The day of great planning for group one has finally arrived. Some of us have completed our packing just in time to make the bus. Others seem to have long since been prepared. In any event we all made the bus on schedule and were sent off with a flurry of snowballs by fellow seminarians – I suppose it is just another way of saying “you will be missed!” The procedure at the airport was thankfully enough rather uneventful. There was very little waiting in line. Because of weather complications we are leaving a little over an hour late. This does not dampen the level of excitement among the students however. Thus the journey has begun - we pray all goes well!
We arrived in Zürich just after 11: 00 A.M. Our luggage was checked all the way through so there was very little waiting in the airport. It was a rather cloudy day, but mildly cool. Regardless of the lack of sleep the excitement level was still high. We were picked up by a small bus to be taken to our hotel. It was necessary to go in two groups for not all could fit on one. We checked in at the hotel not far from the airport. It is in the center of a town called Klotten. We freshened up a bit and some of the students, regardless of the lack of sleep, decided to go into the city of Zürich. Others decided it was time for bed. So off went the first group of five to the train station, which was a five-minute walk from our hotel. While we were waiting for the train another six or seven from our group arrived at the train station as well.
The City of Zürich is not far from Klotten about a twenty-minute train ride. We arrived at the Zürich train station which was in the middle of holding their Kristkindl- markt, a festival hosted in many cities in Switzerland which surrounds the feast of Christmas. We decided at the train station that the group would be too large to explore the city together so we decided to remain as group one and group two. After leaving the train station we walked along the river towards the lake in hopes that perhaps the boats that take you out on the lake would still be running. While walking towards the lake on the left hand side of the river and overlooking the city, there arises the Grossmünster, (meaning large/big monster) given to the church primarily for its height. We decided to stop in and have a look. In many pictures of Switzerland this church appears often. At one time a Catholic Church the Münster was taken over during the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland and became the “mother church” for the movement, for it was here that Ulrich Zwingli began the reform movement in this country. It was rather stark inside. It was evident that the Reformation had victimized the interior for there was clearly a lack of any decoration whatsoever.
We left there and just across the river on the right hand side is the Fraumünster. This was built by King Ludwig around the middle of the ninth century as a Benedictine convent. This church too had been victimized during the Reformation and was no longer Catholic. We briefly stopped by but did not go in. We continued our walk towards the lake and there discovered the boat was not running, both because it was becoming a bit cold and also because the water was choppy. We took a few pictures and continued walking. We moved away from the river and up into the winding and cobbled streets of town. With small shops and homes on either side, it is a beautiful city. We found our way to a park that was rather high above the level of the river, thus we were able to have a view above the city with a wonderful picture of the Grossmünster.
Eventually, we were walking alongside the river again, and stopped in at one of the Cafes for hot chocolate. After, we wound our way up towards another church. This time, a Catholic one. Built in Italian style, the Church tower rises up far above the city. This is the Liebfraukirche, dedicated to the Blessed Mother. We went down into the crypt where there was Eucharistic adoration and stopped to pray for a while asking God to bless us on our journey and all our loved ones at home. Afterwards, we made our way up to the main church. Our time was just about up and it was necessary for us to return to our hotel to continue with scheduled events, so we slowly made our way back down towards the train station. We decided that it was necessary to have a bratwurst, which at the markt they have several stands which cook them right there in front of you. These are served with a large roll like piece of bread. We enjoyed our snack and then went to find our train.
After arriving back at the hotel Fr. Baima celebrated our first mass of the pilgrimage. At the conclusion we checked out of our hotel and went to a local pizzeria. Upon finishing our meal our bus arrived to take us to the airport. We arrived rather early and our gate had not yet been announced so we found a place to sit and rest. When our gate was announced we slowly made our way to the assigned place. It was raining then, and I have to admit, on my part there was a certain sadness in leaving. Switzerland is a beautiful country, but for now, further experiences await
Our plane left Zürich a little off schedule so we arrived a little late. We arrived in Tel Aviv at about 4:00 A.M. We made our way to our bus and began our trek towards Bethlehem. It is about an hour’s journey and we arrived close to 5:00 in the morning. After placing our luggage in our respective rooms we made our way to the chapel to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for a safe journey as well as a prayer for those left behind. The sisters then served us breakfast after which many went off to rest. There were a few of us however that thought better now than ever to go exploring. So, under the leadership of Fr. Baima we set out walking the streets of Bethlehem. Winding down various roads we first made our way to the church of the Nativity. It was rather quiet at this time of the morning, so with the exception of the local cats and several shop owners, we rarely encountered anyone. The church itself was quiet, with the exception of various priests waiting their turn to say Mass in the grotto, the place believed to be where Jesus was born. The Orthodox priest had just completed his Mass and there was a minute or two of set up before the Roman Rite priest began another, thus we were able to pray for a few moments at this sacred spot. After exploring the rest of the Church we made our way down a nearby street to the “Milk Grotto.” There are several different stories related to this grotto, one is that it was the cave in which the Holy Family rested on their way to Egypt during the slaughter of the Innocents, and that it was here that the Virgin Mary fed the Holy Child. Another is that it was actually the home of the Holy Family between the birth of the Christ Child and the flight into Egypt. The crusaders built the grotto surrounding the cave, however it was later in need of restoration. Upon completion, it was placed under the care of the Franciscans. Many come to this grotto to invoke the intercession of the Blessed Mother for cases of infertility.
