Viatorians traveled to Israel earlier this month and for most of them it was a first. Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, Superior General, led the pilgrimage, which included more than 50 people, including eight Viatorian associates, brothers and priests.

“Encountering these places and connecting to the stories we’ve heard all of our lives, just brought them alive,” Fr. Egan said. “It provided a real connection to the ground Jesus walked on. We felt as though we were standing on holy ground.”

They saw all of the major sights, including the road to Jericho and the Sea of Galilee and looking out over old Jerusalem; the Via Dolorosa, or the path that Jesus walked on his way to his crucifixion; the Church of the Holy Sepulchre built on the spot of the crucifixion; Capernaum and the Church of the House of St. Peter; and Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, built around the spot where Jesus was born, just to name a few. Here are a few of the highlights: