Holy Land Trip Brings New Dimension to Participants' Faith
Date Published: June 30, 2017
“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 >>