Desert Pilgrims

Matko Boze Czestowocha

2006-06-10T07:47:00.000-04:00

June 6, 7, 8
My grandmother showed me around town on these days. One of the evenings we went up the hill to Matko Boze Tuchowska, Our Lady of Tuchow. The Redemptionists have a seminary there, and many people flock there on pilgrimage (although, not as many as to Czestochowa). My grandmother is harping on me to eat. At any moment, she is offering me food. I guess I'm too skinny for the Polish!

June 9
Our visit to Czestochowa began at 12:30 am. My uncle had me wake up so early so that we could see the "unveiling" of the miraculous image at Jasna Gora (Light Hill, literally). I was absolutely in love with the Basilica at Czestochowa. I climb the bell tower, visited all the relics, went through the museum, venerated the miraculous image, and adored our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. We left at noon, having a full day.

Some More Pictures

2006-06-10T07:27:00.000-04:00

The first photo is taken at the Phara in Istanbul. This is the "St. Peter's" of the Orthodox Church. I am standing in front of the remains of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory Nanzianzen (sp?). Next, we're in the Hagia Sophia, and I do not know what the guys are doing behind me. Third, I'm at the top of St. Peter's looking out onto the square. Fourth, I am toeing the line just like Gregory Peck did in "The Scarlet and the Black." Finally, I'm standing in front of the statue of St. Philomena at her shrine in Mugnano.

Since the Holy Land

2006-06-10T07:25:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I know it's taken a while, but here are the adventures of the last two weeks.

May 28, 2006
Our flight from Istanbul to Rome went well. We arrived at the North American College (NAC) in Rome. Literally, it is in the back yard of St. Peter’s Basilica. My room has a great view of the dome. Mainly, we just settled in, ate lunch, had Mass, slept, and took a walk to the biggest church in the world. We looked around for a bit, prayed, and then after meeting up with some of the seminarians, we headed back to the NAC.
A spontaneous walk into the city was had by a handful of us. I tasted gelato for the first time, which was a delight. Exhausted, I fell into bed thankful for being in the capitol of the Catholic Church.

May 29, 2006
Where didn’t I go?…that’s my only question. After Fr. Mike celebrated Mass at the altar of Mater Ecclesia (Mary, Mother of the Church) Altar in St. Peter’s, Mike, Charles, and Phil met up with Msgr. Sable (Phil knows him well). Breakfast was had, and then Msgr. Sable graciously drove us to the Holy Steps. The steps upon which Christ walked in the Holy Land were moved to Rome by the Crusaders back in the 13th-14th centuries. They are in a church in Rome. We painfully climbed up the stairs on our knees, offering our incomparable suffering to the Lord.
St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, was just a stone’s throw away. We spent some time in there.
Walking some more, we headed to St. Mary Majors, which meant three major basilicas in one day. St. Paul Outside the Walls’ is left, but it is quite a hike to get there. The four of us walked back to St. Peter’s Basilica, stopping at St. Peter’s in chains but found it closed.
I split from the group heading for the dome of St. Peter. Literally, I climbed the dome—360 steps and a whole lot of walking. It was worth it, though. Next, I jumped into line for the tomb of Pope John Paul II. He is buried in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, along with many other popes. I prayed there for a while, and then the guard touched my rosary to his tomb. Fascinating that in his death I reached him closer than when he was alive. Still, that same atmosphere surrounds him. Truly, he was a blessed man.
On the way out of the crypt, I crossed paths with some Swiss Guards. There job is sometimes menial, especially when they are directing the traffic of people who want to get a photo of them. Following this, I prayed my holy hour in one of the chapels at St. Peter’s Basilica. I offered my vocation to the Father and prayed for the intercession of Our Lady and all the saints, most especially the popes. Energy spent and feet tired, I trudged back to the NAC for supper.

May 30, 2006
Having my own plans, I ended up touring Rome solo today. I headed over by bus to St. Paul’s Outside the Walls and ended up staying for Mass. It is stunning—again one of the four major basilicas. Entering into the church, one first passes through an atrium courtyard. Then, colonnades line the nave, leading up to the tomb of St. Paul. All around the building are mosaics of all the popes. Benedict’s is up there, leaving room for five more. Legend has it that this will determine the “end of the world,” because there will be room for no more popes. In my estimation, this is highly unlikely.
Not only did I become a master of the buses, but I also championed the Metro Subway. I scurried over to Termini Bus Statio`n, and soon I located Santa Maria della Vittoria. This church is home to the famous Bernini sculpture, “Ecstasy of St. Teresa of Avila.” I was thoroughly amazed at the grandeur of this piece. Noteworthy is the expression of the angel piercing the Carmelite Superior’s heart. From one location, it looks like a smirk; from another point of view, it looks like a frown. The body of St. Victoria is located in this church. She is a third-century martyr under the Diocletian persecutions. This is the first incorruptible body that I have seen. (John XXIII is incorruptible, but he is encased in wax.)
Crossing the street was Santa Suzanna. I decided to go in, visiting the Baroque church. Both Santa Suzanna and Santa Maria were both ornately decorated with hardly any light.
Taking the metro once again, I ventured towards the Colloseum. From there I walked to Jesu Church, which houses the remains of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Robert Bellarmine, and St. Francis Xavier. It was closed, so I was off to the Pantheon. Along the way, I walked into a church, Santa Maria Sopra Minvera. This church marks the spot of the ancient Temple of Minerva. Now, to my surprise at the time, the remains of St. Catherine of Siena are buried in a tomb under the high altar. After visiting the Pantheon, which was packed and there was hardly any room to walk around, I made my way to another Bernini masterpiece, the Spanish Steps. This is an outdoor street with steps, with all the surrounding buildings, villa, and fountains designed by the famous artist/architect. Many people were lounging on these steps, and it was difficult to maneuver through the crowds.
Then, I headed to the Vatican Museum. I marched through as fast as I could because the only thing I wanted to see was the Sistine Chapel. Again, massive crowds were in the way. I did, however, manage to spend an hour viewing all the frescoes on the walls and ceiling, imagining if the walls could talk, what would they say. Many popes were elected in this room, and so I imagined the many successors of Peter reacting to their elections by the Cardinals.
Settlers update: Dave won again.

