SILVER SPRING, Md. — Jacek Orzechowski, OFM, has invited friars and partners-in-ministry to join him on a trip to the Holy Land for a first-hand experience on the complexities of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, through a Franciscan Peacemaking Pilgrimage Nov. 3 to 13. The trip will be the second of its kind this year.
Under the direction of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, the trip aims to help participants better understand the complex realities of the Holy Land and the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, Jacek said. It is also meant to empower participants to partner with other U.S. groups that seek to build peace in the Holy Land and to help them grow on their spiritual journey through prayer and shared group reflections in the context of Catholic social teachings and Franciscan tradition.
Highlights of the trip include pilgrimage sites such as the Church of the Nativity, Shepherd’s Fields, the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount of Olives, the Via Dolorosa, the Western Wall, Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Sea of Galilee and more.
The Holy Name group will include meetings with Fr. Latin Patriarch, Archbishop Fouad Twal; Archbishop Hanna Atala, Head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem; Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation staff in Bethlehem; Muslim and Christian students at Bethlehem University; Breaking the Silence peace group; Sami Awad from the Holy Land Trust; Tent of Nations; the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition; and the Palestinian Authority.
The cost of the trip is $2,960 per person, double occupancy, leaving from Newark, N.J. A $750 deposit by June 12 is needed to make the reservation. Full payment must be made by Sept. 21. Reservations are taken on a first-come basis, as the trip size is limited to 15 to 20 people.
For more information, contact Jacek at the St. Camillus Friary, 301-434-8400, ext. 14, jacekofm2002@yahoo.com. An informational flyer contains testimonials from participants of previous pilgrimages.
A webinar about the Holy Land, previously planned for May 20, has been scheduled by the Province’s JPIC Directorate for June 15. Details will be provided by Russell Testa, director of HNP’s JPIC office, in the coming weeks.