Here in Jerusalem!

After a full day of travel we arrived! We made connections in Barcelona where the newly finished airport is an architectural wonder.

In Israel everything and all the signs are in Hebrew!  A few times at the airport the ticket agents made announcements for connections – and forgot to translate! 

Our guide, an Episcopal Canon of the Cathedral – Iyad Qumri met us at the airport and transferred us all to St. Georges Episcopal Cathedral and guest house. 

We traveled through the land of Canaan, following the highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  This is “big sky” country with mountains and vistas and brown hills stretching into the distance.

We saw Palestinean  areas and Israei settlements along the highway as well. 

After a brief intreeoduction and dinner At St. Georges House I’m turning in!

Blessings to all,

Mother Kathleen+

The Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land starts today!

My bags are packed and I’m ready to go…. (for those of you who remember Peter, Paul and Mary).

In my bags are the prayers of the people of St. John’s and family and friends, written on bits of paper to place in the Western Wall. In a few hours I will be in the Holy Land, the place where Jesus walked. My heart is so full of prayers and good wishes from all of you. I pray the prayer of St. Francis, Lord make me an instrument of Thy Peace… Amen

Countdown to the Pilgrimage!

This Blog will help me to keep in touch with the people of St. John’s and family and friends as I travel on Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land!  My prayers are prayers of gratitude for this extraordinary gift of Pilgrimage! 

 Last night’s Healing Prayer Group, led by Deacon Elena Barnum, wrote prayers for me to take with me to the Wailing Wall.  The Wailing Wall is the Western Wall of the Temple, a part of the edifice that has been there for thousands of years, even before Christ!  Tradition says that prayers written and placed in the cracks between the stones are heard by God, even more clearly than ever.  I will take these prayers to the wall and place them for God to hear.

The Healing Prayer Group prayed for my Pilgrimage, for safe travel, that my faith may be renewed, that I might bring back renewed faith to the people of St. John’s.  I will take these prayers as well. 

I will take the prayers that people wrote and posted in the Veterans’ Chapel during the St. John’s Memorial Service on the tenth anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11. 

 And I will take prayers of family and friends, and I will pray for all people, for we are all children of God, and God listens to prayers!

Settting up to blog!

Setting up to blog on the Pilgrimage!  Will I be able to upload pictures?  To find internet connections?  The excitement is mounting as I prepare to walk in the footsteps of Christ in Jerusalem!