May 31, 2006
One major prayer was granted today. I was able to see the Pope. Waking up at 6:00 am, several of us headed to the Square early for the Papal Audience. At first, we had to fight Italian nuns and a priest who had a very large group. They weren’t really in line, but when we headed towards the front of the gate, they became very upset. The sisters were pushing people in wheelchairs, ramming the metal into our ankles. The priest at one point knocked over Mark R. was wanting to fight Charles. The situation was a mess, but we few Americans stood our ground. The NAC seminarians told us to show no mercy. At 8:00 am, the first gate opened, and it was a mad dash toward the gate with all the security guards and metal detectors. At 8:30 am, there was another mad dash through security. The five of us seminarians were able to reach the front barricade on the left hand side of St. Peter’s Square. The fight was not over, because for two hours we need to hold our ground. So many people were wanting to take our seats and places. Through the generosity of one nun, she let us sit in the front row. Moving our chairs up to the barricade (for there was about five feet in front of us), and Rich planting himself in the aisle, not allowing anyone to go through, we stood there in vigil. The same Italian group that was ramming wheelchairs into our ankles then began yelling at us to sit down, shut up, etc., etc. They were not very happy with us.
The audience was beginning. Pope Benedict rode around on the pope-mobile right in front of us, only five feet away. He rode through the crowds and made his way to the front. He made comments about his recent trip to Poland. The audience had its usual go-around: introducing different groups, making statements in all the major languages, and the Pope meeting dignitaries and bishops. During his final blessing, we held up our religious articles. He then began shaking hands with the people in the reserved seats at the top of the steps. Once placed on the pope-mobile again, he came down off the platform and headed for our section. A very nice group of Americans was behind us. We waited a good hour after the audience for this moment. On the truck, the pressed up against the barricades and began shaking hands with the people in our section. The anticipation mounted, and we knew our turn was soon to come.
With His Holiness only a few feet away, I wrapped my rosary in my hand after the suggestion of one of my brother seminarians. As he drove by me, he began to bless the crowd, but I was able to pull his hand down. What a surreal moment! Caught up in the emotions of the moment, turning a blind eye to the world around me, the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ, held my hand in his and looked me straight in the eye. The only words that came to my mind were, “Viva, il Papa,” which means, “Long live the Pope” in Italian. I will never forget that moment, nor wash my hand ever again.
Afterward, all those around us joined in our cheers and celebration for experiencing that glorious moment. A couple behind me was Baptist, and yet they celebrated the same with us (I’m really praying for them now!). The five of us—Rich, Mike, Charles, Mark R. and I—could not stop talking about it when we returned to the NAC.
The days adventures did not end there. Some of the seminarians, myself included, went to St. Peter’s for Mass at 5:00 pm. Apparently, Cardinal Szoka celebrated Mass for the patrons of the Vatican Museum. The “officials” kept telling us that what was supposed to be a public Mass was closed to the public. A woman, one of the patrons I guess, was refusing to allow anyone to come into the chapel. She was even ready to refuse an elderly man who could barely walk. Needless to say, many of us were on the verge of an explosion of anger. The same woman was even going to deny us from receiving communion. Thank the Lord that the Basilica guards new better. We were able to receive, but I had a deeper appreciation for it afterward.
Charles and I received another surprise, for Bishop Vigneron, former rector of SHMS, was concelebrating the Mass. We were able to greet him after Mass and walk around for a few minutes. He had some business to take care of for the Diocese of Oakland and there new cathedral. Dinner followed, with the pilgrimage group gathering with Msgr. Sable and Fr. Urban.
One gains a deep appreciation for the gifts God bestows most especially when they are hard earned graces. It took a lot out of us to do what we accomplished, yet certainly only God could have provided the circumstances in which to achieve them.

June 1, 2006
I was on my own again, traveling to Assisi by train. It took 2 ½ hours on the train, and when I arrived, it was cold and very windy. A cab driver, knowing no English, took me around to the Church of St. Damian, where St. Francis first heard the call of the Lord. St. Clare’s first convent was still intact at the same location.
Next, we ventured to some churches: Cathedral of St. Rufinus, housing the patrons tomb and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, a very well-decorated and ornate church. I found the Basilica of St. Clare to be very modest, simple, and plain, reflecting the character of this saint. Her incorruptible body is entombed in the crypt chapel and the San Damiano Cross, the one which spoke to St. Francis, was housed there, as well. Next, I visited some medieval ruins, after which, I arrived at the Basilica of St. Francis. Three levels of frescoes, altars, and dimly lit chapels fill the site. At the lowest level, the tomb of St. Francis can be approached, where I sat for some time and prayed, venerating his tomb. I then reached the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, and headed back to Rome by train. Short-lived, but truly this was a memorable experience.

June 2, 2006
St. Philomena delivers graces, but they are hard earned. An early start, about 5:00 am, began a day of patient waiting. Dave, Phil, and I headed toward Mugnano del Cardinale to visit the Shrine of St. Philomena, the Wonder Worker. Nothing is known about this saint other than when her body was transferred from the catacombs to this site many miracles were being attributed to her. On her sarcophagus were seals that said she was a virgin, a martyr, and how she was killed. She granted one of my prayers, to meet the Holy Father.
Off we were by train from Rome to Naples. In Naples, we ran into a little trouble because 40,000 buses were around us, and we had to hop on the right one in order to arrive at the village. Once we figured out which bus, we realized that it was passing right in front of us, heading toward our destination. The next one arrived two hours later.
Once in Mugnano, our next adventure was to find the church. Mind you, none of us knows Italian and the natives don’t know English (at least in Southern Italy). A friendly man, after a brief moment with him, gave us a ride to the church about a mile away. It was a beautiful church, and we prayed for while, took some photos, and looked around. Then the rector, Don Giovanni Braschi greeted us warmly and proceeded to give us every detail about the church…in Italian. He spoke slowly enough and with emphasis that we caught on to what he was saying. We had espressos in the sacristy while he told us stories and people he knew in the States. We returned to Rome, being exhausted myself, and Dave and Phil really refreshed by the experience. It was a good experience, but I have been running mad for almost a month. When I arrive in Poland, I hope to take a little breather.

June 3, 2006
St. Peter’s was completely packed. If I thought it was crowded on Wednesday during the audience, then I had something yet in store. Because the Holy Father invited all the renewal movements in the Church to the Pentecost celebration at St. Peter’s, many groups, truly filled with the Holy Spirit, filled every corner of the square. It was quite the challenge to attend mass in the St. Joseph Chapel inside the Basilica, but I managed somehow. The last adventure of the day was heading to the airport and flying off to Poland. My aunt and uncle were waiting for me in Krakow and I met my grandmother later that night in her apartment.

June 4, 2006
I am finally living the breather I prayed for before. I watched Pentecost Mass from the Vatican and from Czestochowa. Lunch was at my aunt’s, and we went to Mass at the Church of Divine Mercy in Tarnow (not the shrine).

June 5, 2006
Again, I was able to sleep in today. I woke up late, and hung around the apartment until my aunt and uncle arrived. They took me around the city, visiting parishes. I am liking a lot of these parishes, some of them very new. They are tall, great acoustics, and built like churches should be. Each church has a main altar, two side altars, beautiful icons of Our Lady and of the Divine Mercy.
Like most family, especially Polish, they are hoarding over me to eat and drink. I wonder how long it will be before they realized I do not need someone waiting on me hand and foot, reminding me to eat and drink. Long will I remain patient, too.

The Last Few Days

2006-05-27T14:07:00.000-04:00

The last few days have been hectic, but I've kept track of the events. Here we go...
May 24, 2006
It has become extremely hot in this country. The temperature is between 90 and 100 degrees with a humidity well over 75%. It short, it is a little bit miserable, and truthfully, I am a wimp when it comes to heat.
We made several short visits to places today. First, we found the synagogue church where Christ was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. After reading it, our Lord proclaimed that the prophecy had been fulfilled in Him. It was a small stone building, barely enough room for twenty-five people. The Franciscan there was very warm, a common occurrence that we have found in the Holy Land. The guide then showed us a Melkite church which had many amazing icons.
Again we visited the Basilica of the Annunciation. Remarkably, I was able to pray the Angelus at the site for morning, noon, and night. It was difficult to pray, mainly because it has been so hot—100 degrees with high humidity. At the same time, when you have been traveling all day, people like me are ornery and cranky, just waiting the time to take a breather. We had Mass in the St. Joseph chapel, marking the carpentry shop where the foster of the Lord worked. A great meditation to be had is Joseph showing Christ how to work with His hands. Those sacred hands sanctified manual labor. I made sure to pray for all manual laborers, that their lives may be sanctified.
We were near the tributaries of the Jordan River, so we stopped. A lot of people were walking in ankle deep. Many catfish and carp were in the water. Apparently, these are not “kosher” and so nobody harvests them. One fisherman said that they are like cows in India, but not necessarily held sacred. One woman there was able to catch them in her hands. Nearby, a group was being “baptized” in the Jordan River. As Catholics, we believe that you cannot be re-baptized and prefer to remember our baptismal promises. That group seemed to be seriously doing baptisms, so I do not know exactly what they were up to other than that.
A small chapel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee is dedicated to the Primacy of St. Peter. After the Resurrection, Christ appeared to the Apostles as they were fishing on the lake. On shore, Christ was cooking fish. Many have venerated a stone upon which this took place. More importantly, this is the site where Christ entrusts the first of the Apostles with the Church. Here we have the beginning of the tradition of the papacy. It was difficult to pray in this church because wrens were nesting and flying all over and the smell was awful. We spent some time outside, trying to skip the flat stones on the waves of the lake.
Before settling down for the evening, we visited the Benedictine monastery commemorating the site of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. The church there is quite simple with mosaic floors dating back to Byzantine times. We spent the night at a hotel on the Mount of Beatitudes.
Settlers update: I won again! It was a very close game, and a lot of fun.

