“It’s hard to explain the benefit of seeing the actual area where Jesus walked but
it makes reading my Bible a whole new experience,” said Aleta Mayrose, an Ann and
Joe O. Neuhoff Institute for Ministry & Evangelization Holy Land trip participant.
Mayrose was particularly surprised by how much the topography affected her impressions of the Holy Land. She noticed with astonishment that the Kidron Valley, running east of Jerusalem and the site of many scenes from the lives of Christ, David, and other Old Testament kings and prophets was surprisingly small.
“I think we drove about 30 minutes and in that time we went from lush valley to desert to mountain top and from 1,300 feet below sea level to 800 feet above sea level. You just have to see it to understand it,” said Mayrose.
Mayrose and her fellow pilgrims spent 13 days in the Holy Land, journeying through the land of the Bible and walking in the footsteps of Israel’s patriarchs, matriarchs, kings and prophets. Highlights included the tomb of King David, the Negev, where God revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and many important sites in Jerusalem including the Holy Sepulchre, Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to explore so many facets of the Holy Land – archaeological, historical, biblical, spiritual and even political and agricultural!” said Maggie Frederick, CBS ’12, another trip participant.
The trip was led by Neuhoff Institute for Ministry & Evangelization instructors Fr. Rafael Ramirez, SSD, Gene Giuliano, Pía Septien and archaeologist Maura Sala, whose combined expertise in the Old Testament and Levantine archaeology respectively, enabled participants to gain a deep understanding of the Jewish roots of the Christian faith and the evolving ancient culture that shaped the lives of the men and women of the Bible.The itinerary also included time for daily prayer and the celebration of the liturgy.
View photos from the trip at the Neuhoff Institute for Ministry & Evangelization Facebook page >>
Along with select national cosponsors, the University of Dallas’ Donald and Louise Cowan Center is hosting the Fourth Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference, Sept. 30 - Oct. 1. Sessions...
+ Read MoreNearly 400 students, faculty, alumni, staff and friends of the University of Dallas gathered at the Irving campus on Friday, May 6, for a historic celebration and consecration of...
+ Read MoreThe University of Dallas announced plans to launch a men’s and women’s tennis program in the fall of 2022 as part of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference at...
+ Read More
