Note: The pilgrimage has filled up with nearly 150 people. The Arkansas Catholic staff has decided to limit participation to three buses. Terra Sancta is no longer taking reservation forms.
Arkansas Catholic will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year with a 10-day Lenten pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor will be the spiritual director as pilgrims make stops in several cities, including Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth, March 17-26, 2011. The religious journey will include daily Mass and rosary, biblical readings at the holy places, time for prayer and spiritual guidance, Mass at a local Catholic parish and other cultural experiences.
Each day educational and spiritual sessions will also be led by Cackie Upchurch, director of Little Rock Scripture Study, and Father Alex Kratz, OFM, founder of Terra Sancta Pilgrimages and an authorized spiritual leader by the Commission of Christian Pilgrimages of the Holy Land. Terra Sancta is the non-profit ministry based in Detroit that is organizing the trip.
Editor Malea Hargett will represent Arkansas Catholic on the trip.
“We worked very hard with Bishop Taylor, Cackie and Father Alex to make this a memorable trip that includes stops at the most important Christian sites in Israel and is well priced and well paced,” Hargett said. “Bishop Taylor wants this to be a religious experience for everyone who is able to go, and we felt Lent was a great time to do that.”
Hargett said she is pleased with the quality of leaders that will be on the pilgrimage. Bishop Taylor, who has a doctorate in biblical theology from Fordham University, has led the diocese since June 2008. Upchurch is well-known for her Scripture writings and lectures and is an associate editor for The Bible Today. Father Kratz lived in the Holy Land for a year and has a master’s degree in divinity with a Scripture concentration from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
Pilgrims will depart Little Rock Thursday, March 17 and fly into Tel Aviv. After arriving in Israel March 18, the group will travel to Bethlehem. There they will visit the Milk Grotto Shrine, the Church of the Nativity with Mass in St. Catherine Parish and visit Shepherd’s Field.
On Sunday, March 20, they will drive to Jerusalem to see the Western Wall, the Temple Mount with its Dome of the Rock, the Pools of Bethesda and celebrate Mass at St. Anne Church. Pilgrims also will visit the Chapel of Flagellation and the Ecce Homo Arch. In Ein Kerem they will see the Church of the Visitation and the Church of St. John the Baptist. At the Israel Museum, pilgrims will see the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Pilgrims will spend all day March 21 on the Mount of Olives to see the Church of Pater Noster, walk on the route of the Palm Sunday procession, the Church of Dominus Flevit and have time for prayer and reflection in the private section of the Garden of Gethsemane.
A walk on the Way of the Cross will begin early March 22, followed by Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to visit Jesus’ tomb. They will then travel to the Mount Zion to visit the Church of the Dormition, the Upper Room and the Church of St. Peter Gallicantu.
On March 23, the group will stop in Bethany, spending time at the Dea Sea. In Nazareth, Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of the Annunciation.
On the last three days the group will make the Mount of Beatitudes Guest House its resting place. During the day, pilgrims will take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, go to Cana to renew wedding vows and visit the Jordan River to renew their baptismal promises.
On March 25, the newspaper’s 100th anniversary will be observed. Pilgrims will return home Saturday, March 26.
The cost is $2,795, which includes air fare, lodging, all meals, taxes, fees and tips. Drinks and travel insurance are additional. A $100 discount is available to those who pay with a check or money order. A $500 deposit is due by Aug. 1. The final payment is due by Jan. 1, 2011.
Father Kratz will lead a free informational meeting for prospective pilgrims at 3 p.m., Sunday, March 14 at St. John Center in Little Rock.
To fill out a registration form or view a detailed itinerary, visit www.terrasanctapilgrimages.org. For more information, contact Terra Sancta Pilgrimages toll-free at (877) 423-3601.