May 25, 2006
We began with Mass at the Chapel on the Mount of Beatitudes. Today marks Fr. Mike’s tenth anniversary to priesthood. His homily reflected some of the most memorable moments in his ministry. The heat was turned on full blast. It reminded me of Fr. Zuegner’s homily when he was at my home parish: “If you think its hot now, think of what hell must be like.” I am such a wimp.
We traveled to Caesarea Philippi, a pagan city in the time of Christ. St. Peter had his unforgettable confession of Christ as the Son of God. We were able to visit some ruins. There were some streams in the area, but it was forbidden to walk into them. What a temptation to break the rules!
The guide led us into the Golan Heights, an area recently marked by war and strife. It is held by the Israelis, but is disputed with Syria. Though nobody felt alarmed or in danger, it did remind us of some of the reading we did prior to or on the pilgrimage. We read a book called “Blood Brothers” about a priest from this area who had been exiled in his only land. A charming book bringing life, names, and almost faces to the troubles in the Holy Land. I suggest that people read this book to understand the depth of the issues.
After lunch, we head to St. Peter’s house in Capernaum. The church, not remarkable for its architecture, is definitely so for its engineering. It is set over the ruins of three old churches that used to be there. Right next to it was the synagogue where Christ taught. In addition, one of the houses was where the Lord cured the crippled man lowered through the roof. Again it was hot!
We then proceeded to a boat ride on the lake. A warm breeze came over the area, and it did feel good at times. The boat was similar to one that Christ would have traveled in His time. The men attempted to fish, but caught nothing…go figure. They played some Christian rock, and I decided to do my holy hour praise and worship style. I was practically led to tears, praising God for the good gifts He has given me. After tonight’s postcard writing party, I truly cherished the gift of humor. I am sure my brothers would appreciate it if I did not reveal what was said and done tonight. It is late, the next few days will be long and wearisome. Know of our prayers for all who asked and who ask and who will ask. Did I get everybody in there?

May 26, 2006
On the shores of the Sea of Galilee, we celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Again the temperature raised to boiling. The suffering did not last long for us, for we headed towards the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way, we stopped at Caesarea Maritima, where St. Paul was imprisoned before being taken to Rome. The ruins were pretty amazing. The theater was, for the most part, intact. Concerts are held there periodically. It was at this place that I first touched the Mediterranean. Its sparkling blue-green color was dotted with sailboats, motorboats, jet-skis, and barges. Closer to shore, one could see the various immobile wildlife like seaweed, algae, and mosses. We were able to find few tiny hermit crabs.
Lunch was shwarma—pitas stuffed with lamb and vegetables. Good, but a little too much. After having begged Fr. Trapp, we were able to go to Mount Carmel, the cave where Elijah hid when he was chased by Jezebel. Some hermits eventually lived there, creating what we now know as the Carmelite order. The church was fascinating, definitely Italian Baroque in architecture. It is situated on the cliffs overlooking the sea. The views over Haifa’s lower city were serene, marked by the harbor as water vessels were darting in and out of the marina.
Another church that we visited was the Church of St. Peter in Jaffa. Here St. Peter received the message from Cornelius after raising Tabitha from the dead. This church was another great architectural site. It was mainly Italian Renaissance, not having a tryptyphorum level on the walls. Most of these places were closing as we were walking in, but as for the souvenir shops, I cannot say the same.
We winded up just outside of Tel Aviv, our hotel near the airport. We stayed overnight on the beach. Before dinner, some of us headed for the water, swimming for the first time in the Mediterranean. After dinner, we headed for the pool, getting kicked out of there, as well. Tomorrow is a long day in Istanbul/Constantinople/Byzantium…whatever you wish to call it.

May 27, 2006
Rising early, like 2 am, we left the nice five-star hotel in Tel Aviv to fly to Istanbul. Our layover to Rome is a day, so we had the opportunity to see the sites of the ancient city of Constantinople. We waited a while this morning, but finally we managed to hop on a bus and visit the Orthodox Patriarchate, sort of like the Vatican of the Orthodox. It pales in comparison to the Vatican. The tiny church was surrounded by five buildings. Inside, icons and chandeliers filled almost every nook and cranny. We were able to venerate the remains of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory Nanzianzen, two Easter doctors developing much of the doctrine on the Holy Trinity and the dual natures of Christ.
Both the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Patriarch of Jerusalem were meeting today, so we were told. There was a little bustle in the area of the church.
Afterwards, we made it to the center of the city amidst the worst traffic I had ever seen. Turkish driving is crazy, disorganized, and completely chaotic at times. We ate at McDonald’s, my restaurant of choice, and then ventured to an old church-turned-mosque-turned-museum. Its name was Korah, which had two meanings. First, it meant outside the city, which would have been true during the third and fourth centuries. Secondly, it means the Bearer of the Uncontainable. There were awesome mosaics, mostly portraying the life of Mary.
We ended up in Hagia Sofia, the church-turned-mosque-turned-museum. This has to be the largest church I had ever been to, EVER! There were so many people, but since it is over 1,500 years old, and gone through many repairs and restorations, it does not reflect its original splendor. Its sheer size is spectacular, though.
Exhausted, our group returned to the hotel, celebrated Mass, and ate dinner. On to the Eternal City, Rome.

More Pictures

2006-05-24T01:25:00.000-04:00

Hezekiah's Tunnel...and no, I'm not a devil. The second photo is the Upper Room.

Mt. Tabor pt. 2

2006-05-23T11:34:00.000-04:00

We had a morning reflection today on Mount Tabor. The Franciscans there were extremely gentile, hospitable, friendly, and most importantly joyful. They made our stay all the more worthwhile. Fr. Trapp told us to attempt to meditate on two things: the need for the redemption of the world and the Transfiguration. I had some pretty intense prayer, some of it focused on internal and personal things. At the end, like most times on this trip, I just thanked God for this wonderful opportunity.
Several of us walked down the mountain, which took about half an hour. I asked Fr. Trapp what "rising from the dead meant." He chuckled a little.
On our way to Nazareth we stopped at Cana for Mass. This is the site of the first miracle of Christ, the changing of water into wine. Fr. Trapp celebrated Mass in the quaint church. We prayed a little, and then I decided to walk around and view the excavations. I ran into an American college group. They were part of the Christian Fellowship of Athletes, ministering to youth in Israel and touring part of the country. They were not Catholic, and I heard their guide explaining how it was wine that Jesus created, not grape juice. Quite a humourous group. Then, I proceeded to check out the shops, not really wanting to buy anything. The shop across the street had free wine taste testing. It was not a good year.
Eventually, we made it to Nazareth, stopping at the Basillica of the Anunciation. This church, over the area of where Mary received the news from the Angel Gabriel about Christ, was built in the 1950's. It definitely represents the architecture of the time. Some of the artwork, in the words of Fr. Trapp, is unforgettable.
We made our way to the hotel. St. Gabriel hotel is like the St. John's Center of Nazareth. It was a monastery converted into a hotel. It has great views of the city, but my room doesn't have one. Oh well! We'll have Mass at the Basillica tomorrow. God bless.

