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Catholic News Herald

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CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s Lay Ministry office is sponsoring a study pilgrimage to the Holy Land Feb. 10-19, 2017. The 10-day trip is the first of its kind offered by the diocese. Dr. Frank Villaronga, diocesan director of the Lay Ministry program and Father Fidel Melo, vicar of Hispanic Ministry, will lead the pilgrimage.

The study pilgrimage is open to anyone. People who have completed the Lay Ministry program or a similar formation program are encouraged to attend. Villaronga is creating specific reflections to correspond to Scripture and the holy sites and cities on the pilgrimage route.

Pilgrims will visit Galilee, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha, Magdala, Tabor, Nazareth, Cana, Mount Carmel, Caesarea Maritima, Bethlehem, Jericho, Masada, the Dead Sea, Mount Zion, Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, St. Anne’s Church and Ein Karem.

“The pilgrimage begins before we get on the airplane,” Villaronga said. “I am creating some reflection materials so people can prepare ahead of time by reflecting on some of the passages mentioning the places we will be going.”

One example is a reflection Villaronga is preparing on St. Elijah and Mount Carmel. The pilgrims will also visit the Mount of Beatitudes, so he is creating a scripture reflection for that, too.

“There is not going to be heavy studying, but some kind of reflection,” he said. “I would like to possibly have people meet in small groups to reflect together (on what they experience). People won’t have to worry about reading a lot ahead of time because I will have the materials prepared for them.”

The pilgrimage will primarily be in English, but Spanish-speaking pilgrims are also encouraged to attend as Father Melo and a bilingual guide will provide information in Spanish during the pilgrimage.

“One of the things I like about this particular pilgrimage is we have something called ‘Share the Bread,’ where we break up into groups of four to five and have dinner in the homes of Christians there. It is really nice because you get to talk to the people who live there and find out what the reality of living there and to share a meal,” Villaronga said.

He hopes to take between 20 and 30 people to the Holy Land on this inaugural Lay Ministry Study Pilgrimage.

A deposit of $500 per person is due by Oct. 28 to hold a spot on the pilgrimage. Full payment is due Nov. 8. Cost for the pilgrimage including airfare starts at $3,295. Land-only fees start at $2,295.

For details, contact Villaronga at 704-370-3274 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter