway in the ante chamber, still within the small building erected by St Helena 1700 years ago.

The holy Mass was celebrated directly above the burial place of the Christ. Here his resurrected body, in the form of the Eucharist, came alive once again as it did on this spot 2000 years ago. To put this into context, we were in the same space where Mary Magdalene found two Angels on Easter Sunday when she came looking for the Lord, only to find him just outside. And the same space where Peter and John raced moments later upon hearing the news from the Magdalene, the place Peter went in to inspect.

The magnanimity of this gift, this blessing of Our Lord bringing us to these sacred sites is and was this morning, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Because in the moment of consecration, he is alive and resurrected and giving himself to us in that moment, for all time. As we shared his body and bread today at the Holy Sepulchre, you too joined in this same timeless celebration when you attended Mass on Sunday; that, in a nutshell, is the great beauty and depth of our Catholic faith.

Later we journeyed to Masada, Qumran and waded in the Dead Sea before arriving back in Jerusalem. Some of us went back to the Basilca for a 4PM procession to all the sacred places within led by the Franciscans, the custodians of the Holy Land. The places we visited outside Jerusalem were great, and deserve some consideration, but I will leave that to the others.

Today, for me and my brethren, it was that special moment that was over before the sun came up. The same one that you and I will celebrate again by participating in the holy sacrifice of the Mass again soon. This is where it happens every time: Jesus Christ is resurrected and lives and he gives us the bread of life, his body and blood, so that we too may join him forever in glory! Jesu Christe Resurrexit Dixit, Alleluia!

--
Yours in Christ, Humbly learning His Way,

Dennis Anthony Suglia, 3rd Theology
Seminary of the Immaculate Conception
440 W. Neck Rd
Huntington, NY 11743

Walls, Gardens and Mountains – Thursday, January 14, 2010

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE:

Before reading today’s blog message, please remember, pray for and considering supporting the efforts at earthquake relief in Haiti. There are four seminarians in the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception - Michele Pierre-Louis, Lucon Richard, Killick Pierrilus, and Deacon Nixon Jean-Francios -

and our prayers are especially with them as they try to reach out to family and friends in Haiti.

Also please consider supporting the effort for Earthquake Relief by donating to Catholic Relief Services, Red Cross or other charitable organizations that are assisting in Haiti. By far the most valuable physical contribution we can make for them is monetary.

Thanks!

Here is a guest post from another seminarian on the pilgrimage with us:

Greetings from the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem! Our pilgrimage to the Holy Land is beginning to wind down yet each day continues to bring with it new opportunities, challenges and chances to reflect on the life of Jesus and its impact on each of our lives.

Most days in Jerusalem begin at 5:30 A.M. – yes A.M.! For those who are up for it, literally, we walk to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. This is a time for quiet prayer and reflection for all who take part in this part of the pilgrimage.

Today, after breakfast, we visited another archeological site that provided information about the roads that Jesus walked and the walls that surrounded the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time. The most popular place we visited was the Western Wall. Rest assured, if you gave one of us a prayer intention it w

as placed in the wall as we carried your intentions with us these past seven days.

The remainder of the day found us, in one way or another, on the Mount of Olives. We visited and prayed by the Garden of Gethsemane in the Church of All Nations as we were able to touch and be near the stone that is believed to be the stone Jesus prayed at after the Last Supper. We visited the Church of the Ascension, a small area believed to be one of the places where Jesus may have ascended from after the Resurrection. Following, we prayed at the Church of Pater Noster where Jesus was believed to have taught the disciples (and all of us!) how to prayer. We concluded our journey on the Mount of Olives with Mass at Dominus Flevit, the place “where Jesus wept” over Jerusalem. Fr. Peter, our Rector, called on each of us to be aware of the moments when Jesus is visiting us. His tears then were for the people of Jerusalem who missed the presence of God in their midst. We cannot allow the same to happen especially in the midst of our own brokenness and struggles.

