With God’s grace, and much prayers and support of the IC, this dream didn’t just happen, but it happened with abundant blessings and unexpected surprises.
The invitations and promotions of the tour, dubbed CFC Holy Land Pearlgrimage in honor of the 30th and Pearl anniversary of the community, began in June 2011 during the anniversary celebration in Luneta. The response was almost immediate.
By the time the group left on November 21, 250 pilgrims from all over the world had joined the trip. A great number of pilgrims came from the different provinces in the Philippines - from as far as Benguet, Santiago City, Pampanga, Laguna, Bulacan, Agusan del Sur, Kalinga, Iligan, Masbate, Bicol, General Santos, Davao - and also from Metro Manila. We also had pilgrims coming from different countries like Australia, Brussels, Canada, the USA, Japan, Seychelles and Vietnam.
Adam’s Express Travel, specializing in tours to the Holy Land, made all the airline arrangements, itineraries, accommodations and land transportation completely hassle-free for everyone. They divided all the pilgrims among six buses, grouped according to the areas they came from. The itinerary of each busload of pilgrims was also planned so as not to cause traffic in the holy sites, and to give pilgrims enough time to pray, especially at the sites which could only accommodate small groups.
The pilgrimage visited three countries - Jordan, Israel and Egypt. The tour arrangements were excellent, with the pilgrims accommodated in five-star hotels, enjoying buffet meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The first three groups left on November 20 and ended their tour on December 2, 2011. The next three groups left on November 21 and arrived December 3, 2011. Each bus had its own itinerary for the day, and only got to see the pilgrims from the other buses during meals in the hotels or restaurants, and during Holy Mass.
Each bus had a local tour guide, a tour leader from Adam’s and a pilgrimage chaplain. The six chaplains who guided the pilgrims in their spiritual journey were: Bishop Zacarias Jimenez; Fr. Max Gatela; Fr. Seth Bernadas; Fr. Rudy Carabuena; Fr. Allan Antonio; and CFC's spiritual director Monsignor Allen Aganon.
Upon check-in at the Manila International Airport, a special lane was designated for the pilgrims, which made the departure process very smooth and fast.
The tour itinerary was hectic: First stop was Amman, the capital of Jordan, to visit Mt. Nebo where Moses was shown the Promised Land, Canaan of Israel. Next was the fabled “Rose City” of Petra, the 2000-year old Nabatean capital accidentally rediscovered in 1812.
The third stop the next day was walking through the Siq, an unforgettable gorge that runs for a half-mile, ending at the The Treasury, a Wonder of the World. The Treasury is a rose-colored monumental building artfully carved out of sheer rock.
On the third day, the pilgrims crossed over to Israel, the Promised Land, to tour Mt. Tabor and visit the Church of the Transfiguration, situated on the place where Christ was transfigured.
The fourth day stop was at the Mount of Beatitudes where the pilgrims listened to a very moving reflection on the eight beatitudes given by Msgr. Allen, who focused on the Eight Beatitudes. Msgr. Allen emphasized that the truest model of the Beatitudes is Jesus on the cross. We need to have the same purity of heart that Jesus had - whose only purpose in life was to obey the will of the Father.
St. Peter's Primacy Church on the shore of the Sea of Galilee is where Jesus met His apostles after His resurrection. On this site, the pilgrims were prompted by the tour guides to unburden themselves of the pains and hurts of the past. They were each asked to pick up a stone, and as a sign of letting go, forgiving and moving on, to throw the stone into the sea.
Tony and Mila Loria, pilgrims from Bicol, reflected on the loss of their two sons, who were murdered years ago. In the very place where Jesus forgave Peter for denying Him three times, Tony and Mila forgave the murderer of their sons. Tony shared that he really felt God hugging him very tightly, a beautiful testimony to the truth that letting go and letting God take over our lives gives us indescribable peace and joy.
The pilgrims then followed Jesus' path to Tabgha, where He fed the multitudes with five loaves and two fishes, then on to Capernaum to visit St. Peter's house, where Jesus preached and healed Peter's mother-in-law, and finally, a ferryboat ride across the Sea of Galilee.
One of the highlights of the pilgrimage was the renewal of wedding vows in Cana. The church was packed with beautiful brides and grooms reliving their wedding day and eager to renew their vows of love for each other. Boy and Joy Apin from Bicol, who are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this year, decided to have their renewal of vows in Cana instead of throwing a big party in the Philippines. They stood out among the pilgrims in their attire – Joy, radiant in a beautiful Filipiniana gown, and Boy, dashing in his Barong Tagalog.
In Nazareth, the pilgrims visited the Basilica of the Annunciation and St. Joseph's workshop. At Yardenit, the site of the baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist, all the pilgrims stood solemnly as they renewed their baptismal vows.
The next day it was on to Haifa, and Mt. Carmel of the prophet Elijah. In Ein Kerem, the birthplace of John the Baptist, the pilgrims walked through the picturesque old village to visit the Basilica of the Visitation and the Church of St. John the Baptist.
One of the most memorable holy sites for most of the pilgrims was Jerusalem - from the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, to the old city of Jerusalem and to many more holy sites, such as Mt. Zion to visit the Room of the Last Supper.
The afternoon trip driving through the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea was a time for fellowship and fun. Knowing that the Dead Sea is known for its therapeutic healing properties, the pilgrims didn't waste the chance to cover themselves with mud coming from the Dead Sea.
Another highlight of the tour was praying the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa. Couples carried the cross together while singing songs of praise to God, unmindful of the vendors who stood shouting mocking words. It was a vivid reminder of the time Jesus Himself carried His cross while people spit on Him and mocked Him.
On the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, all the pilgrims gathered in the beautiful Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, to pray, reflect and kiss the star at the Nativity site. This was the only mass where all 250 pilgrims gathered together during the whole trip. Bishop Jimenez celebrated the mass, concelebrated by the other priests.
The last leg of the 12-day tour was spent in Cairo, Egypt, not without some misgivings on the part of the pilgrims because of some accounts of violence on TV. But their fears proved groundless. Aside from swimming in the icy cold waters of the Red Sea, the pilgrims visited the Pyramids of Giza, took photos of the fabled Sphinx, toured the Egyptian Museum, which houses the treasures of Tutankhamen, and had dinner on board a cruise ship on the Nile River.
Monsignor Allen Aganon, on his first trip to the Holy Land, says the pilgrimage made him see the Bible from a different perspective, allowing him to embrace the Gospel in a more personal way.
Although the pilgrimage was only for 12 days, the experiences shared by the pilgrims were well worth it. As the song says, “One day in the house of God is better than a thousand days in the world.” Walking where Jesus walked; being in the places where He stood, preached and healed were experiences beyond wonderful. Many pilgrims spoke of being unable to contain their joy in their hearts, and on many occasions, feeling the tears just welling from their eyes.
At the end of the pilgrimage, the pilgrims were all given a “Pilgrim’s Certificate,” attesting that they had all fulfilled their Biblical calling to ascend to the Holy Land, Jerusalem. By Michelle Llaban
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