Bishop Nelson Perez and 50 pilgrims from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland began a 10-day journey to the Holy Land on Oct. 23. The Catholic Community Foundation coordinated the trip and Deacon Dennis Conrad from St. Christopher Parish in Rocky River will be sending regular updates to share their experiences throughout the pilgrimage. His ninth installment is below.
The last day for the pilgrims in the Holy Land continued inside the gates of Jerusalem. We started by visiting the pools of Bethsaida in which Jesus cured both a blind man and a lame man. These pools are located just outside the Church of St Anne. This church was built over the site of the Virgin Mary’s birth. The Western Wall, which is also known as the “Wailing Wall,” was our final stop. It was the western wall of the city during the building of the first temple in the 10th century B.C. The pilgrims were able to spend some time at the Western Wall praying with our Jewish brothers and sisters.
It has been said that a pilgrim’s life should be a lifelong dialogue with God. If one were ever to question the value of prayer, a visit to the Western Wall is all that is required. The wall has been a special place for more than 12,000 years. And before the wall was built, people prayed at this site for well over 1,000 years. In other words, for more than 160 generations, the people in the Holy Land have been in dialogue with God. A pilgrim not only needs to be clothed in our faith but also needs to remain in a lifelong dialogue with God.