The day concluded with a lecture and discussion led by Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Fr. Jerome is a noted Scripture scholar, teacher and author. His years of study, knowledge and wisdom challenged some of the conventional ways we see Jesus. Getting in touch with the humanity of Jesus is the key to a deeper and Spirit prayer life and relationship with God, Fr. Jerome asserted. He left us with much to think about, for sure!

I think Fr. Jerome captured a large part of what our day and this pilgrimage has been about. We must come in contact with the human Jesus – based in history, archaeology and research – as it will ground everything else we do and become, most especially our relationship with God. Perhaps, according to him, we’re afraid to come in contact with that humanity because it will call us to live life the way he did – a self-sacrificing love for others. That is something for all of us to think about – seminarian or not. Let us not be afraid!

Bethlehem and free time

Yesterday was another great day, we had Mass in the cave of St. Jerome which is just feet from the grotto of the Nativity, the very spot where Jesus was born. This was another HIC spot, meaning, at this spot it says in latin "HIC puer natus est nobis", meaning HERE a boy is born to us. when every there is a HIC it means that that very spot is where that thing happened. We were able to venerate that spot, even if only quickly because of the rush of other groups and because we had to get to Mass. We had most of the afternoon off. some took naps, others explored the Old City of Jerusalem. I did a little shopping and then decided to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. As I got there the Franciscans were just starting a procession, complete with candles and chants in Latin (I immediately joined them!). This was their daily procession to the holy places with in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It ended with benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. I then bumped into a Franciscan and starting talking to him with Denis. Fr. Fergus is a former diocesan priest who after visiting the Holy Land decided to join the Franciscans here. (Don't worry, I have no such intentions!) He was able to shed some light on the tensions with in the building - the building is shared between 6 of the major groups of Christianity, mainly between the Catholics, The Greek Orthodox and the Armenian Orthodox. This often times can even come to blows, as it did last week - they fought over who has to wash the floor where (of all the things to fight over!) This is a very serious issue here - everything that takes place must be in accord with the earlier established status quo. I was able to get to confession with Fr. Fergus, which was very beautiful and powerful!

We got word here of the terrible earthquake - especially of the deaths of the Archbishop, many priests and many seminarians. They and all the people of Haiti are remembered by us here today.

God Bless.

"This is where we were born..."

Today was another great, and even overwhelming day. Many of us started out our day by getting up at 5 and trekking over to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is where Jesus was crucified and was laid in the tomb, from where he rose, with Fr. Peter at 5:30. Fr. Peter does this every day he is in Jerusalem, and it is completely optional because of the early time. the reason he does it is because later on in the day the church becomes a zoo. At 6AM the church is absolutely silent. Being able to kiss and touch the rock of Golgatha and then kneel in silence just feet away was one of the most profound and moving moments of the trip so far. We were not able to get into the tomb because another group had Mass in there, we will have mass in the tomb on Thursday.

After breakfast our day officially started with a trip over to Bethlehem, which is in palestinian controlled territory. To get there we had to travel through the now infamous wall that the Israeli government has constructed. The purpose of the trip was for us to become familiar with Bethlehem University as well as interact with some of the students. This was really an eye opener for us. The suffering that the wall and the israeli government has caused these good people is truly an injustice and a disgrace. I came to jerusalem thinking that all palestinians are very anti american and some even terrorists, but I left with the realization that they are no different than I. all they was is to live the dream, to live period. My visit there moved me to make the commitment to more earnestly pray for a just peace in this land.

After our visit to BU we visited the Israeli museum which has a 50 to 1 scale of Jerusalem from the time of Christ. This enabled us to get a birds eye view of the whole city. After looking at it I have to admit that I was a little upset with Mel Gibson! The site of the crucifixion, golgatha was not really up on a hill, but just outside the gates of the city. The Romans did not want the crucified up high on a hill, but rather wanted them low so the people passing by could see the fear and pain in their eyes. I always thought of Golgatha being up high on some hill. Thanks for nothing Mel!!!

Following our visit to the israeli museum we had the incredible opportunity of visiting with the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Franco. The Apostolic Nuncio is the Holy Father's personal representative to the state of Israel. We sat with him for some time as he explained the history of and the current situation here in the Holy Land. We then had a chance for a few questions and answers. during the meeting one of the sisters even brought in some refreshments for us! It was wonderful to hear what the Holy See had to say about the current situation. Keep a eye out for pictures later!

