Exodus Pilgrimage

24 March/11 April - by Barbara Ashwell

My sister Bev came from New Zealand to join me in the Harvest Exodus Pilgrimage. We flew to Cairo and stayed three days in Giza visiting the pyramids, the Museum, many churches and other places of interest. We then went through the tunnel under the Suez canal and travelled the route that Moses and the Israelites took through Sinai en route to the Promised Land. It was an amazing experience to visit places of antiquity and to walk where Jesus walked, to be in Jerusalem and the Holy Places for Holy Week and Easter.

Highlights of the Trip

1. Standing on the stones of the Great Pyramid and viewing the wonders in the Museum of Cairo
2. Climbing Mt Sinai for three hours to see the sunrise and three hours back – an amazing experience!
3. Visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Petra to see the wonderful buildings carved out of sandstone
4. Travelling through Jordan where the beloved King and Queen go out among the poor to find out what they need. The poor Bedouins are given free housing, education and health care.
5. Viewing the Promised Land from where Moses did on Mt Nebo
6. Sailing on the Sea of Galilee and reflecting on the words of Jesus – visiting the many places in Galilee that the Scriptures speak of: Mt of Beatitudes, Mt Tabor, Mt of Precipitation, Nairn, Nazareth, Cana, Korazin, Capharnaum, Tiberius, Tabgha, Jordan River, etc. Jesus felt very near in this part of the world
7. The Palestinians in Jericho and Bethlehem were very friendly. I was particularly sorry for the people of Bethlehem who were kept in their city prison by the wall separating them from Jerusalem. A sad happening in the place of Jesus’ birth.
8. Wonderful to visit Ain Karim and to see how Mary really did travel to the Hill country to visit Elizabeth
9. Jerusalem – the Holy City was all that I expected – crowds there to celebrate the suffering, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in the places where these events happened – Upper room, Dominus Flavitt, Gethsemane, Caiphas palace, Ecce Homo, Calvary, the Sepulchre, Emmaus, Church of the Ascension.
10. Great to have Mass celebrated each day along the way with our own Chaplain Fr Mark O’Keefe from Unanderra. Fr Mark also knew Jerusalem well and would take those who wished walk-about through the old city in the evenings. A few of us were fortunate to be the only ones at Calvary about 9.00pm the Wednesday of Holy Week

Mass at Tabgha on shore of Sea of Galilee


Marists meet in Jerusalem – Fr Dennis and Sr Georgeanne from USA.