SALT LAKE CITY – There are countless pilgrimages these days, some to poor countries like Haiti, Jamaica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, others to the Holy Land and other sacred places. On each of the 10 pilgrimages I have taken, I’ve seen the face of God in various shades, speaking a host of languages. I’ve been to Haiti three times, each time a new experience. Their main language is Creole, but many of them speak French, a language also spoken in Jamaica. In both countries, children and adults are plagued with leprosy, a disease that goes back to before the time of Christ. Trips to Guatemala and Mexico were plagued by high winds and rain. That didn’t keep us from continuing our pilgrimages, even as houses and streets fell from the roadsides and there was no way of knowing how many children and adults, families and animals perished in those storms. My visits to the world’s poorest countries were sponsored by Food for the Poor, a Florida-based charity. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with families living on less than $300 a year. Only a handful of wealthy families live in Haiti, and each of them live in homes that are unpainted. My most recent pilgrimage was to the Holy Land with members of the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher and Archbishop George Niederauer, who was then Bishop of Salt Lake City. This beautiful pilgrimage included a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was entombed after his crucifixion, the Jordan River, and the cave of the Nativity. We each crawled into the cave to kiss the place where Jesus was born. Not far from Nazareth is the place of the crucifixion and the tomb in which Jesus lay for the three days before his resurrection. We had to bend low to get into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, because for centuries the church was attacked by people on horseback. Finally the entrance to the Sepulcher was made smaller to keep the horses out. I and people taller than I had some trouble getting into the church where wares were being sold and people made their ways through the holy places. Throughout the Holy Land are a host of holy places that beckon to pilgrims, including the home where the Virgin Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel, who told her she would bear the child Jesus, and that after much suffering he would bring salvation to the world. We visited Mount Tabor, learning why John, Peter and James wanted to build tents at the Place of the Transfiguration. We also visited the home of Saints Ann and Joachim and the home of Mary, Margaret and Lazarus. I was so touched by the many holy sites that I was drawn to tears. The Holy Land pilgrimage is one of the most popular for parishes, priests, and pilgrims. I recommend it.
Stay Connected With Us