Tomorrow we head back to Bethlehem, but this time to visit the site of the nativity, where Jesus was born. We are all exhausted but are just happy to be here. Fr. Peter will again go to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher tomorrow morning at 5:30, I wonder how many of us will be able to make it, I'm hoping I can get up!

Thanks again for reading. keep praying for us, we continue to pray for you. This blog has so far been a great success, with so many different people reading and praying along. God Bless.

Jerusalem

Well, we are here in Jerusalem, the holy city. we are staying at the beautiful Notre Dame center - see the link on the right for the website of where we are staying. there is a feeling of great joy just in being here, in Jerusalem. More later, we are all pretty exhausted. thanks for reading, we are all very happy so many of you are enjoying our blog. Keep praying for us.

Going up to Jerusalem!

Hello Everyone!

It has been a busy few days here in the Holy Land. I hope that you all enjoyed the guest post from Deacon Dave.

Today, we arrived in Jerusalem and we are happy to be here. The food is much better here! :) Of course this adds to the excitement of this pilgrimage!!!!!!

Yesterday, Msgr. Vaccari renewed our baptismal promises at the Jordan River. It was very exciting because yesterday the Church celebrated in the Baptism of the Lord. We renewed our Baptism at the very water that John the Baptist baptized Jesus.

Today, we made a quick visit to Beit Shean. This place gives us the best example of what Jerusalem would have looked like at the time of Jesus. It was very interesting. Then drove along the Jordan Valley making our way to Jerusalem with a brief stop in Jericho. This afternoon, we had Mass at the Church of the Visitation where Mary greeted Elizabeth. This is one of my favorite Gospel stories. After Mass we arrived at the beautiful Notre Dame Center. Fr. Peter is one the first name basis with everyone that works here. We will be staying here for the next few nights.

Guest post

Here is a guest post from Deacon Dave Regan:

“There is nothing more beautiful then a properly situated founding narrative.” I remember hearing those words from one of my favorite theologians, Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, many years ago. A good founding narrative for any culture, race, group, family or society enables the members to reflect and they, themselves, attribute meaning and make connections using bits and pieces of the narrative and applying them to daily life..
In our founding narrative, it is not something that we have found, or even something that we make the connections, but rather our founding narrative is something that finds us, shepherds us, feeds us and provides the context for each heartbeat and every breath we take.
Our founding narrative begins in a specific moment, at a specific time, with specific persons. The time was over 2000 years ago, in a cave-like dwelling, with a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, and an angel proclaiming good news. This is the Annunciation. Today I had the opportunity with my seminarian brothers, to visit Nazareth in the Holy Land. Most especially, we went to the spot where Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Queen of all Saints, Queen of Angels, was invited to accept a plan and to be the one to open the to the first page in our founding narrative. As I looked at the very spot where the dialogue between the angel and Mary took place the only words that came to mind were “Lord, what is man that you are mindful of him?”
On this spot the virgin was approached, the virgin said yes, the virgin conceived in her womb, and since then you and I have never and will never be the same. Since then humanity has never and will never be the same. The history of the Jewish people is focused around the events surrounding the flight of the Chosen people out of Egypt. For us, it is not a movement, but rather a person, Jesus Christ. What Jesus Christ was going to do on Calvary was to focus all of history by a moment that would explode grace into past, present and future of humanity. But before that took place he had to be incarnated, he had to become man. The eternal Word, became flesh, the virgin gave flesh to the Word made flesh, carne to the Incarnation.
I was about 5 feet away from this spot today. As I stood there, and then knelt there, the only appropriate words were those of the Psalmist “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth…When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him…crowned him with glory and honor…you made him ruler over the works of your hands…” Through the Incarnation and subsequently the Paschal mystery God sees and loves in us what he sees and loves in his son. This story begins and so my story began, and our story began at the spot where I was today. The only appropriate response is to be like St. Augustine who after reflecting on the action of God states that “even now do I gasp for you.”
In standing, and kneeling in that place the profound humility of God become so present. His humility to share in our humanity so we can share in his divinity becomes clearer as the spot where he was incarnated is the most humble of conditions.
As I write this reflection, words in fact escape me. Maybe that should be the message of the day. Maybe the Holy Spirit does not want me to be able to articulate a thought or meditation but rather accept an invitation to be open to graces that can not be articulated, to blessings that words can not explain, consolation that is beyond any voice. Actually that is precisely what I think today was about. The Eternal Logos, the Word, is manifest and continues to manifest and this mystery is not about finding an answer or solving a problem but rather standing in salvation, giving our fiat and receiving all that God has planned for us. Let us give thanks to God for having sent the angel to the Virgin and inviting her to say yes and giving us the proper and appropriate way to receive him in every moment of our lives “let it be done.” “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

