Father Dindo helped lead a group of pilgrims from St. Mary and other churches to the Holy Land in early November to visit key sites from the Bible, especially the New Testament.
The journey took pilgrims from the Jordan River to the tomb of Jesus; from the Sea of Galilee to the Judean desert.
Early on during the trip, the pilgrims commemorated their Baptisms by being submerged in the Jordan River, which is the place where Jesus was baptized in the Bible.
“I wanted to know the experience of being blessed and submerged as a commemoration of my Baptism and also renew my Baptismal promises at the very Jordan River that the great Saint John the Baptist baptized our Lord Jesus Christ,” explained Father Dindo.
Throughout the trip, the pilgrims literally walked in the footsteps of Jesus. They visited the site of the Wedding Feast at Cana, went to Mount Tabor where Jesus was Transfigured, stood at the spot where He fed the 5,000, and took a cruise on the Sea of Galilee.
Their journey also took the pilgrims deep into the Judean Desert, where Jesus was tempted and wandered for 40 days and 40 nights.
Of course, Jesus’ birthplace of Bethlehem was included on the pilgrimage. The 2.5-hour wait in a hot line was worth it to see the very place where tradition holds Jesus was born.
The pilgrimage culminated at the holiest sites of the Bible, those of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
This included a visit to the Upper Room, site of the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Way of the Cross, and the tomb of Jesus.
Parishioners saw part of the pillar on which Jesus was scourged, as well as the site of the crucifixion.
Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, pilgrims venerated The Stone of the Anointing, where it is believed Jesus’ body was anointed for burial by Joseph of Arimathea.
Finally, the pilgrims visited the tomb of Jesus where He rose from the dead. Today, the tomb is surrounded by a marble facade for protection.
The biblical story of Jesus truly came alive for everyone attending the pilgrimage, as they can now put a place to the names of the New Testament.
“This was by far the best pilgrimage to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to learn about his life and teachings,” said Father Dindo. “The history of the Bible comes alive!”
See the slideshow below for more pictures from the pilgrimage—>
The Mokena Marian 