-Isaiah 66:13

"Go to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you'"

-Genesis 41:55

Pilgrimage is "a sign of closeness and solidarity for the Christian communities that live there and that are in great need of your help."

-Pope John Paul II

"All pilgrimages are entrusted to Saint Joseph our Patron Saint of Pilgrimages. He who led and protected the Holy Family on earth will now do the same for us pilgrims from his place in Heaven."

-Franciscan Father
Alex Kratz,
Pilgrimage Spiritual Director

Welcome to Terra Sancta Pilgrimages

“Personally, making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is emotionally overwhelming and truly difficult to describe; the soul is filled with the glory of God’s presence. You are transported back to a time and place when our Heavenly Father gave us the gift of his Son. No other place on earth can stir a man’s spirit like the Holy Land.”
- Jim Nihem, St. Lawrence, Utica, parish member and three time pilgrim to the Holyland

Upcoming Pilgrimage dates:
2009 Spring: April 20 - May 4 Fall: October 5 - 19
2010 Spring: April 19 - May 3 Fall: Oct. 25 - Nov. 8
Call 248.423.3600 for more information

Sacred Scripture takes on a wondrous new dimension when you experience a pilgrimage to the land of our Savior. That is why the Holy Land is considered the Fifth Gospel. In many ways, our physical presence in the land of Jesus is a necessary endeavor in our efforts to fully understand, embrace and harness the power of the Gospel message.

Imagine yourself celebrating our Sacred Mass; receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the very location of His birth, His ministry and, perhaps the most moving, where He was crucified, died and was buried. You feel His presence with heightened emphasis. You hear Him giving the Sermon on the Mount. You see Him perform the miracles of feeding the thousands, curing the cripple and raising Lazarus from dead. You comfort Him as He agonizes in the Garden of Gethsemane. You love Him when you kneel to pray at the Empty Tomb.

The baptismal waters of the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher – all the holy sites in this sacred land have the power to flood a soul with deeper insights and connections.

Franciscan Father Alex Kratz, who resided in the Holy Land for over a year, will be your guide on your journey through the Holy Land. His inspirational teachings and spiritual guidance will make the pilgrimage a spiritually renewing and, for some, a life-altering experience.

Your faith will be enriched beyond what you thought was possible.