Mt. Tabor

2006-05-23T11:32:00.000-04:00

May 22, 2006
We’re on the road, the beginning of almost a week of traveling every day. Our destination was Mount Tabor, but now without a few stops on the way. We visited Jericho, first stopping at the tree of Zacchaeus. This is the tree where the short man, known as a sinner in the town, climb in order to see Christ. Christ invited Himself into the man’s house, where we witness the man in conversion.
We climbed up one of the mountains to a Orthodox monastery. The father who opened the door did not seem to warm and welcoming. He did not allow us to pray, although we rested a few minutes there. The hike to the mountain was long and steep, and climbing back down was not much easier. Before the bus returned, we went to a little shop at the foot of the hill. The woman had cold refreshments and ice cream. I broke one of my rules and had a popsicle before noon (I normally do not eat ice cream before 12:00 pm. It was so good that I had to have two. This woman was so hospitable. She pulled out chairs for us to sit in the shade instead of the incredible heat. Out of her poverty, she gave us all she had, and it was truly an incredible gift. I will always remember her for that.
Our third stop was the ruins at Beth She’an. This place was an amazingly large city, with colonnades, amphitheaters, temples, and churches. Some of the ruins dated back 7,000 years. By far, this was the best site of ruins. A lot of it has been restored, and parts of it remained after an earthquake in 794 A.D. We then had lunch at the Last Temptation Restaurant. The food was decent.
Riding on the bus further up the Jordan River Valley, we stopped at a church in Nein. This marks the spot of Christ raising the widow’s son in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7.
Finally we arrived at Mount Tabor in the evening twilight. Fr. Byrnes celebrated Mass, and some of us completed our holy hours. I truly wanted to experience the Transfiguration. In my prayer, I was able to kiss the feet of the Transfigured Christ.
The Basilica of the Transfiguration lends itself well to prayer. The mosaic behind the high altar in the evening glow of the sun truly radiates the light of Christ. The acoustics in the church are awesome, leaving us with a three-second reverberation. It is incredibly tall, in Gothic architecture. Gardens surround the church and the abbey at which we spent the night. This has to be my favorite place.
Settlers update: Dave won two games last night. Mark R. won one the night before.

Ramallah

2006-05-21T13:08:00.000-04:00

Before I begin with today's activities, I'd like to mention what we did last night. The communities here at Notre Dame had a barbeque for us. I volunteered to help cook, not realizing I'd be given the main barbequeing responsibility. I'll admit, it was the first time grilling kebobs, and I burnt a few (ok...a lot). We enjoyed some fellowship before hand, exchaning greetings and blessings, had a lot of food to eat, and then sang some songs afterward. It was quite enjoyable.
Ramallah, a town on the Palestinian side of the Wall, had quite a different atmosphere. I felt a little enclose by the Wall, because it was running on the side of one of the main streets. We went to Holy Family Church. We met some other pilgrims from Detroit. Fr. Fisher and a group from St. Lawrence, Utica, were there, marking their co-op as sister parishes. Mass was a little chaotic, a lot of movement, little kids everywhere, but I felt so moved by prayerfulness and joy that filled the church. The choir was excellent, as well.
Lunch was at a posch restaurant, where we ate like kings and gluttons. There was so much food! It was extremely delicious, and Fr. Trapp did not order anything for us (which meant no cow's stomach or pig brains)! Tomorrow, we're on the road until we hit Rome. We'll be traveling up the Jordan River to Galilee, fly to Istanbul and tour all day, then fly to Rome. Thanks for all your prayers. God bless!

Holy Cenacle and Dormition Abbey

2006-05-20T06:18:00.000-04:00

It's the Sabbath for the Jews, yet the Christian pilgrims still travel. The Holy Cenacle and Dormition Abbey were on the itinerary today. Fr. Trapp celebrated Mass at the Church ad Coenaculum. This is a Franciscan church near the Cenacle. The Chapel was pretty, with a giant bronze sculpture of the Last Supper behind the altar. The Franciscan who greeted us was very cordial and warm in welcoming us. We went to the site of the Holy Cenacle, where Christ celebrated the Last Supper. It is in Gothic Architecture, with ribbed vaults and Corinthian columns. Any trace of Judeo-Christian tradition has been removed. Muslims run the place now, for it is over what is thought to be the Tomb of David. Jews venerate the tomb, as well. We went up there and prayed for a while. I imagined Christ washing my feet. Then I thought about Him instituting the Most Holy Eucharist. Anne Catherine Emmerich's book, "The Dolorous Passion", which inspired Gibson's movie, has a great meditation with impeccable details surrounding the Last Supper. (Take that, Daniel Brown!)
Christ appeared in the Upper Room after His Resurrection. I prayed, seeing Christ walk through the locked door and asking for something to eat. It's also the site of Pentecost. So then I imagined Mary and the followers of Christ waiting for the Holy Spirit. How did they spend nine days in such a place? It is amazing to believe what went on, who braved the crowds to buy food, why was it that Thomas left and returned. Many interesting thoughts to pray about.
Our last scheduled stop was Dormition Abbey. The tradition here is that this commorates the spot where Mary "layed down to die." We Catholics do not believe this, but rather believe that Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven. It's still a nice church, with a pious tradition about Mary. The mosaics in this church were magnificent. Some of us spent our holy hours down in the crypt chapel, where I found it to be the noisiest. Oh well, that was my sacrifice of the day.
Phil, Dave C., and I walked through the streets of the Old City, where it was packed all throughout the marketplace. Phil and I ventured into the New City, where it was empty, because of the Jewish Sabbath. Tonight we have a barbeque with the sisters at Notre Dame. Tomorrow we will visit Ramallah. God bless.

Claustrophobs Beware

2006-05-19T12:03:00.000-04:00

We visited St. Peter in Gallicantu again. When we were there the first time, I did not visit the lower levels, which have caves and cisterns. We prayed Psalm 88 in the place where it is thought Christ was held before seeing Caiaphas. Mass was celebrated in the lower church, where there were exquisite icons of St. Peter. I really liked the one behind the main altar depicting him weeping after denying Christ. What inspiration St. Peter gives me, turning back to Christ after denying Him. Fr. Byrnes gave us some practical suggestions on how to love.
Afterward, we walked over to the Tunnel of Hezekiah. It was built about 4,000 years ago, as I know it, to get water from the top of the hill down to the bottom. Six of us braved the experience. This tunnel, a quarter-mile long, travels 100m under the city. It is tight and extremely cramped in places. Only one person wide, there is no turning back once you enter. There are no lights, and a strem of water flows the entire time. At different points, the cold water was halfway up our thighs. Brrr!!!! I am claustrophobic, but braved the tunnel. At different points, I wanted to panic but remained calm. The group of kids behind us were extremely noisy, banging, screaming, and splashing. The group in front of us was extremely slow. It took about an hour to walk the entire thing, but it was well worth it. The steep climb back was a struggle, but the effort was cured by some icecream at the top! I am the site coordinator for tomorrow: the Cenacle. I spent my holy hour today preparing for it, reading and praying about what I am going to present.

Day Off #2

2006-05-18T09:06:00.000-04:00

Adventures were set in store for me today. Our day off began with a 6:00 am pick up for Mass at the Holy Sepulchre. I decided to join the German group at the altar on Calvary. The tomb of the Lord was just too packed to engage in Mass. A few of us ran to St. James Armenian Cathedral and witnessed what looked like Morning Prayer. Their chanting was fantastic. Returning back to the Holy Sepulchre, I then decided to head to Pater Noster Church. I walked a LONG way, and uphill! I eventually made it there. I was the only one in the chapel for only a little while. It was interesting seeing the groups come in. Most of them were excited and joyful, and I was not so much disturbed by them. When I was alone again, I decided to sing, because the acoustics were pretty good. I enjoyed singing "Most Ancient of All Mysteries" from the Breviary. The rest of the day, well...it was quite the adventure of waiting, walking, searching, and walking some more. I did get to McDonald's again. Israel does not have refills, well at least not at McD's. I hope to be able to relax the rest of the day. I don't want anymore adventures. God bless!

