How is Terra Sancta Pilgrimages different?
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  1. Christian pilgrimage, not commercial tourism: Our focus is prayerfully making a pilgrimage as Christians, not sightseeing or touring the land.
  2. Competitive price: Few can match our price for the number of days we travel and the package that we offer. Read the fine print of other pilgrimages—most tack on additional fees.
  3. Franciscan: Our spirituality is Franciscan. St. Francis of Assisi traveled to the Holy Land in 1219. Since then, the Franciscans have been there, some 800 years, becoming the Catholic Church’s Official Custodians of the holy places.
  4. Personalized service: We provide personalized service from the first phone call to our final goodbye. You, the pilgrim, are not just another customer but a fellow Christian we hope to help in your journey to God. This is a ministry for us, not a job.
  5. Pilgrim Guesthouses: “A first-class hotel where most of the guests are living the dolce vita is not the best ambiance for a pilgrimage to our spiritual roots”¹ writes one guide book. We agree. Staying with religious communities enhances the pilgrimage experience while supporting the Christian communities of the Holy Land.
  6. We visit special places conventional tours do not: the Milk Grotto, the private section of Gethsemane, Bethlehem University, and more.
  7. Preparation: Proper spiritual preparation can turn accidental tourists into purposeful pilgrims. If this is your “once-in-a-lifetime trip” you don’t want to be cheated by poor preparation. Our Pilgrimage Orientation Meeting does just that, along with the Pilgrim Packet and other resources we provide.
  8. Primacy of Prayer is safeguarded in order to open ourselves to encountering Jesus and feeling His Spirit in His own land.
  9. Well-planned liturgies: Attention to detail is given to planning and celebration our Masses and various rituals so that each fits the spirituality of the place.
  10. Intentionally meeting the local Christians: We are intentional about meeting the “living stones” of the land—the Palestinian Christians. Casual contact is not enough. This puts a personal face on the Christianity of the Holy Land. These encounters build bridges of understanding and love.
  11. Christian guides: Information is important, but that doesn’t make a pilgrimage. We can be full of facts and empty of grace. We employ knowledgeable Christian guides who can speak to us from a faith perspective.
  12. Exposure to the situation: We allow pilgrims to see for themselves the reality of what goes on in the Holy Land. It speaks for itself. We do not try to spiritualize the situation nor ignore it.
  13. Catholic Teaching: We teach the Catholic position on the Holy Land and other related subjects such as the Bible and doctrine.
  14. We help the Holy Land by supporting Christian institutions with our pilgrim dollars.
  15. Direct support: Terra Sancta Pilgrimages supports charitable endeavors to directly help needy Christians in the Holy Land.
¹James R. McCormick, Jerusalem and the Holy Land, 181.
Copyright © 2010 Terra Sancta Pilgrimages