The beautifully encased empty Tomb of Jesus, site of the Resurrection, is inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Old Jerusalem
The Pilgrim's Way
Mater Dei's Newsletter (April 13, 2020)
Dear Pilgrim family:
We hope you are all well, living through what is probably the most unique Easter Season in our lifetime! While many may describe these times as a trying experience, when you think about it from a spiritual perspective, it is a gift in disguise! For most of us, it is time to be together again with most of our family. It is time for reconciliation, time to forgive and be forgiven. Time to listen to each other at meal times, time to pray together, worship together (even though it is online — after all, this is earth and not Heaven — nothing can be perfect down here), time to enjoy each other’s company and reflect over our lives in thanksgiving for all the good and the bad that God has allowed in our lives. This time together is certainly a time to do a self-examination of conscience and see where we can improve, making life better for us and our family. Above all, Easter is time to celebrate Jesus’ victory over death! Please know that our prayers are with you and our entire pilgrim family.
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Mater Dei Tours has had to cancel its public and private pilgrimages up to the end of August 2020. Regarding our pilgrimages in September and beyond, we want you to know that we are in close communications with our vendors, continuously monitoring the situation in all our pilgrimage destinations. So far all of the vendors are still on and are eager for our arrival. We have very special relations with our vendors due to our “truly Catholic” model, and this has resulted in a very fruitful information exchange.
Although we hope and pray that all will be back to normal soon (some of the worldwide data is supporting that new cases are decreasing), it is too early to tell. So, we continue to monitor the situation, stay in contact with our partners and vendors and above all pray for a quick end to the coronavirus. Things can change very quickly and we intend to keep you informed regarding any new developments. We have many protocols in place that we can draw on to match the particular outcomes that may surface. However, if you have any questions, by all means, do contact us.
Once again, our hearts and prayers go out to you and your families and all of God’s children affected in any way by the coronavirus. We ask you, too, to pray for them and for our great United States and all the countries affected (especially our destinations). It would be very appropriate here to pray for the intercession of St. Corona, and St. Jean Gabriel Perboyre.
Have a holy and joyful Easter Season!
|