After this we made our way once again through the streets and returned to our dwelling. Because of the exhaustion of the journey some were seen again for lunch and then set out to explore the city on their own. Many, made quick acquaintance with the shop owners who in turn extended an invitation for coffee or tea in hope of winning a bit of business. Others preferred to continue recovering and simply rested. In any event, by evening many had achieved the desired recovery state.
Fr. Baima said Mass for us in the evening in the local chapel, and after the evening supper, most, simply returned to their rooms in order to rest.
This morning began rather early. The Moslem call to prayer began at about 4:30 in the morning. At first it is clearly impossible to continue sleeping for the call is rather loud and enduring. Several of us however, as is custom awoke with the call in order to welcome the other pilgrims from our group who were to arrive close to the same time that we had the day before. They arrived a little later than we, closer to 5:30A.M. We welcomed them and they too went to the chapel to pray and then immediately went to breakfast. Again, there were a few brave souls that decided that now would be a good a time to go exploring so, under the leadership of a couple of the students who arrived the day before, we set out. This was market day so the town was becoming very much alive. It was already very crowded for this time of the morning, however we still made our way to the church of the Nativity, and to our great fortune they were simply cleaning the church. Thus, they gave permission for us to enter the grotto to pray. The only others present besides the small group of us, were a small group of Mother Teresa’s sisters, the Missionaries of Charity.
The “Milk Grotto” was not open so we made our way up a side road to the Salesian Church. The order has a rather large edifice there, built with the help of Europeans and most especially Italians. It was currently closed however they agreed to show the small group of us the church. We did not know until our guide showed us, it also home to a rather vast museum of Nativity scenes from around the world. Simple figures, to entire villages, each country depicts their own representation of what took place on that Holy Night. After visiting the lower and the upper church, which architecturally is very similar to a church one might see in Europe, we made our way back to our dwelling. Today seems to be very similar to yesterday. Some decide to rest, some go exploring, and some have new friends among the shop owners.
We met again for Mass in which Fr. Baima reminded us that St. Nicholas whose feast we celebrate, should be an example for us and our future priesthood. Though bishop or priest one is always a deacon, an order that calls for service in charity. Thus he pointed out that St. Nicholas should be our guide.
In the evening the group came together for a social, playing cards and singing along with the entertainment, which was provided by a couple of the students and was quite good. We finished close to 10:00 P.M. for the pilgrims who had arrived today needed further recovery time. Thus we went to rest, completing yet another day.
Today seems to have been a rather quiet day. The pilgrims continue to adjust to their new life. Several of the students went into town once again, visiting the church of the Nativity and other places. It took longer to travel from one place to the next, as tomorrow is a Moslem feast. Thus, many were in the streets shopping and making final preparations. In late afternoon our official orientation took place. We were officially welcomed and addressed by Fr. Felet, the superior and rector of the house in which we are staying. After, he gave us a brief history of the order he belongs to as well as some details of the surrounding area. Br. Cyril, a Christian Brother from Bethlehem University, also addressed us. He acquainted us with facts and figures regarding the land in which we are staying as well as familiarized us with the university nearby. That evening we celebrated Mass as a community and then had supper together. After supper some of the students played cards, others wrote home, and still others began working on homework that had been assigned for class. It was a rather quiet and peaceful evening!
