The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall in Jerusalem. ENLARGE PHOTO | START SLIDESHOW

They gathered as strangers, but soon became brothers and sisters in Christ as they walked in footsteps of the Lord.

Twenty-one Paulist pilgrims traveled to the Holy Land April 26-May 5, echoing the trip that Paulist founder Father Isaac Hecker took in 1874. The pilgrims experienced the life of Christ from his birthplace in Bethlehem and the beginning of his public ministry in Galilee to his Passion in Jerusalem.

The pilgrims’ journey to a deeper understanding and experience of the life of Christ actually began at the airport terminal in New York, as the male Hassidic and Orthodox Jews gathered at the back wall of the gate to face the direction of Jerusalem to heed one of the five daily calls to prayer. The call to prayer was also richly answered during the overnight flight to Tel Aviv.

The Paulist pilgrims visit the ancient Roman ampitheater at Caeseria National Park in Israel. ENLARGE PHOTO

The pilgrims’ first full day in the Holy Land started out with a visit to the ruins of the roman amphitheater in Caeseria, where a stone bearing the name of Pontius Pilate is one of few references to the man who condemned Jesus to death. The pilgrims got spectacular views of the Mediterranean while visiting the ruins of the Roman aqueduct that once streamed precious water into the city built by Herod the Great.

Then it was off to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, the site of Elijah’s cave. It was at this site where the prophet Elijah defeated the priests of the pagan god Baal for the one true God to rule the kingdom of Israel. The Holy Family visited Elijah’s priests at this location on their travels.

The pilgrims toured the ruins of Megiddo, a town that saw so many battles that the Book of Revelation says this will be the site of the final battle between good and evil at the end of the world. The word “Armageddon” derives from the Hebrew “Har Megedon,” or mountain of Megiddo.

The pilgrims then went to Mount Tabor, site of the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ, where according to the synoptic Gospels, the Risen Christ becomes radiant, speaks to the prophets Moses and Elijah and is called “Son” by God. (Mark 9:1-10)

Father Paul G. Robichaud, CSP (standing) gives the pilgrims an introduction to Caprnaum, the “Town of Jesus” where he often preached. ENLARGE PHOTO

The ruins of Capernaum, the town of Jesus, was the first stop on the second full day of pilgrimage. The pilgrims saw the first-century lava stone foundation of the synagogue where Jesus preached on the Sabbath, astonishing those present with his wisdom and declaring that the prophesy of the Messiah had come to pass (Luke 4:16-22). Jesus performed several healing miracles in this town, and an octagonal house now sits above the ruins of the house Peter’s mother-in-law lived. Andrew, James John and Matthew the tax collector also lived in Capernaum.

Mass this day was celebrated at the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. (Luke 6) Although many pilgrim groups were present, the tranquil scene overlooking the Sea of Galilee offered the pilgrims an opportunity for serenity as they prayed together. After Mass, group went down to the shores of the Sea of Galilee for a boat ride. After a light drizzle, the sun came out for a superb voyage and views of the hills beyond the shoreline.

Right on the shores of the Sea of Galilee is Tabgha, site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. The pilgrims visited the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter there. A rock under the altar is where the Risen Christ appears to the apostles for the fourth time while fishing and tells Peter to “Feed my lambs … Tend my sheep … Feed my sheep.” (John 21 1-17)

After dipping their feet into the Sea of Galilee, the pilgrims got to do the same at the baptismal site on the Jordan River, where the pilgrims prayed together and renewed their baptismal vows.

The pilgrims gather at the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Jesus was imprisoned overnight in the house of Caiaphus, the high preist. It was here that Peter denied Jesus three times. ENLARGE PHOTO

The site of Jesus’ first miracle, the turning of water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1-11), was the first stop for the pilgrims their third day in the Holy Land. The Cana Catholic Wedding Church now bears testament to the miracle, and the pilgrims explored the ruins underneath the structure.