Pictures From Yesterday and Today

2006-05-17T10:47:00.000-04:00

The first picture is of me standing in some of the ruins at Beersheba. It is a clear and sunny day, light breeze, and yes, I'm hoping to get some sun! There am I crawling out of St. Lazarus' tomb. He may not have been left there, but his stench certainly stayed! Third, I'm practing my high dive at Qumran. Oh no! There's no water! The next one if of the Dead Sea, and I'm in the picture, too. The Pater Noster Church is next. That's just one of the hallways of the Our Father in many languages. The sixth picture is of the priests saying mass at Dominus Flevit. Lastly, you have me in front of the stone at the church in Bethphage commorating Christ's entrance into Jerusalem upon a donkey.

The Traveling Jesus

2006-05-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

It was all about Jesus going places today. First, we visited the Mosque of the Ascension, a tiny little church converted into a muslim place of worship. The owner allows Mass to be said there once a year, on the Ascension of Jesus. That solemnity is in a few days, but we will be on the road to Galilee by then. The site also has a rock with the footprint of Jesus. He had big feet!
Our second stop was the Church of Pater Noster. There is a cave here where the Lord taught the Apostles the Our Father. On the walls of the church and convent is written the Our Father in 117 languages. I found Polish and English. One does not realize how many languages exist in the world until they come to this site. My thoughts were on the fact that when Peter caught fish, he caught 157--thought to be the number of people extant in the world at the time of Jesus. Are we still missing 50 languages?
Fr. Trapp celebrated mass at Dominus Flevit. On the way into Jerusalem from Bethany, when Christ rode upon the donkey, He wept over Jerusalem. Dominus Flevit translates into "Jesus wept." There were beautiful panoramas of the city. Many people were taking photos. Fr. Trapp told us to mourn over the sins of our people, just as Jesus did when he was travelling to the Holy City. The Church here is the only one in Jerusalem not to face East. It faces West, toward the city. Behind the altar, instead of paintings or stained-glass windows, it has a clear window overlooking the city. We did not have Mass inside the Church, but rather outside near the adjacent garden.
We entered into Bethphage, which is in the Palestinian side. We did not have to cross the Wall, because it gerimanders throughout the land. There was a simple fresco over the altar depicting Jesus riding the donkey into Jerusalem. This is the point where He would have began riding on the colt. A stone which is known traditionally as the stone which Jesus climbed upon to mount the donkey is located in this church. It reminded me of the Psalm, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."
We ate lunch in a park at the Hebrew University. It had some more excellent views of the city. We then toured the excavations near the Temple Mount. It's amazing to think that some of the walls there are over 3,000 years old. Fr. Mike made a joke when I asked how old the rocks were. He said, "There as old as the Earth." I replied, "That's not what I meant."
Settlers update: Me 4, Dave 4, Mark H. 3, Rich 2, Mark R. 1, and Chris 0. We played several games in the last few days. We found out that we were not following one of the rules: The winner is named "Lord of Catan" until the beginning of the next game. I was able to relish in that last night and today, until Mark won this afternoon.

Dead Sea Adventures

2006-05-16T12:52:00.000-04:00

Our first stop today was Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. We were able to go into Lazarus' tomb. The church was very pretty with amazing mosaics. Fr. Byrnes' celebrated mass and preached on being happy that Christ ascended to heaven. At the same time, we should be happy with our brothers who receive great assignments. Jealousy is far too much of a temptation in the presbyterate.
There were three main aspects of Christ's life to meditate upon at Bethany. First, there is the raising of Lazarus. Then there is the anointing by Mary. Finally, I thought about Martha and Mary: Martha serving and Mary spending time with the Lord. Most especially, it was amazing to think how these friendships developed and how the Lord loved this family so much. Entering into the church, you could just sense it in the air. The mosaics depicting each scene also helped.
We tried to stop at the Inn of the Good Samaritan, but it was closed...how ironic! We then traveled to Qumran, the site of the Essene community. There were more caves and ruins to look at, but again I really was not too impressed, but maybe because I was hungry and could only think of food at the time. We ate at Qumran, and then headed for the Dead Sea. We went swimming in the lowest place in the world. The salt made floating easy. It burned when it hit your eyes, so it was a challenge not getting your face wet. I especially enjoyed the mud! I was able to convince Mark, Mike, and Phil to try it on. When you're at the beach, you normally marvel at how sand can get into every crevice and wrinkle. At the Dead Sea, you marvel at how salt can find its way into all those places.
Later in the evening, we reflected on celibacy, after being at the beach all afternoon.

The "Apostles" in the Garden of Gethsemane

2006-05-15T14:01:00.000-04:00

Photos from Visitation Church, Garden of Gethsemane, Emmaus, Beersheba, and Mamshit

2006-05-15T13:35:00.000-04:00

The first picture is of me at the Church of the Visitation. It had wonderful paintings. The second is me in the Garden of Gethsemane with what is thought to be the 2,000 year old olive trees. The group is shown playing Settlers. The final picture is of us climbing down into one of the cisterns at Beersheba. Pretty deep...just think, we had to climb back up afterward.

Day 11 and Day 12

2006-05-15T13:21:00.000-04:00

First of all, a Happy Mother's Day goes out to all the mom's out there. We definitely prayed for you at the sites yesterday. We visited three monasteries yesterday. The first was a Byzantine Church known as the Ark of the Covenant. It had an enormous statue of Our Lady standing over the Ark of the Covenant. The floors in the church were the original.
Then we had mass at a Benedictine monastery. The chapel had once been totally decorated with frescoes, but now they had been mostly destroyed. The faces and images were blotted out when the Muslims came in and took over the area. The monks and nuns had some amazing chant. Mass lasted about two hours, said in French except for the ordinary parts which were in Latin, but their chants were heavenly and made the time go by really fast. I wish we could sing like that at the seminary.
Afterward, we visited another monastery with some excavation sites of an old church. Both of these monasteries were traditional sites of Christ's appearance at Emmaus. To pray through that Scripture on the site was pretty incredible. There really is something to the thought that they did not recognize Jesus until the breaking of the bread. Imagine their excitement afterward, hurrying home to tell the others.
Today, we visited some archaelogical sites. The first was Beersheba, or in Hebrew Ber sheva. It was an ancient city, a stop along the way to Egypt. We found a cistern that seemed to have no bottom. It sorted of reminded me of the canyon in "The Lord of the Rings" or the cistern in "First Knight." Then we arrived at Mamshit, another location of ancient ruins. We totally had the "desert experience." It was hot, the sun beating down on our heads and shoulders, and the wind blowing some dust into our faces.
The bus ride back took us by the Dead Sea. Looking upon the landscape gives new understanding to the prophet Isaiah saying, "Every valley shall be exalted, the mountains and hills made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain." For all that to occur in the Holy Land would require the Second Coming of Christ. This verse was sung by Clint at the Christmas concert, composed by the great G.F. Handel. Although I am not a tenor, I did try to sing it. Maybe I should stick to "The Trumpet Shall Sound."
Settlers update: Sunday night, we played the shortest and the longest game. Mark H. won the first one, smoking us in less than half an hour. In the second game, I was close to winning twice, but was defeated by Mark R. His first game and he won! It was close, for three of us had 9 points, two had 8. Mark H. has 2 wins now.

Will you not stay awake one hour...