Unless there was something drastically wrong, it is safe to claim that all of us were awakened by the Moslem call to prayer this morning that begins at about 4:55. This morning however they were much louder and continued for a much longer period of time than any of us had experienced before. Also, today the call included the entire family being one of their great feasts. It was also our great feast, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the United States, the seminary, and the Archdiocese of Chicago. We observed the day as a day of prayer. We celebrated solemn Morning Prayer and then participated in a lecture given by Fr. Sullivan laying out some of the history behind the feast and some of the practical implications the feast has for us as future priests in America. We celebrated Mass as a community before lunch and a community rosary in five languages after lunch, followed upon by quiet time for adoration and confession. In the meantime, some of the students also made their way to the church of the Nativity to pray for a while. The walk to the church was much easier today, for the streets were rather quiet due to the Moslem feast. In the evening, we came together again for evening prayer and benediction and then went off to dinner. Finally, the day concluded with a movie which we started watching as a community, until some thought it best to go to bed. It was a peaceful day – a wonderful way to officially begin our time here in the Holy Land.
We celebrated Mass this morning in St. Jerome’s Chapel in the crypts underneath the Church of the Nativity. We were blessed to hear the word of God and to celebrate the sacred rites in the very place where St. Jerome translated the Old and New Testaments from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, thus producing the Church’s official version of the Scriptures in the 4th century. In the evening, we sang vespers with the seminarians of the Latin Seminary after hearing a talk by their Rector, Msgr. William Shomali, on the state of the Church in Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and Cyprus. These four nations make up one diocese led by the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem.
The Latin Catholics in this land live in a culture where their religion represents just a small sliver of the beliefs held by the people here. In contrast, St. Jerome wrote in the Holy Land shortly after the Roman Empire gave protection and support to the Christians. Both represent Christianity at different crossroads in the Holy Land. We have entered into this experience with one foot in the past, one in the present, and with hopes for the future.
This morning, after eating breakfast a little earlier than usual, we met our tour guide. The group boarded a coach bus and listened to an introduction on where we were going for the day. The itinerary was to visit the monastery of Mar Saba, visit the grottoes at Shepherd’s Fields and have Mass there.
As we left the gates of our residence, it became clear that the streets of Bethlehem were not designed with coach buses in mind. Yet our driver, without ever flinching or having to back up and turn, managed to negotiate a wide turn on a narrow street.
The route we took out of the city was a road that seemed to wrap around the main hill of Bethlehem. We parked near Shepherd’s Fields. The group was split in half and boarded two smaller buses. Someone mentioned that the roads we were taking were no place for a large bus.
The roads in the region are serpentine, in that they wind this way and that. The road seemed to follow a ridge, lined with small villages. Children were waving at us and yelling “hello!” The region was much drier than Bethlehem and in the distance, between hills, we could see the low lying Dead Sea and the high mountains of Jordan. Then there were no villages, only a few camels and donkeys wandering about with their masters. We had entered the Judean desert. The view was breathtaking as the hills became steeper and the valleys lower. The road looked as if it were bent out of shape, in that there were many sharp turns. Once more the bus drivers had shown their quality. As slopes became cliffs we could see small caves dotting the landscape. These would have been the caves that the early monks of the region would have lived in.
We came upon a four-story tower, rectangular in shape capped with a cross. We were at Mar Saba. From the lookout point, one can see the monastery, with its domed chapel built into the cliff and the old caves and cells the monks lived in and continue to live in. The deep ravine where the water collects and run when it rains is called a wadi. Sometimes it can flood even if it’s raining miles away.
We descended the stairs to the entrance of the monastery, but the Greek Orthodox monk could not let us in because it was close to the feast of Mar Saba, or St. Sabas. Mar is Arabic for “father.” We walked all the way back up the stairs to board the buses.
We drove by the small villages we had passed earlier, and again the children waved and greeted us, and laughed, as little children do, when we waved back.
We returned to Shepherd’s Fields. We had time to look at the local shop, a religious goods store. This store had everything from icons, to olive wood products, and even the horn trumpets found in the Old Testament made from either ram horns or gazelle horns.
We walked over to the grottos of Shepherd’s fields. Here, in this little patch of green there are several caves, each has been converted to a chapel. The area is crowned with a small, domed chapel. This place is believed to be the site where the shepherds received the glad tidings of the angel that the Lord had been born in Bethlehem. There is evidence of second and third century churches built on the spot, so this was a place of pilgrimage already in the early Church. We celebrated Mass in one of the caves. As Mass began we could hear a group in the next cave over singing “Campanas de Belen” (a Spanish hymn about the bells of Bethlehem). As Mass continued, one couldn’t help but feel a sense of the past becoming present. The caves have been homes to shepherds and their flocks as long as man has inhabited the area. For a brief moment, one could feel that once more, in this place, the glad tidings of the Lord’s presence in this world were announced when the priest raised the Body and Blood of Christ and proclaimed “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world…”
After Mass we returned to the residence and prepared for an evening of classes.
