ISRAEL—In a remarkable two days young adult pilgrims from the Diocese of Bridgeport have stood on the short of the Sea of Galilee, visited Bethlehem and Bethany and climbed Mt. Tabor as part of their spiritual journey to the Holy Land.
The group of 22 young adults and diocesan officials led by Bishop Caggiano started off it fourth day with a beautiful morning Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation. After reflecting on Our Lady’s “yes,” the group spent time together discussing how we could respond to God in the same way.
The group then spent some time exploring the Church, as well as the neighboring Church of St. Joseph, which is said to be built on his house or workshop.
“The Sea of Galilee was one of the most anticipated stops on the trip,” said John Grosso, diocesan social media leader who has been reporting on the trip.
“It proved to be emotional, prayerful, and stunningly beautiful. We first arrived at the Mount of Beatitudes, and we prayed over the Scripture passage where Jesus preaches the Beatitudes to the crowd. Next, we took a short trip over to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, built over the site of that great sign of wonder,” he said.
“Pilgrims were unable to contain their joy and awe, rushing to the water to put their feet into it. The peace and tranquility of this lake, where Jesus walked on water, calmed the storm, and preached near, cannot he understated. We could have stayed there for hours,” he said.
The young adult pilgrims also walked to the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, and prayed over the Scripture passage in the Gospel of John: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Final stop of the day was Capernaum, the town where Jesus lived during his ministry, including the synagogue where Jesus fulfilled the words of Isaiah.
“We had the opportunity to see where St. Peter’s house was, and then a chance to explore. While there, the three priests in our group heard many of our pilgrim’s confessions, right on the cliff side over the Sea of Galilee, while the sun was setting,” Grosso said.
The group ended the most blessed day with a rosary, dinner, evening prayer, and spiritual reflection.
Daily reports of the pilgrimage are available on the diocesan Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can also like Bishop Caggiano on Facebook: Bishop Frank J. Caggiano or follow him on Twitter @BishopCaggiano.
