For the first time in her 40-year history, Thomas More College is happy to announce a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. At the end of this month, 15 students along with President Fahey and 3 staff members will depart on a voyage to Israel.
Our pilgrims have offered to bring your intentions with them into the Holy Sepulcher. In return, we ask that you go to Mass on the Solemn Feast of the Sacred Heart (June 28) and pray for Thomas More College and our pilgrims.
Over the course of ten days, our pilgrims will travel to numerous sites including: Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, Cana, Magdala, Jish, and Capernaum. Several nights will also be spent in Jerusalem. They will have their own guide Assaf Boker who will be with them for the entire ten days. Assaf is responsible for explaining Israeli-Jewish culture, leading all of the tours and providing the historical and cultural significance of each place. Daily Mass and confession will be offered by the pilgrimage chaplain, Fr. Matthew Schultz, a priest of the diocese of Manchester and longtime friend of the College. The role of the Thomas More College faculty and staff is to support Fr. Schultz in providing the religious component of the pilgrimage. Reflections and devotionals will be led by the faculty and staff at many of the sites, along with ensuring that all of the pilgrims maintain a prayerful attitude during the trip.
Much like the College’s integrated Rome Program, the trip will serve multiple purposes. The pilgrimage will give our students a chance to visit historical sites and venerate religious relics, but also to learn about the country, its heritage, its culture. Due to the trip only being ten days (versus an entire semester), students have begun a pre-trip course and will have to complete a post-trip course too. Topics such as the History of Israel, Overview of Sacred Scripture, Vision of the Holy Land, and the Idea of Pilgrimage will all be studied. While on the ground, students will listen to talks from local Israelis speaking on both Biblical and Geopolitical themes.
The pilgrims leave for Israel on Sunday, June 30. The Friday prior is the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Saturday prior to take-off is the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Although their departure date was chosen for them, the College cannot help but think that there is more spiritual significance involved than mere coincidence. For what better way is there to prepare to visit the land of our Lord then by remembering these two exceptional missionary saints?
And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).
Truly this pilgrimage is nothing but a blessing for the College as her 40th anniversary year comes to a close.
As we continue our preparations this month, both spiritual, intellectual and physical, please keep us in your prayers. You will be in ours.
If you would like our pilgrims to bring your prayer intentions to the Holy Land with them, please fill out the form below and consider making a donation to support.
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