Today, we spent the day learning about the mission and work of Catholic Relief Services. (CRS) A primary focus of CRS in this area is to work in the educational field broadening both the possibilities and mindset of students, promoting the rights of women, and humanitarian relief both by food programs as well as community and youth organizations.
We divided our community of pilgrims into two groups visiting two different sites. One remained here in Bethlehem the other went into the Hebron district. The group I was able to accompany visited two families both of which shared their struggles and difficulties with us as well as their hopes for the future. They have encountered several setbacks however one of which is the issue of increasing unemployment. This problem then branches out into food shortages for many families as well as basic educational difficulties.
We also visited a development center for women where they come together to make dining sets, traditional Palestinian clothes, as well as bracelets. This particular project allows the women to have some source of income and to develop their skills.
This evening then, Fr. Baima celebrated Mass for the community in which he reminded us what it means to be a prophet in the present day – and how we are called to witness to the joy of God’s love. A prophet is one who is a voice for the voiceless as well as a call to repentance – first living out that call in his own daily life. May God give us this grace!
Today we were able to celebrate Mass in the grotto of the Nativity. Originally it had been scheduled for a day or two ago, but it had to be canceled. Quite by chance, or should we say providence, it could be arranged that we should celebrate it today. As is noted in past days, at this point in time none of the pilgrims are strangers to this spot. It has become a favorite place to pray among many of us. The schedule of different liturgies taking place at the grotto is rather intense, thus we were ushered in just before we were to begin and ushered out immediately following in order that the Syrian liturgy might take place. After Mass several of the pilgrims sought breakfast at many of the local restaurants, for because of scheduled events, it would have been impossible to return to our lodgings for breakfast. Then at 10:00 this morning we met at Bethlehem University. This particular university is about thirty-five years old and is staffed by the Christian Brothers. We began our tour by visiting the chapel on the campus; it is a rather beautiful chapel right in the center of their campus. It originally served as the chapel to the brothers, prior to the founding of the university, for this had been their house of formation since 1893.
Afterwards, we were shown a brief video describing various aspects of the university, classes, major fields, where they receive their income from, etc. We then were able to engage in open discussion with a couple of students who both fielded questions and described what it is like to be a student in this particular university. Following this discussion we proceeded to a small culture museum where they described various aspects of the Palestinian culture. After about an hour we went to the roof of one of the buildings in order that we might see the town of Bethlehem and its surroundings. It was from here that we could see Jerusalem as well. We had lunch in the student cafeteria along with our guides and the rest of the students. This completed our tour of the university itself so several of the students took the opportunity to do some further exploration. Some sought out the gym facilities at the university in order to have a better idea of what a gym in this part of the world might look like. Others decided it was time for coffee and went down the hill to a local café that is rather well known among the seminarians, and still others decided it was time for a rest and simply returned to the house. In any event the afternoon was free.
In the evening we were addressed by Fr. McGarry CSP, a Paulist father, on ecumenism and the current state of affairs in the land in which we are visiting. After this presentation the community had supper together and the evening was free for catch up on homework and other necessities.
We took a walking tour this morning of the City of Bethlehem, a city where the history of its conquerors is written in its very streets and stones. The current center of the city is marked by a broad road that was installed by the British as part of their occupation of the territory. We left this main route and walked to an archway that marked the main point of entry from Jerusalem. We finished our tour in the Church of the Nativity and celebrated Mass again in St. Jerome’s Chapel.
This tour and our studies have taught us something that is a somewhat foreign idea in our country: history and meaning lie below the surface. To find out what it means to live in Bethlehem today, one must look at the building up of the city over the millennia. In the Church of the Nativity, it is possible to look through trapdoors at the ancient floor that was built in the fifth century. To actually approach the place where Jesus was born and the manger where he was laid, one must descend down a series of steps. This peeling back of layers reveals more and more to us the reality of life here. So too are we experiencing in our pilgrimage a digging deeper into the self to search out that flame of Christ that is born in our hearts and informs us who we are.
This morning, we attended Mass at St. Catherine’s parish. St. Catherine’s is adjacent to the church of the Nativity and is joined by several entrances. In front of the main doors is a small courtyard surrounded by cloister-like porticos. In the center is a pillar crowned with a statue of St. Jerome. Why St. Jerome? Beneath St. Catherine’s are a series of caves, each with its own chapel or at least an altar. These caves were the site of St. Jerome’s residence while he translated the Scriptures into Latin.