2006-05-13T11:48:00.000-04:00

Today we visited the Garden of Gethsemane. The Church of All Nations, located on the rock upon which our Lord prayed to the Father, "May this cup pass me by. Not my will, but thy will be done," was a very beautiful church, completely decorated in mosaics. It was quite dark in the church, except for the light on the altar just in front of the rock. Phil and I were the first to venerate the stone. The priest, young and a bit flustered, seemed to allow us to stay there indefinitely. I prayed the First Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary, the Agony in the Garden. It was as if I experienced the fear and trembling that our Lord experienced, but definitely not to the degree that He did. I was not sweating blood.
We had Mass in the Garden where the other Apostles were. A group from Chicago joined us, led by a frantic Franciscan. He seemed a bit confused about times, but nonetheless, having another group join us was spectacular.
We followed his group into the actual grove of trees thought to be 2,000 years old. These "Ancient Olives" are all snarled, grey, yet very vibrant, full of leaves, and still bearing fruit. The flowers in this country are absolutely stunning, their fragrance intoxicating. I am amazed and reminded of the splendor of God by all the flowers, especially all the roses. Not only are there many here, but they are huge. I suppose gardeners need not worry about cold winters snapping the life out of these bushes.
Fr. Trapp led us back to the first garden, where we were locked in for almost three hours. After eating our sack lunches, we proceeded to pray our holy hours in the place where the Apostles fell asleep. I read a little bit of the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 17, and prayed through Christ's prayer for His Apostles. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at the experience) I fell asleep during my holy hour. Luckily, nobody caught me except God. An epiphany followed. The reason why Christ was arrested in the garden was if He were arrested in the City, especially near the Temple, a riot may have been started. This was a distant place, up the hill, and out of the city. It would have been easier. In addition, as Fr. Byrnes said in his homily, it was an easy place for Christ to escape. Yet, what did He say, "Not my will, but Thy will be done." Meaning, the Father's will was to be done. What great insights to Christ's agony, passion, and death.
There are some hilarious pictures of the group "falling asleep" under one of the trees. Hopefully, I'll be able to post them. Fr. Trapp seemed to get a kick out of it, but ruined our fun so that we may board the bus on time.
Before leaving, I took a sneak peak into the cave under this garden. An inscription stated that this might have been the location that Nicodemus met Christ in secret and at night. Another wonderful meditation. The chapel in the cave there was striking, as well.
Settlers update: I won another, leaving me with 3 wins, Dave with 3 wins, Rich 1, Mark 1, and Chris 0. Peace.

The 8th Day

2006-05-12T11:50:00.000-04:00

...and on the 8th day, they went to a museum. Well, before we visited the museum, we visited Visitation Church in Ein Karem. This is the traditional site of where Mary visited Elizabeth. The Church had a wall with the Magnificat written in 57 languages. The upper church, at the top of a long flight of stairs, had fantastic paintings depicting the various titles given to Mary. The paintings included Mother of God, the scene of the Council of Ephesus where Mary was given this name; Intercessor with a scene from the wedding feast of Cana; Help of Christians with a scene from the Battle of Lepanto; Immaculate Conception with Boethius defending this title; and Hope of our Salvation with a scene from Revelation. There were other magnificent paintings of which I have photos. By far this is the most beautiful church we have visited.
We then walked to St. John the Baptist, where traditionally it is known as the site of his nativity. Fr. Trapp celebrated Mass there, and we were joined by a group from Manchester,England. There the Benedictus is written in various languages. Both churches are run by Franciscans, who are your typical text book images of the friars.
Taking cabs to the Israeli Museum, we viewed this site of historical, cultural, and artistic exhibits. Frankly, I despise museums, especially if we have guided tours. We did not have a guided tour, but I found the place boring. One painting attracted my attention, "The Brazen Serpent" by Heiss. It was an incredible 16th century oil on canvas depicting the scene from Exodus. It had wonderful colors and details, even depicting the braids in women's hair. We had lunch there, where guys were able to fulfill their burger cravings. I had chicken.
Settlers update: Rich finally won a game!

Free Day #1

2006-05-11T07:43:00.000-04:00

Today was a free day. Fr. Trapp took all of us into the Old City, but then split into smaller groups. I venerated the Holy Sepulchre once again. I went up to Calvary, and mixed in with the various groups there. Then, as I passed the anointing slab, I noticed that oil had been poured all over it. People were touching the oil and blessing themselves with it. I grabbed a few klenexes to dab up some of the oil. As I was doing this, a crippled girl was sitting in front of me. Her brother was directing her arm, placing her hand in the oil and signing her with the Cross. It was absolutely moving to see such faith, such simple faith. Thank God for that blessing!
Afterward, Fr. Trapp, Charles, and I went into the New City. We walked through the shops, although it wasn't any less crowded. We spotted McDonald's and decided to have lunch. A Big Mac tastes even better in a foreign country!
I returned back to the Old City on my own and found the chapel to the 5th Station on the Via Dolorosa open. I decided to spend my holy hour in there. Not two minutes after I sat down, a grou of about 30 people crammed into that small chapel. Later, I found out it was a group of tour guide students. It never fails to be interrupted by a group like that. God's sense of humor, I guess.
Then, I just walked around, found Mark H., and headed back to the New Gate. Everybody in the shops and on the street kept mauling us. "What do you want?" "What are you looking for?" As kindly as I could, which wasn't very much, I said, "NO THANK YOU!"

Some more photos from Bethlehem, St. John of the Desert, Ein Karem

2006-05-10T12:01:00.000-04:00

Here am I in front of the Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock). There am I venerating the site of the Nativity. The group walking the streets from Ein Karem to St. John of the Desert. The last photo is of me at the tomb of St. Elizabeth.

St. Anne and St. Stephen

2006-05-10T11:52:00.000-04:00

Having a little less pressure today, we visited two well known sites. St. Anne's in the city is the traditional site of the home of Mary, and her parents, Anne and Joachim. At the same location Bethesda, or the Sheep Pool, is found. Jesus cured the paralytic at this pool. The remains are still there, and I must say the pool is really deep. Several churches and chapels have been built over it.
Fr. Byrnes celebrated mass in the crypt chapel of St. Anne's. Our singing was heard in the main church, where the acoustics are spectacular. After Mass, nobody was in the church, so we sang some Marian hymns. As Mark H. was giving his presentation on the site, we heard what sounded like an evangelical group leader describing the site. He said something along the lines of, "If any of you have a Catholic background, you will know who St. Anne is."
Lunch was held again at the really good pizza spot. The waiter offered us shish kabobs, but we declined. His response, still, was: "We still love you."
St. Stephen's Basilica was a beautiful Latin church outside the city. It had wonder pre-Renaissance architecture and magnificent frescoes of saints at the side altars. This is so far the only spot where once I began praying I was left in peace and no group walked in on us. Probably because it is outside of the city, not too many people know about it.
Mike and I decided to head into the Old City during our free time was we finished praying. Do you remember the scene in "The Passion" where the children attack and bother Judas, resulting in him committing suicide. Well, not that I committed suicide, but when I tried buying postcards from a couple of kids on the street, a hoard of them attacked me until I entered another shop. I was stern, but Mike, on the other hand, was very gentle with the children. Maybe I need to read "Story of a Soul" again.
Tonight, Fr. Byrnes gave the second part of lecture on the history of Israel. Knowing the facts has been helpful in identifying certain places, people, and events. Also, knowing where we come from helps us to understand where we are.
Settlers update: Dave won another; the other Chris joined us last night for the game.

St. John the Baptist

2006-05-09T06:40:00.000-04:00

Today we visited a Franciscan monastery upon the site of where John the Baptist grew up. There is also a place, venerated since the Middle Ages, of St. Elizabeth's tomb. It took us an hour to walk there from the convent here in Ein Karem. We travled on the hills and cliffs and had the most excellent mountaintop views of the village here.
Little did I know that Ein Karem is thought to be the place where Mary met St. Elizabeth after the Annunciation. This is the place where Mary proclaimed her Magnificat. The walking tired us out quite a bit, but luckily we had the afternoon off.
Settlers update: Mark won last night, which means Dave: 2; Me: 2; Mark: 1; Rich: 0.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

2006-05-08T12:39:00.000-04:00

May 8, 2006
Day 5

It was all about the Incarnation today. Our bus picked us up at 8:30 am, and we drove to Bethlehem. The City of David is located on the Palestinian side of the Wall. We had to pass through the military security checkpoint, and I am sure there were some uneasy feelings as we passed through. It is a shame about this wall being built by the Israeli government. It blocks many Palestinians, both Muslim and Christian, from entering Jerusalem. It stops terrorists from coming through but I do not know if it is the right thing to do. Bethlehem was once an thriving city full of life and culture, now it is dismal and resembles driving through some of the worst parts of Detroit.
The Basilica of the Nativity, the church built over the site of the Incarnation, is one of the only Constantine edifices remaining. Coming from the fourth century, it’s walls are made of stone. The entrance is only about four feet tall to prevent camels, horses, and donkeys from entering. The high altar of this Greek Orthodox church is situated above the cave of the Nativity. One can enter the cave, and as we all did, venerate the spot of the birth of our Lord. This site is one of the only non-contested sites amongst Christians. As we took our turn, a group from Germany was singing a Christmas carol in German. Then a group from Italy began singing “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle.” You may remember that we sang this song during our Christmas concert, so it was nice that some of us were able to join them. Then our turn came, and we sang “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” and “Joy to the World.” Christmas carols in May…imagine that! We celebrated Mass in the Chapel of St. Joseph, located in another cave. There were several groups having Mass in the various chapels under the Basilica. All our heavenly voices were raised in sacrifice to our Lord.
The guide brought us to the cave of St. Jerome, where he translated the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures into the Latin Vulgate. Today, electricity and lights fill up the cave, but back then, he only had oil lamps. To think that he spent twenty years in that cave!
We were given time on our own, and a bunch of us decided to go back to the Grotto of the Nativity. It was less crowded this time. Again, we venerated the spot. I went to the back of the cave and sat down on the cold stone. I imagined holding the infant Jesus and singing to Him. It brought tears to my eyes as I held Him, rocked Him, and sang to Him. These holy sites truly are moving.
After lunch in a nearby restaurant, where I ate lamb and actually liked it this time (it was barbequed), we went to the Field of Shepherds, where the angels told them about the Incarnation. We sang “Angels We Have Heard On High” in the chapel there, which had amazing acoustics and incredible paintings of the scenes from Luke’s Gospel. We toured the excavation sites of newly found caves and took in the amazing scenery of the hills surrounding Bethlehem. Arriving home, tired and worn from the day, we had some rest time. Before dinner, we sat reflecting on the graces of our day.

The Pilgrimage that never was...

2006-05-07T13:08:00.000-04:00

OK, it's a bad title, but in a sense it is true. It seemed like the sites we had planned for today were closed or not letting people enter into the place. We tried heading up to the Temple Mount, marked by the Dome of the Rock. This is the place where the Holy of Holies, the "high altar" of the Temple, was located. They were not letting in non-Muslims. We went back to the Holy Sepulchre for Mass. A group joined us, and yes, they were Polish. I translated a tad for them. The Mass this time was in the chapel dedicated to the tradition that Jesus appeared to His Mother after He rose from the dead.
Some of the guys ate falafles for lunch. Others, myself included, decided on the pizza we had the day before. ("We still love you!"--the line of the waiter for every comment of decision we made.) Returning back to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, I ventured off to pray. Others did, as well.
Plans were set to pray Vespers at the Armenian Cathedral of St. James in the Armenian Quarter. Those plans fell through, too. Instead, we went to the Tower of David Museum. Those who really know me I am not much for museums, some things were interesting, but I walked through and waited for the others to finish. That was pretty much our day.
One thing struck me: I am excited about bringing people to the Holy Land. It would be interesting as a priest and a pastor to bring a group through the Holy Land. I look forward to those moments.
Now, I am off to play Settlers with Dave, Mark, and Rich. So far in the three games we've played, Dave won two and I have won one. Who's next to win? Find out on the next episode of Desert Pilgrims (I've always said I wanted to be on reality tv).

Stations of the Cross

2006-05-06T13:54:00.000-04:00

At the Fourth Station, Jesus meets His Mother. The Franciscans are in front, and the group is spread out along the narrow streets of Jerusalem.

Some great photos...

2006-05-06T13:46:00.000-04:00

(Top) That's me placing my hand in the hole where the Holy Cross stood. Yes, I crawled under the altar...everybody there was doing it. Somebody said I look like I was found with my hand in the cookie jar!

(Right) Here's the group in front of the Chapel of St. Helen. This is part of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

2006-05-06T13:42:00.000-04:00

The seminarians walk down to the Chapel of St. Helen.

We have communication...So here's what we're up to.

2006-05-06T13:36:00.000-04:00

May 4, 2006
Day 1

Blessed be God for landing us safely in the Holy Land! It still boggles my mind that I am across an ocean from anything that is remotely familiar to me. When we first landed in Frankfurt, Germany for our layover, I could not believe that I was in Europe. Now, I am in Asia, specifically the Middle East.
Fr. Trapp began us with the understanding that a pilgrimage is a practicum in charity. As soon as the trip began, I wanted nothing more than to love others and act kindly towards them. Thinking that I would mostly want to work on charity with my brothers, so far I have found they are not getting on my nerves. In the airports and on the planes, people can be very pushy. Nonetheless, I wanted to act out of love, showing kindness, and giving to others the love that God has poured out on me.
As I begin this journey, I cannot help but think of the many people who have taken this pilgrimage before me. I join the multitudes of saints who have risked their lives to travel to the land upon which our Lord walked. Driving from the airport to the convent, the group discussed people and places like various religious orders establishing monasteries and abbeys throughout the Holy Land, St. George and other valiant knights who defended pilgrims, and even those who saw our Lord after His Resurrection.
Ein Karem, located west of Jerusalem, has an oral tradition of being a possible site of the dwelling of Zechariah and Elizabeth, for it was designated as a village for priests of the Temple. What a thought! Our Lady may have traveled here to help her pregnant cousin.
The convent, which is our home for almost three weeks, is run by the Sisters of Notre Dame of Sion. These are French-speaking sisters founded by Fr. Ratisbonne in the nineteenth century. Situated a top one of the many hills in this area, it overlooks the sprawling sections of Jerusalem which are creeping over the hills. Filled with luscious vegetation and sweet-smelling flowers, the gardens in and around the convent are magnificent. Peace and tranquility dwell here, for most of the hustle and bustle of the city life is drowned out by the natural vegetation.
We celebrated Mass in the chapel of Our Lady. With ripped-vaulted ceilings and plastered stone walls, the acoustics were incredible. Dave Cybulski led us in “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name.” The Gospel Acclamation sung to the tune of “Ye Sons and Daughters” sounded most wonderfully as it reverberated from the hearts of the fourteen of us. A few of the sisters also joined us for Mass.
Fr. Byrnes told us in his homily to be experts on Scripture. Philip was able to teach the Ethiopian eunuch because he was comfortable with the Scriptures, and he is our example. Fr. Byrnes mentioned also that the site of this event in the Acts of the Apostles happened no more than twenty miles south of us in Gaza. How sublime it is to think that these stories of the Bible, so many ingrained into my memory from years of reading and meditation, are now coming to life in the land in which they occurred. Again and again, this baffles my mind.
Altogether, I am reminded of the Psalms. How many songs of the Old Testament are attributed to “going to Jerusalem?” How many Psalms sing of the praises of God for all His benefits? Or of the love of God and the mercy He shows on His people? Blessed be God forever!
The adventure begins. P.S. We hope Jean-Noel is able to join us. Because of a mix up with documentation, he was held back in Detroit. We pray that God may return him back to us shortly. God bless!
May 5, 2006
Day 2

