Pilgrimage

In Knock, Ireland, the Mother of God appeared in a simple but profound way. It was the evening of Aug. 21, 1879, when she appeared to 15 people on the wall of a parish church. Accompanying Mary was St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, and a…

Every Oct. 7, we Catholics celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and commemorate the 16th-century victory at the Battle of Lepanto attributed to the intercession of Our Lady. This battle was so important and Our Lady’s intercession…

San Antonio International Airport was bustling as 34 pilgrims prepared to head for the Holy Land. Expectations were high. Along with the rest of the pilgrims, we were immersed in prayer before departure, as we had been for two months prior…

I’ll never forget the day my husband called me from the Catholic organization where he worked. “Honey, the boss said that the Pontifical Council for the Family prefers to meet couples rather than just individuals. He thinks that when I go…

Day 8 of the Catholic Digest Holy Land Pilgrimage with Steve and Janet Ray from the Footprints of God pilgrimages. Today there was an optional day to visit the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Dead Sea. We were able to visit a…

Day 7 of the Catholic Digest Holy Land Pilgrimage with Steve and Janet Ray from the Footprints of God pilgrimages. Today our day started with mass at the Garden of Gethsemane at the Basilica of the Agony. On our way into the church…

Day 6 of the Catholic Digest Holy Land Pilgrimage with Steve and Janet Ray from the Footprints of God pilgrimages. Today was an overwhelming, but powerful and grace filled day. Our day started very early with a wake up call of 4:15…

Day 5 of the Catholic Digest Holy Land Pilgrimage with Steve and Janet Ray from the Footprints of God pilgrimages. Today we traveled to Bethlehem. I expected to see the birthplace of Jesus and then visit the cute little town where it…

Day 4 of the Catholic Digest Holy Land Pilgrimage with Steve and Janet Ray from the Footprints of God pilgrimages. Today we started out with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. The boat was modeled from a fishing boat used during…

Day 3 of the Catholic Digest Holy Land Pilgrimage with Steve and Janet Ray from the Footprints of God pilgrimages. Today was truly a grace filled day! In the morning we traveled to the location of the Sermon on the Mount. Father…