The next stop on the day’s journey was Nazareth, the town in which the Holy Family lived. The pilgrims visited the Basilica of the Annunciation, which incorporated the grotto where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would be the mother of the Messiah. This day’s Mass was celebrated at the Church of St. Joseph, located next to the Church of the Annunciation, where pilgrims could see the ruins of St. Joseph’s home and workshop.

The pilgrims then journeyed by motor coach to Jerusalem, first visiting the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. This church is where Peter denied Jesus three times during the Lord’s Passion, and is built over the house of Caiaphus, the high priest, where Jesus was imprisoned overnight before his condemnation.

The pilgrims woke up to their first morning in Jerusalem, then headed to the Mount of Olives to visit the Garden of Gethsemane and the adjacent Church of All Nations. Many pilgrims commented on the power of being at the site of Christ’s agony and betrayal, and the church is built over the Rock of Agony, where Jesus prayed the night before his arrest.

The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus went to pray the night before his betrayal. ENLARGE PHOTO

Then it was on to visit what is celebrated as the site of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. What is now an outdoor mosque holds the small Chapel of the Ascension where the faithful still light candles by a stone many believe to bear the footprints of the Lord as he ascended into heaven. Down the street from the chapel was the Church of the Pater Noster, the site where the Crusaders decided Jesus taught his disciples how to pray the Our Father. Mosaics bearing the words of the Our Father in more than 160 languages can be seen in the church gardens.

The Church of the Assumption, the burial place of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Mount Zion, was the next place of homage, then it was on to the Upper Room, where Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples and the place where the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples on Pentecost. The pilgrims also had the opportunity to visit the tomb of King David.

The next stop was Shepherds Field in Bethlehem, where the angels proclaimed the birth of a new king to the shepherds tending their fields in the night. The pilgrims celebrated Mass in St. Katherine’s Church, the Roman Catholic portion of the Church of the Nativity. The hour-long wait to see the actual birthplace of the Lord was well worth the wait, as pilgrims has the opportunity to duck into the small shrine area where a silver star set in the marble floor marks the place Christ was born.

Father Larry Rice, CSP, gives the homily during Mass at the Church of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany. ENLARGE PHOTO

Morning Mass at the Church of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany, the latter being Jesus’ dear friend whom he called from the tomb, was followed by a visit to the Mount of Temptations, the rocky mountain desert area where the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days and 40 nights. Then it was on to Jericho, where Scripture records Jesus healing the blind and encouraging tax collector Zacchaeus to stop his dishonest business practices.

The rocky desolation of the Mount of Temptations, where Jesus was tempted by Satan for 40 days and 40 nights, was a good place for the pilgrims to reflect on their life journey.

Nearby is Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The pilgrims visited the excavated ruins of the ancient Jewish settlement whose inhabitants produced the first Jewish scriptural writings on record. Many pilgrims even took the opportunity to end their day with a float in the Dead Sea.

Father Larry Rice, CSP, delivers the homily during Mass at the Crusaders Chapel of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. ENLARGE PHOTO

The pilgrims got to explore the Old City of Jerusalem on this day, first ascending the Temple Mount, where the Israelites’ first and second temples once stood. The temple mount is now home to the Dome of the Rock, where tradition says God called Moses to sacrifice Isaac, and the Western Wall, the only remaining part of the Second Temple that is one of the most venerated of holy places in Judaism.

The pilgrims then visited the Church of the Flagellation and the Church of the Condemnation as they began to walk the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross. The Via Dolorosa leads pilgrims through the Old City of Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchure, where they saw Calvary, where Jesus was hung on the cross, where his body was prepared for burial and his tomb.

It was fitting that the pilgrims celebrated their final Mass in the Holy Land in the Crusaders Chapel of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus’ earthly life ended but a new life in the Risen Lord began.

Then it was back to the Temple Mount to visit the Western Wall, or Wailing Wall. Many pilgrims took tiny slips of papers with prayers written in them to place in the cracks of the wall, the only part of the Israelites’ Second Temple that remains.

The pilgrims were free to explore Jerusalem on their last day in the Holy Land, and they shared a farewell meal before heading off to the airport for the journey home.