Spiritual Renewal Course for Priests in Jerusalem
"I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you” (2 Timothy 1:6).
John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis reminds us that the essence of a priest’s life is fidelity to the character received in ordination:
“It is the Holy Spirit, poured out in the sacrament, who sustains the priest in this faithfulness and accompanies him and encourages him a long this path of unending conversion. This permanent formation is a requirement of the priest’s own faithfulness to his ministry, to his very being. It is love for Jesus Christ and fidelity to oneself. But it is also an act of love for the people of God, at whose service the priest is placed” (PDV 70).
The Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center and Sacerdos Institute, with the patronage of the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, have organized this unique course for priestly renewal in Jerusalem for the past three years. Priestly holiness is the fulcrum of the new evangelization in the Third Millennium, since the priest is the bridge between God and man.
This course aims at renewing the priestly character received in ordination, and unfolds in the very place where Christ instituted the priesthood. In this way it hopes to be a fountain of grace, a restoring experience, and a vigorous motivation for the life and ministry of every priest.
DATES
2011
Monday, January 24 - Saturday, February 12
Monday, July 18 - Saturday, August 6
2012
Monday, January 23 - Saturday, February 11
Monday, July 16 - Saturday, August 4
2013
Monday, January 21 - Saturday, February 9
Monday, July 15 - Saturday, August 3
2014
Monday, January 20 - Saturday, February 8
Monday, July 14 - Saturday, August 2
2015
Monday, January 19 - Saturday, February 7
Monday, July 13 - Saturday, August 1
DIRECTIVE COMMITTEE
Gabriel González, LC, Course director
Juan Solana, LC, LC: Chargé of Notre Dame Center
Alfonso Corona, LC, Course secretary
PROGRAM
•Spiritual Exercises
Three days of Ignatian Spiritual exercises to start off the renewal.
•Pilgrimage to the Holy Sites
Quality time spent in each of the Holy Sites, as well as the cultural and historical explanation.
•Priestly spirituality seminar
Conferences on the following themes of priestly spirituality.
"I no longer call you servants, but friends” (John 15:15):
Personal friendship with Christ
“Stay with us, Lord” (Luke 24:29):
The Eucharist, the center of a priest’s life
“Lord, teach us how to pray” (Luke 11:1):
Prayer, school of priestly life
•Pastoral workshops
SPECIAL GUESTS
His Beatitude Fouad Twal
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
“The Catholic Church and the Holy Land”
His Excellency Archbishop Antonio Franco
Apostolic Nuncio for Israel and Cyprus
Apostolic Delegate for Jerusalem and Palestine
“The Catholic Church: Israel and Palestine”
Rabbi David Rosen KCSG
International Director of Interreligious Affairs
American Jewish Committee
“The People of the Torah”
Mustafa Abu Sway
Director, Islamic Research Center, Al-Quds University
“Introduction to the muslim world”
Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM
Custos of the Holy Land
“The Franciscans in the Holy Land”
And others….
ACTIVITIES
• Daily Eucharistic adoration
• Common liturgical prayer
• Renewal of baptismal and priestly promises
• Guided visits and Eucharistic concelebrations in the Holy Sites
• Jerusalem
• Bethlehem, Ain Karem, Emmaus and Jericho
• Maritime Caesarea
• Tabor, Beth Shean, Nazareth and Cana
• Capernaum, Tabgha and Lake of Tiberius
• Jordan River, Dead Sea and Mount of Temptations
• Ecumenical encounters
• Personal study of spirituality, the Church Fathers and Sacred Scripture
Winter 2011 Calendar
Monday, January 24. Arrival and registration, guided tour of the center.
Tuesday, January 25. Bethlehem, St. Joseph, Cave of the Milk. Presentation of the members of the group. Presentation of the course with practical tips. Talk by an expert.
Wednesday, January 26 - Friday, January 28. Spiritual Exercises. Meditation and guided prayer on the essence of Christian and priestly life, in the spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Talk and Mass with the Papal Nunzio.
Saturday, January 29. Visitation: Ain Karem, Saint John the Baptist, visit Caesarea, Haifa, Mount Caramel.
Sunday, January 30. Public Life: Mass in Nazareth, the Holy Family Basilica, the tomb of the Just One, the Fountain of Mary, visit Mount Arbel.