Nazareth

Today was an incredible day for all of us on this pilgrimage. We spent the morning visiting the town of Cana, were Jesus performed His first miracle. We learned so many interesting facts about the town of Cana. After our short visit to this town, which today dominated by Arabs, we continued to the town of Nazareth. Fr. Peter gave an awesome homily on the annunciation and relating it to our call to the priesthood. To be honest, it was a very moving experience for all.

Some could not stop thinking of the word “HIC” - “HERE” “VERBUM CARO HIC FACTUM EST.” After Mass, we toured the Basilica and the Church of St. Joseph and Joseph's workplace. Deacon David will comment more about our time in Nazareth.

Then we had lunch.... Thank God! I was very hungry.... And I know Michael wanted to eat as well..

After, we went to Sepphoris where our guide gave us tremendous insight to the hidden life of Jesus Christ. The life that the Gospels do not capture. Tradition holds that this is the home of Mary’s parents. This visit and tour was more archeological then theological.

For our last stop of the day was Mt. Tabor. The plan was to spend time in silence and contemplation as we visit the site of the Transfiguration. When we arrived, we soon found out that we only had a half hour to spend on top of Mt. Tabor. The experience will be a rememberable one for all of us.

Then we made our way back to the Mt. of Beatitudes for vespers and dinner. Tomorrow, we look forward to another exciting day in the Holy Land.

Day 5

Tomorrow, we will be going to Nazareth, the village in which Jesus Christ grew up and lived most of his life. We will have Holy Mass at the Grotto of the Annunciation. After Mass, we plan to visit Joseph's workshop and explore the magnificent Basilica of the Annunciation, Mary's well, and the Church of the Old Synagogue, which marks the beginning of Jesus public ministry.

After, we will visit Cana, where Jesus Christ performed His first miracle. Then a drive to Mt. Tabor

God Bless! Pray for us as we pray for you...

More Photos

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Day 3

Jesus looked on the mountains and the mountains looked on Jesus



This morning we have the most incredible chance to visit a new excavation. The site belongs to the church, in the custody of Padre Juan Solana, LC, a dear friend of Msgr. Vaccari is the future place of the Magdala center, a future pilgrim site, a future church and hostel for 300 pilgrims. The land was purchased recently and the construction of the church began no more than a year ago. After digging for the foundation of the new church ruins were found. Ruins first of what is now believed to be a firs century (the time of Jesus) market place. Once this was found all other work ceased on the location and the focus turned to the excavation. Further excavations found what is now believed to be a first century synagogue. We can be sure of the dating of these finds because of the different coins that were found there. The first century synagogue is believed to be the oldest ever found. Additionally, because of some of the mosaics and other things found there it is believed to have been shared between Jews and the earliest Christians.

After pulling back some more tarps and getting a closer look Padre Juan showed us the best piece of all. He pulled back a tarp covering a large stone with some intricate detail. Because of the details and location we know that at some point it was used as an altar.

Because of the coins and other items that helped date this piece it is believed to be the oldest Christian altar ever found! We know that our Lord lived in Capernaum and that he taught through out Galilee. Because of the proximity of this synagogue it is almost certain that Jesus Christ himself sat and taught in this very spot, and that the apostles broke break and shared the Eucharist on the very altar that was there. As Padre Juan explained all of this to us a very intense emotion of gratitude and excitement came over all of us. Many of us choked back tears as we kissed and venerated this most holy and sacred place and altar. It was a most incredible experience that no one has ever had before our group as the altar was only found a few weeks ago.