Where can you find Latin Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, and Copts worshipping all in one space? That’s right…the Holy Sepulchre. Today’s adventures, led by none other than the fearless Fr. Dan Trapp, brought us to the tomb of our Lord. Meandering through the bazaar, which had Arab, Israeli, and Christian merchants, we eventually made it to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As you enter the medieval edifice, the distinctive odor of incense strikes your olfactory nerves (that is—after they have recovered from walking through the market). The first site is the stone slab upon which the body of Christ was prepared. Pilgrims kneel down, venerating the sacred object, as well as place upon it their various purchases and religious paraphernalia. My pietistic side came out when I pulled out my beads and touched it to the slab.
Behind the giant collage mosaic of scenes from the Crucifixion is the tomb itself. As we made our way to the entrance, having to wait only a few moments for the people in front of us, my brothers and I crawled in and venerated the place upon which the body of our Lord laid and where the Resurrection took place. A minute was all we had in there, but it will be remembered always. The icons, the chandeliers, and candles are imprinted in my memory. The smoothness of the stone reminded me of the many pilgrims who have traveled far and wide to reach this place. We were fortunate not to have to wait too long in line, for after we made our act of veneration, hundreds of people entered the church. The line eventually wrapped around the tomb—a long wait, indeed.
Fr. Trapp celebrated the sacrifice of the Mass in the St. Mary Magdalene Chapel. Here, one could imagine how she encountered the Resurrected Christ in the Garden. We had encountered David Gryniewicz, for he had been lost. At that spot, he had been found. We also saw the Chapel of St. Helen, known for the site where the Holy Cross was found centuries later by this pious queen.
In due course, we made our way up Golgotha. It was near the entrance of the Church. Although the staircases were not existent in the time of Christ, I wonder how much easier He had it. They were steep and slippery! The handrails, coated in the slime of human sweat and germs, did not help either. The victory of climbing up there revealed two altars. On the right was the humble Latin altar with a Fresco depicting the Crucifixion. Next to it was the Greek Orthodox altar, over-embellished and extremely ornate, over the site of where the Holy Cross stood when the Savior was crucified. At first, a group was chanting various devotions in what sounded like Greek, so they blocked our way in venerating this area. When I walked up there a second time, I was able to crouch down under the altar and place my hand in the hole.
Underneath the Chapel of Golgotha was the Chapel of Adam. There is a wonderful site where the rock cracked when the Son of God died upon the Holy Cross. Traditionally, this site was known to be the tomb of Adam, our first parent.
After lunch at the Sisters of Notre Dame of Sion Hostel, which had a breath-taking view of pretty much the entire city of Jerusalem—old and new—we walked back to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to pray our holy hours. At Daytime Prayer, we prayed Psalm 22, which proclaimed how all nations would gather and worship the Lord. The Church with all the pilgrims did not offer a place to find quiet. This church resembled more the day of Pentecost rather than Good Friday. In every section of the Church, one could hear various languages including Polish, Greek, Hebrew, Croatian, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Korean, and English. I was able to try out some Polish when I spoke to a group from Croatia—they were very nice people wondering where the Chapel of Golgotha was.
Friday, the day of the Passion of our Lord, called for the Stations of the Cross. We joined the resident Franciscan monks leading the Stations and a group of about 150 people through the streets of Jerusalem, known as the Via Dolorosa. Most striking was the fourth station, Jesus meets His Mother. Remember this scene in Gibson’s The Passion, it is almost and exact replica of the site in the streets of Jerusalem. The crowds were present, and it was difficult maneuvering through the narrow corridors and alleys. This time, the stones and the concrete were smooth from the traffic of so many travelers—it, too, was slippery. When we reached the station of Christ’s crucifixion, I was moved to tears when we sang the Pater noster. After the Stations of the Cross, we headed back to the convent to pray some more, eat, rest, and take in all that we experienced today. By the way, when you are hungry, watch how fast you eat. Fr. Byrnes grabbed me by the arm when he saw that I was shoveling food into my yap.

May 6, 2006
Day 3

Yesterday was the Moslems’ Holy Day of the week. Today, the Jews celebrated their Passover. Hopefully, we’ll have a day of rest tomorrow. Why do I say this…because we did A LOT of walking today. We traveled through the Old City, we walked around the walls of the Old City, and we walked further to St. Peter in Gallincantu.
We began at the Western Wall, known to be part of the Temple built under Herod the Terrible’s time. This would have been the Herod that tried to kill the infant Jesus just after He was born. Many Jews were present, praying after their synagogue services. Because of the solemnity of the Sabbath, we were not allowed to take photos. Men had to enter the Wailing Wall, as it is also known, with their heads covered. I guess our polo hats and baseball caps were good enough. Touching the wall, I prayed an Our Father, thinking that many of the Jews pray there grieving the destruction of the Temple and awaiting the Messiah. I turn, prayed for the second coming of the Messiah, saying, “Thy Kingdom come!”
Afterwards, Fr. “Race pace”—I mean, Fr. Trapp, led us through the Jewish Quarter and then through the Armenian Quarter of the Old City. The narrow streets wandered around buildings, synagogues, cathedrals, churches, shops, and schools.
We stopped to eat pizza at a shop in the Moslem Quarter. I tell you, cheese pizza never tasted so good. The flavor was by far the best I have ever had. Some jokes were made why the shop did not serve any meat, then we remembered what was in that meat: sausage, pepperoni, ham, bacon—it’s all pork, and Moslems cannot eat pork.
The group decided to hike up to the wall, climb the staircase, and walk along the top of the wall of the Old City. It provided incredible views of the Kidron Valley, the Mount of Olives, and other areas surrounding Jerusalem. In the distance, the Judaean Desert could be seen with a few monasteries and abbeys dotting the horizon. The steps and walkways were not all that easy to climb, leaving those of us who were out of shape out of breath.
Later, we came to St. Peter in Gallincantu. This is thought to be the site of the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest who first interrogated Christ after His arrest. The name Gallincantu, which I believe to be Italian, means where the cock crowed. If you remember, it was at this site that Peter denied Christ, which the Savior foretold at the Last Supper. The Church there was magnificent, but because an Italian group was having Mass, again no snapshots could be taken. Fr. Trapp said we would visit and take the guided tour.
Again, I met a group of Poles, and practiced my Polish once again. The priest guiding them had a funny story. He was explaining at one of the lookouts facing the place known as the Hill of Evils that Solomon would allow his many wives to erect temples to their gods on the hill. It is also thought to be the place where the High Priests and Sanhedrin met to condemn Christ. The priest said that Solomon had over a thousand wives (I believe). When one gentleman commented that that was the life, another responded in their native tongue, saying, “Don’t think so. When you have a thousand wives, each time you screw up, you have a thousand women complaining about it!”
We met our bus driver, drove back to Ein Karem, rested for a while and then reflected on the Song of Songs in a theological reflection. After a day in the crowded, bustling city, it is nice to return to Mount Zion in peace and quiet to reflect on the days events.
After dinner, Fr. Trapp and I worked on hooking my labtop to the Internet. My labtop was the only one to work. As an act of charity (which is really difficult for me!), my brothers can use it to check email.

Desert Pilgrims

2006-04-29T14:45:00.000-04:00

Fifteen men, thirteen seminarians and two priests, are on the journey of a lifetime. Traveling to the lands where the Lord Himself walked, talked, ate, slept, taught, and performed miracles, these men will live the Gospels from a whole new vantage point. This blog is a chronicle of their experiences, trials, and tribulations. These are the Desert Pilgirms of Sacred Heart Major Seminary 2006.