The 2023 HOPE Twinning & Pilgrimage Experience!

Although the Covid pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 Journey to the Holy Land and to the Schools of the Latin Patriarchate, HOPE returned to our primary mission in June, 2023.

Twenty-seven Pilgrims, including ten HOPE teachers left on Monday, June 5, flying from Cincinnati to JFK Airport in New York. Then on to Queen Alia Airport in Jordan, arriving at their hotel in Amman Tuesday afternoon.

 

The Heart of HOPE

The Journey

 

On Wednesday,  June 7, the teachers and pilgrims visited St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba, famous for its mosaic map of the Holy Land. Then a visit to Mt. Nebo where Moses looked upon the Promised Land.  Finally a two hour drive through the desert to the Wadi Rum Preserved Area for an afternoon and evening of Bedouin hospitality.

 

“St. George
Greek Orthodox Church
Madaba”

Mosaic map of the Holy Land. Jerusalem is the oval section near the top.

Icons of St. George and the Virgin and Child

Artistic interpretation of the staff of Moses at Mt. Nebo

Mosaic in the floor of the Church at Mt. Nebo.  The shrine is maintained by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

View of the “Promised Land” from Mt. Nebo

A camel ride at Wadi Rum.  This was one of the encampments of the Arab Army and Lawrence of Arabia during World War I.

Some trek to the top of                           the Wadi for the view.

Dinner of lamb and chicken cooked over the coals.

Thursday, June 8 was dedicated to Petra, capital of the ancient Kingdom of Nabatea.  A great deal of walking, multinational crowds, outstanding awesome sights and many memories made.

 

The Official Welcome to Petra

Walking through the valley to Petra.

Entering Petra with a view of “The Treasury”

An intrepid HOPE Pilgrim

Our 27 HOPE Pilgrims in front of the temple at Petra, known as “The Treasury”

Friday, June 9 was a traveling day with stops along our way to Bethlehem. First stop: crossing the border  at the Allenby Bridge to enter Israel. This went very smoothly compared to 2016. The bridge was built by the British in 1918 and named for General Allenby.  On the Jordanian side it is known as the King Hussein Bridge. 
Then the Jordan River baptismal site from the Israeli side.  Next was Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by shepherds. Then a chance for a dip in the Dead Sea and finally arriving in Bethlehem,  Palestine.

 

Mass at Good Shepherd Parish, Jericho

The famous Sycamore tree, Jericho

Excellent lunch at a local retaurant

Interpretation of the jars containing the Dead Sea Scrolls found by the shepherds in 1946.

Cave #4 of the twelve caves at Qumran.

Floating in the Dead Sea.

Saturday, June 10 was a very busy day, visiting many Pilgrim sites in the Jerusalem area.

View of the mosque at the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount.

The white domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Mass at the Church of Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept).

The Garden of Gethsemane

The oldest tree in the Garden is estimated to be 3,000 years old.

These are types of thorns from which the Crown of Thorns would have been made.

The Church of all Nations, next to the Garden of Gethsemane.

One of the main doors of the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, where the rooster in the upper left reminds Peter of Christ’s words.

Mary and Elizabeth from the Church of the  Visitation.