‘I’m Going to the Holy Land!’: Father Kelly Will Lead a Nine-Day Pilgrimage in November
Father Kelly is flanked by fellow travelers Lisa Booth and Tim Clay.
It would be an understatement to say that Father William J. Kelly, the pastor of St. Brendan the Navigator Parish, is looking forward to leading a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in November.
“It’s very powerful to know that I’ll be able to put my feet on the same ground that Jesus walked on,” Kelly says. “I’m excited to experience this for the first time and I would love for others to join us and experience it with me for the first time.”
Parishioners Lisa Booth and Tim Clay came up with the idea for the trip and will accompany Kelly and any others who wish to join them. They both are Eucharistic ministers at St. Brendan’s and both are involved with the Branches Outreach, a nonprofit that provides services and programs for underprivileged residents of Cape May County.
“Father Kelly, Tim and I were chatting,” says Booth, “and it’s something the three of us have always wanted to do. We thought this would be a great trip and we wanted to help Father Kelly pull it together.”
Says Kelly: “I met Lisa and Tim through the parish. They’re very social people and I said we should do a trip somewhere, and I meant New York or something. And the next thing I know I’m going to the Holy Land!”
The nine-day journey includes visits to the cities of Jericho, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and places synonymous with both the humanity and the divinity of Christ, including the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, Bethany, Gethsemane, and Cana.
“I’m looking forward to seeing it all,” Kelly says. “Some of the places we’re going to visit are places St. Paul wrote about. You read about them in scripture, but then to actually go there, it’s kind of surreal. Nazareth will be a highlight for me, and Cana, where the wedding feast at Cana happened and where I’ll renew the wedding vows of some of the people on the trip with me, so I’m looking forward to doing that.”
Clay and his wife are among the couples planning to renew their vows at Cana.
“I’m looking forward to seeing where the roots of my faith started,” he says. “I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially for people to travel with their own pastor, who would add a deeper meaning to it.”
St. Brendan the Navigator Parish comprises Maris Stella Church, Sacred Heart Church, both in Avalon, and St. Paul Church in Stone Harbor.
“We’re hoping to do some meet-and-greets at the parish when people come back for the summer,” says Booth. “Show a video, give a little info, and let them ask questions of Tim and me.”
They emphasize that all are welcome to join them on the trip. You do not have to be a member of St. Brendan’s parish to sign up. To get more information, see the ad on this page and click on the QR code.
And if you’re one of those folks who likes to get a jump on your holiday shopping, Kelly has a suggestion: “I’m looking forward to going to the Holy Land in November—and I think it would be a wonderful Christmas present for somebody!”