Travel lifts us out of our day-to-day routines, away from responsibilities and mundane tasks. Unlike a vacation, pilgrimage is a unique form of travel with a deeper purpose. Some pilgrims embark on a journey in search of a deeper awareness of the presence of God in their lives. Others may set out in thanksgiving for an answered prayer or carry intentions of their own or others. Though having different goals, many Catholic pilgrims find common ground in the desire to transform their hearts and minds in imitation of Christ.

A Catholic pilgrimage is meant to be a transformational journey, a time of faith and trust. Believing that God is guiding your journey is essential if your purpose is to see life through new eyes. As a pilgrim traveling to the Holy Land for the first time, I recall being welcomed by an extraordinary guide with a stirring greeting: "For your whole life, you have been reading Sacred Scripture on a page in black and white. Welcome to living color!"

Pilgrimage is a time of conversion, when you open your heart to receiving the graces God has in store. An open heart is the fruit of prayer, which requires time set apart from the demands of our daily schedules and concerns that often consume nearly each minute of the day. Time and space for prayer isn't always easy to carve out. Pilgrimage can be a catalyst for setting the practice of daily prayer in motion. The rhythm of each day on a Catholic pilgrimage should be centered on celebration of the Eucharist. No other place in the world is more holy than the altar on which the Lord Himself is present.

The Holy Land is one of the most desired places of pilgrimage for Christians who can retrace the steps of Jesus' life and ministry. By reading the Bible in a new way, praying with the Scripture, and placing the celebration of Holy Mass at the heart of this unique travel experience, we invite God fully into our lives and are open to Him calling us to follow Him. Following in the footsteps of Jesus in the "Land of the Fifth Gospel," you will contemplate the earthly pilgrimage of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph during the hidden years, as well as the public ministry of Jesus and His disciples in the Galilee region. Visit the place of Christ's birth, the towns in which He preached, and the city in which He suffered, died, and rose from the dead for our salvation.

You are invited to join Father Christopher Peschel from Our Lady of Mount Carmel in New Bedford on a pilgrimage with Peter's Way Tours to the Holy Land, Sept. 20-29, 2026. Your prayers for the Northeastern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem would be much appreciated as they depart March 15 on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, led by Msgr. Robert Oliver. Both pilgrimage groups will be guided by Fabricio Lomanto, who has an exceptional reputation for bringing the Gospels to life. His success in the Holy Land as a theological guide and lecturer comes from his early life experiences as a young boy growing up in Bethlehem, and his 20-year history of guiding Holy Land pilgrims with passion, understanding of the faith, and ability to articulate Catholic teaching.

As we begin our annual Lenten journey, consider a pilgrimage to the place where Easter truly happened! It is our hope that you will say "yes" to this invitation, the most invaluable gift that you can give yourself: renewed life in Christ!