The Seminarian's Tale

Today is a day that we have long known about but always seemed so far off. February 14th was that distant day in the future when our journey in the Holy Land would come to an end and yet it never seemed to be approaching too rapidly. It was always a comfortable distance in the future and we did not have to worry about getting things done that we wanted to do because we always had so much time. Yet now those months, weeks, and days have turned into mere hours. The end approaches and we find ourselves scrambling for those last minute experiences that epitomize the Holy Land: one last visit to the Holy Sepulcher, one last walk on the Via Dolorosa, one last stop at the Mt. of Olives.

This is also a day of frantic packing. When we came here almost ten weeks ago we thought we had left plenty of room in our luggage for all those gifts we had to buy friends and family. Yet as one rosary after another, one olive wood statue in succession with another, one icon multiplying into two then three then four crowded our rooms the realization hits that perhaps we do not have as much room as we thought we did. So the frantic scramble to find seminarians with extra room, to find a post office to ship things home, to find one last cranny in which things can be crammed, consumes us as we gather our belongings. The race is on to meet that precious twenty three kilograms per bag that Swissair allows us as we begin our trek back to the United States.

This is also the last day that many of us will see one another until we begin Spring Quarter back at Mundelein Seminary as some of us will be going home and others will be doing extended travel. This has been a time for us to get to know our brother seminarians in a way that is not normally possible. We have bonded as a class and as men studying for the common goal of priesthood. This time together has been a blessing and we thank God every day for the opportunities we have been given. As we, God willing, approach our diaconate this year we will have the many graces of pilgrimage to spur us forward into that ministry of service.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been following our journeys during these ten weeks. We hope that we have been able to provide you with a window into the Holy Land that we have so enjoyed during this time. Through our pictures and words we hope to convey this living land of Scripture. It is a vibrant and bustling land full of history both ancient and modern. Many of us have fallen in love with this place and plan to come back many times in the future. If we have conveyed but a fraction of that love of the land, I think we can say that we have been successful. We would also like to thank those who made this journey possible. First and foremost, this means the generous men and women who are the benefactors of this pilgrimage. Without their support this journey would have been impossible. They have been in our prayers as we travel this Holy Land.

Of course we could not have made this trip without the hard work of Jeannie Bruntyn who made so many of the arrangements and worked with the various embassies to make sure all who wanted could enjoy this experience. Her hard work and preparation before we even left Mundelein guaranteed for us a wonderful journey. She has our gratitude.

On a personal note we would like to thank our faculty: Fr. John Lodge, Fr. Thomas Baima, Fr. Peter Damian Akponunu, and Abbot Thomas Davis. It has been a delight to have them along on this journey. Throughout our time here they opened up our eyes to the things around us. They taught us the meaning of Scripture in this land, explained the various Christian rites and rituals that we were seeing on a daily basis, and were always there to offer sound spiritual advice. We know it is not easy for them to take time away from their busy lives to be here for and so we appreciate their commitment all the more.

Lastly we cannot end without thanking Sr. Kathleen Mulcahy. Sr. Kathleen has been with us the entire ten weeks of the pilgrimage and dealt with all the various little crises that can erupt when trying to shepherd a group of twenty-seven seminarians. Throughout the whole trip she has been a true mentor and companion. She has guided us well and we cannot express our thanks well enough for the time she has taken to travel this Holy Land alongside us. We can only hope she knows of our deep appreciation for all her efforts on our behalf.

So now that this pilgrimage comes to an end we will be signing off. Thank you for reading and we hope you have enjoyed sharing in our adventures.