Following our visit with Padre Juan we headed over the the sea of Galilee for our boat ride. As we got under way and sailed on the sea of Galilee Fr. Peter has a few of us read the passages from the gospels that speak of Jesus and the Sea of Galilee, the most powerful being Jesus walking on the water.

This was also the spot where Jesus told the apostles to put out into deep, where he called them to be fishers of men. As those words were read from the gospel I am sure each one of us seminarians heard our Lord speaking directly to us, “come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!”


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photos

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Day 2

We started the day of with a quick breakfast and then boarded the bus to begin our long day. surprising moment number 1 of the day - all the bellhops carried 9mm pistols!



We first went to the port town of Joppa. This was an important port town, but when the british formed the port of Hoffa the town of Joppa was desolated, everyone left. Now it is just a nice touristy/wedding spot.

Acts 9-10, the healing of Tabitha by peter. The church of St. Peter, with a painting of the dream of Cornelius.

We then took a quick bus ride to Cesarea Maritima.

On the bus we heard an nteresting bit about Israel. Has 2 capitals, one in fact- jerusalem, and one in practice - Tel Aviv. The parliament, presidential palace and other governmental offices are all in Jerusalem, but all of the foreign embassies are located in Tel Aviv. Most foreign governments welcomed the establishment of a Jewish state after World War Two, but would not accept Jerusalem as the capital. Most governments would see the holy city of Jerusalem as an international city.

A part of the trip will be to come to understand the current political situation here in israel. The situation of the local and foreign politics, as well as the position of the holy see. Later on in the pilgrimage we will have an audience with the Apostolic Patriarch Archbishop Franco. Meeting with him will enable us to further understand the position of the Holy See on the state of Israel. We hope to likewise have a audience with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Fwad Twal.

Caesarea Maritima was fascinating. It was at one time one of the five largest cities in the world, comparable to rome itself. It had 2 theaters and 2 circus’. We learned that a theatre is in fact only a half circle, whereas an amphitheater is a full circle. Caesarea Maritima was at one time the home of Herod and Pontius Pilate. Pilate lived here while governor and would travel to Jerusalem for the different feasts - which is why he was in Jerusalem during the passion of our Lord. This was also the place of the trial of St. Paul where he took his recourse to Caesar and was then sent to rome where Nero had him martyred.





Acco was next. Acco was crusaders town, with certain medieval structures still standing. We visited a templar building which included tunnels that went though out the structure and even the city, escape tunnels that led to the port. These very tunnels were used by the templars when the city of Acco was lost to the muslims. The gothic structures were fantastic, with many pure examples of gothic architecture still standing.

This evening we made our way up to Mt. Carmel for Holy Mass. Msgr. Swiader celebrated a beautiful Mass on the high altar of the church. After visiting the gift shop we boarded the bus and began our journey to the Mount of the Beatitudes where we will be staying for the next four days.

Holy Land a Place of Encounter

The pilgrimage has begun! Yesterday afternoon the seminarians and Msgr. Swiader, all met at the airport with anticipation and excitement for the journey in which we are embarking on.

All the pilgrims on this pilgrimage are seminarians, transitional deacons and priests. This pilgrimage offers each one of us an opportunity of a lifetime. An opportunity of encountering Jesus in a different and unique way. Each of us have encountered Jesus in our hearts when we first heard to call to follow Him. God has spoke in the silence of our hearts, our inner most being to be Priests. That moment in all of our lives has been a transforming moment.

My hope is that I want this experience to be a transforming moment with my relationship with Jesus. I want to know Him better because by knowing Him better I am confident that I can be a better seminarian and God-willing a better priest.

Pray for us as we promise to pray for all of you.....

Tomorrow, we will celebrate Holy Mass at Mount Carmel. Here in a special way, I will remember all the people from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in Astoria. God Bless you all...

Day One - Tel Aviv

So, we are here in Tel Aviv! We landed safely at 10 am New York time, 5PM Tel Aviv time. The flights were both pretty smooth. The flight from new york felt a little crowded, and lasted roughly six hours. As we were preparing to land in London the captain announced that we would be delayed a bit because there was some snow on the ground in London. Apparently even just a half inch of slush brings London to a screeching halt! We were delayed about 30 minutes. This worried us a bit because our connecting flight from London to Tel Aviv was just an hour and a half later. We rushed through customs and security only to find that our connecting flight was delayed two hours. This was a welcome slow down because it gave us a chance to relax in the airport and get an espresso. The next flight was much less crowded than the first, almost all of us had our own row!

Fr. Peter greeted us at the airport in Tel Aviv, he was our welcoming party. From the airport we went directly to the shrine of Our Lady of Palestine where Fr. Peter celebrated the Holy Mass for us. Following the Mass we came to our hotel to check in and have dinner. The food let something to be desired… but then again, we didn’t come to the Holy Land for the food!

Thanks for reading, keep praying for us. Tomorrow we head to Jaffa and the Gallilee, we will have Mass at Mt. Carmel too.

Peace.

"In the Footsteps of Jesus"

Hello this is Sean! making my first post for the pilgrimage. This evening we are departing from New York and arriving in Tel Aviv at 3:30pm tomorrow. It is going to be a long trip. As soon as we arrive in Tel Aviv, we will be on our way to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Palestine and will have Mass at this Holy Site.

In the next two weeks, we will be visiting: Jafa, Akko, Nazareth, Sepphoris, Sea of Galilee, Jericho, Jerusalem, Ein Karem, Bethlehem, Masada, Bethany, and Emmaus.

The Night before...

The night before a trip is always filled with different emotions. On the one hand there is nervousness and anxiety in traveling to a part of the world that has for so long been a place of such great violence and turmoil. On the other hand, one can't help but be filled with great anticipation to be in the same places that Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother were in. There is always a little anxiety in the traveling itself as well. The flights are long, please God not too turbulent too. The security lines probably long too, but I don't think we will mind that.

We will all spend the time on the plane in different ways (Side note: shouldn't we say "in the plane" instead of "on the plane"?). I am sure that at some point while we are over the Atlantic we will all be spending time not only in silent prayer and the rosary, but also thumbing through the bible in anticipation of the places we will be. The past few weeks of Advent and Christmas have provided a great selection of stories from the scriptures to help get us in the right mode for this trip. I am sure that all of us during Christmas Mass couldn't help but think during the reading of the gospel that we will be in the very place that the Word was made flesh in just a few days. How awesome and great our God is!

So, this last night before our trip is filled will last minute packing and prayers. I hope that you are able to join us spiritually as we embark on this pilgrimage. I hope also that you enjoy these brief updates as we are able to post them.

Pilgrimage Prep

On Tuesday, January 5th, ten Seminarians from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception will leave for pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Leading the pilgrimage will be Msgr. Peter Vaccari and Msgr. James Swiader, our rector and vice rector respectively. For any Christian a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a very special thing. Msgr. Vaccari always reminds the seminarians that the holy land is the fifth gospel. The land itself can help us to come to know Jesus. For seminarians, future priests, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is an even more special event. Please God we will all one day stand at an altar. For some of us that day is only a few short months away, for others it is over two years away. But for us seminarians, we who will one day stand at an altar In Persona Christi, a trip to the holy land is even more special. We are all praying that this trip will help us to come to know Jesus, the great High Priest even more, that we will be able to more closely unite our lives with the Son of God. Priesthood is a challenge, a cross. During this pilgrimage, as we trace the original stations of the cross and venerate the very spot upon which Christ died, we pray that we will be able to accept our own crosses and more closely unite ourselves to His Cross.

As we journey through the Holy Land I will try to update this blog with photos and recaps of where we have been and what we have seen. Please pray for me. Please pray for my brother Seminarians as we embark on this pilgrimage.


PHOTO: www.ICSeminary.edu