Monday, January 31. Galilee: Mass on the boat, Tiberias-Capernaum; renewal of baptismal promises at the Jordan; visit to the Mount of Beatitudes; Magdala.
Tuesday, February 1. Galilee and Jerusalem: a visit to the Primacy of St Peter and Mass; Tabga, Mount Tabor, Jericho, Zacchaeus.
Wednesday, February 2. Eucharist: Dominus Flevit, Mary Magdalene, Gethsemane, the Dormition of Mary, the Last Supper, spiritual talk, Eucharistic adoration and renewal of the priestly promises.
Thursday, February 3. Passion: Gallicantu, the Flagellation, Ecce Homo, Via Crucis, Calvary and burial. Spiritual talk.
Friday, February 4. Burial: Holy Sepulcher, Cardo Maximo, Shroud. Spiritual talk. Priestly sharing.
Saturday, February 5. Resurrection: a day of rest and relaxation both physical and spiritual. Those who so wish are invited to attend a pastoral experience with the local Christian Communities. Priestly sharing.
Sunday, February 6. Emmaus: visit to Quebeibeh, Abu Gosh, spiritual talk, talk by the Patriarch. Priestly sharing.
Monday, February 7. Apostle of the Word: public speaking workshop, talk on Islam and spiritual talk. Priestly sharing.
Tuesday, February 8. Free day: walk to the holy places. Priestly sharing.
Wednesday, February 9. Jerusalem: the Esplanade of the Temple, the Wailing Wall, excavations of the Temple. Conference of Rabbi and spiritual talk. Priestly sharing.
Thursday, February 10. Desert: Dead Sea, caves of Qumran, Masada, Shaba.
Friday, February 11. Apostle of the Word: spiritual talks and pastoral work; a walk in New Jerusalem and a visit to the three Biblical institutes. Priestly sharing.
Saturday, February 12. Bethany: Bethphage, Pater Noster, Shrine of the Ascension of the Lord. Round table.
Sunday, February 13. Departure.
COST:
•€1,750
•Includes: room (double occupancy), visit to Jerusalem, four-day trip to Galilee, entrance fee and guides to historic places, conferences and classroom materials.
•Not included: airfare, insurance, medical expenses and visits on free days.
•Additional fee for individual room: €310.
LANGUAGES
English – Spanish – Italian
With simultaneous translation
WORDS OF ENDORSEMENT
“My experiences at the Priest Renewal Course in the Holy Land have really made a positive impact on my spiritual life and priestly ministry. First of all, simply spending time at table in conversation with 65 priests from 25 countries was to encounter priestly fraternity in a unique and invigorating manner and was a vivid reminder of the universality of Catholicism. Secondly, the theological lectures and opportunities for discussion and feedback served to feed an intellectual hunger that had arisen in my life as a parish priest. Finally, and most importantly, to walk in the footsteps of the High Priest Jesus Christ and to offer the Mass where the pivotal moments of His life and ministry occurred was an honor which defies explanation. To be in the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus in His land is an opportunity that no priest should pass by!”
-Rev. Michael Caridi, Diocese of Pittsburg, PA
"My three weeks in the Holy Land continue to bring the Gospel alive and contributes greatly to my preaching on passages where I have actually been and seen for myself. I learned a lot from the excellent tour guides who accompanied us on our pilgrimage. But what I appreciate the most is not seeing the sites of our Lord´s life which have changed in 2000 years, but rather experiencing the culture of the Holy Land today and leaving with a better understanding of the issues the people deal with who live there. At first I was amazed at how peaceful it is and easy to travel around Israel given the negative impression by news reports of violence and conflict, but it is a security that Israel enjoys at a cost - the cost of disrupting lives of and angering further the Palestinian people who suffer through lack of employment and isolation from work by the new security wall. We spent a day in the Palestinian parish of Aboud and heard firsthand of what life is like for the Christians there. And when a Jewish rabbi gave us a conference at the Notre Dame Center, I realized how vital Christians are to the Holy Land, which the rabbi acknowledged as a sort of God-given responsibility for Christians to be instruments of peace and understanding for all peoples and religions of this region, God´s Holy Land. So much of world politics and interfaith relations centers on Jerusalem, and so much of the Bible centers on Jerusalem; every priest should take this opportunity to get to know Jerusalem. ´If I forget you Jerusalem, let my right hand wither...´
-Rev. Daniel Vacca, Diocese of Wichita, KS
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