A Pilgrims Blessing
May the babe of Bethlehem be yours to tend;
May the boy of Nazareth be yours for friend;
May the man of Galilee his healing send;
May the Christ of Calvary his courage lend;
May the Risen Lord his presence send
And his holy angels defend you, to the end. Amen
On the 5th November, 2012, a group of parishioners from Sacred Heart and visitors Karen and Nuala, from as far away as Australia and Northern Ireland, set off on a journey, embracing the year of faith, following our Good Shepherd throughout the Holy Land, and we walked in the footsteps of Christ. We began our journey in Bethlehem at the birth place of Jesus. A few of our pilgrims have tried to retrace and record their memorable moments of our journey of faith, ending or beginning spiritually our journey in Jerusalem.
Personal reflections on our Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
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Bernadette and John reflect in Chant….It was moving to hear Calvarie Mount by Thomas Tallis sung at the Church of Dominus Flevit, where the Lord wept for the troubles of the Holy City. Members of the parish choirs had practised this piece from early in the pilgrimage, welcoming in new voices at each step; so some people could almost sing it by heart as we prepared to take the final paths that Jesus trod from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and to the site of his execution. Mount Calvary is actually rather a modest hillock, now treasured and cared for within the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. Listen to more Bernie and Johns Pilgrimage
Diane Muir Reflection in Photographs
To walk where Christ had walked, to see so many of those places we have read about in the Gospels, to be able to visualise the scene of so many of Christ’s miracles, this had long been a cherished wish for me, ever since my father had told me about his experiences in the Holy Land, after WWII. Read more of Annes Reflection
Catherine Ridler reflects on our visit to the Holy Land …
‘To have walked in the footsteps of the Lord, to have breathed the air that He breathed, to have seen the sights that he saw- what a privilege! What an experience! How blessed we have been! Read more of Catherines Reflection..
Here we are again. Happy as can be, all good pilgrims and jolly good company.Home safe from all I can describe it as the Awesome Pilgrimage of a lifetime come true.
For me personally it was a dream of a lifetime come true. To walk in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Himself. For me personally it was the ultimate to have shared the Pilgrimage with each and everyone of you. For me personally I will never forget any of you.
‘We received so much. To dip one’s feet in the Jordan; to sail on the Sea of Galilee; to experience peace amidst many different groups praying in the gardens surrounding the Church of the Beatitudes, so many very special experiences it is hard to single out a particular one. Read more of Pats Reflection
Michael Diaper writes… The highlight of the pilgrimage for me was the way of the cross where everyone resolutely followed in the last footsteps of Christ to Golgotha accompanied by prayer and singing. Even some pilgrims bore large wooden crosses which made Christ’s final journey more real somehow. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we witnessed through Him the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people which seems like another holocaust. I am eternally grateful to Father Reg for having had a chance to go to the land of Jesus and I was humbled by the suffering of many of it’s peoples there… Read more Michaels Reflection
Thank you fellow pilgrims for a great eight days together! On the seventh day in the Holy Land, Sunday 11th November Fr. Reg led us on The Way of the Cross. By the fourth station the realisation that Christ faced this journey ‘taking up His Cross’ hit me with an awareness that it is the only way to live for basic peace, happiness and health. Read more of Eileens Reflection
Once we reached the top of the Mount Tabor by taxi, we waited for other pilgrims to join us. As we waited in the car park, we heard the sound of a huge bell ringing in the near distance, I can still hear it ringing, it was extremely loud and it dulled all other sound. It was as if the heavens were ringing out! Read more of Janes Reflection
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