Entering the church and finding a pew for Mass is no different than in the US. Families come in together and look for an empty pew. People reverence the altar before taking their place. The entrance hymn was a familiar tune, O Come Divine Messiah. However, it was sung in Arabic, in fact the entire Mass was mostly in Arabic. The Gospel was read first in English then in Arabic.
It seemed at first that it would be difficult to follow along. But Mass is Mass. Anyone who attends Mass regularly could follow along, no matter what language. That is one of the great blessings of being a universal Church. The words may be unfamiliar, but the actions and the rhythm of Mass are generally the same.
Many times throughout the Mass, one could pick out a certain word, and understand its meaning, “quddus”(holy). It is heard at the end of the Sign of the Cross (Holy Spirit), after the offertory prayers it is sung three times; quddus,quddus,quddus: holy, holy, holy.
Parishioners were superbly generous in their hospitality. When Mass was over, we met with the pastor of the parish and members of the parish in a beautiful meeting room. Greetings were exchanged and the pastor proceeded to tell us about the parish. There was time for questions. Most of the questions were about the mechanics of running a parish like St. Catherine’s. One question stood out the most. “What is it like, spiritually, to live and worship where the Lord was born?” Almost everyone answered that there is an interior peace, no matter what goes on around them. It seems as though the infant Lord, who was once laid in the manger has found a quiet resting place in their hearts.
A man carrying a tray of small cups came into the room; he had brought us Turkish coffee. This was yet another example of their hospitality. It was delightful treat.
The rest of the day was free, and many went about resting, reading, and exploring Bethlehem.
Today we started our journey with Morning Prayer and personally I could not help but pray for all those back home, most especially those I have come to know through pastoral work. We then had classes, first with Fr. Baima and then with Sr. Kathleen. In Fr. Baima’s class we discussed the various documents put forth by the Church on the topic of ecumenism. Since we believe that we are all sons and daughters of God, it means we are but one family, sad to say the family has become divided. This class then challenges me how to remain faithful to my Catholic identity and at the same time reach out to those of other faiths.
Our second class discussed Pilgrimage in the Old Testament. Sr. Kathleen discussed with us the journey of the people of Israel to the Promised Land.
As we are one family we ended our journey for today participating in the Eucharist celebration because through the Eucharist we reach full communion with Christ and with one another. Therefore the Eucharist always gives us the supreme joy of encountering our Lord. Finally in the evening many of us came together once again for Eucharistic adoration, in which we asked God to bless our benefactors, our families, and all those at home.
Today was a rather quiet day. The community had classes together in the morning followed by Mass in early afternoon in which Fr. Baima reminded the community that previously he had said in order to be a good priest, one must first be a good deacon. Today, he reminded us that even before that, one must be a good Christian. Without that one could never hope to be a good priest. We were to have a presentation in the afternoon regarding the Dead Sea Scrolls, the caves being one of the sites we are to visit tomorrow, however, there occurred some miscommunication with the presenter so this did not take place. While the presentation was missed, it also allowed the opportunity to catch up on various other things. For some, this simply meant a nap, for others, homework or communication with home, and still others it gave them the chance to go shopping for gifts that are to be given to the orphans at the Crèche Orphanage Christmas party which is to take place in the coming week. In the evening some then played cards. Overall however it was thought best that we be well rested, for the following day promised to be a busy one. Hence, it was a rather quiet evening.
Today we took a break from classes to go on a whirlwind tour of Masada, En Gedi, Qumran, and the Dead Sea. Masada, built by Herod the Great in the first century before Christ, is best know as the last bastion of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans. Flavius Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, reported that 960 Jewish people took their own lives rather than giving themselves up to slavery.
We then traveled to the desert oasis that is En Gedi. It was here that David hid from Saul. This spring of water and the life that it supported was amazing to see in the middle of such an expanse of dry, arid land. Nearby was Qumran, made famous because of the discovery of important biblical scrolls in the nineteenth century.
Our final stop was for a float in the Dead Sea. We donned our bathing suits and sat in the water, accomplishing what seemed like an impossible feat. Wishing to make sure that we remembered the experience, a few of us managed to get some of the super salty water in our mouths and eyes – not a pleasant sensation at all – and one even managed to get stuck in the mud in the shallow water. Needless to say, it was a refreshing end to a very busy day.