Journeys of Hope | a Pilgrim Center of Hope podcast

Join Deacon Tom and Mary Jane Fox, as they guide us through a pilgrimage to the Holy Land! This will be a different kind of journey compared to our past visits. We will be placing a particular focus on a man who with his extraordinary gifts and talent made a difference in the Holy Land, Antonio Barluzzi! An architect consecrated to God and committed his life in the mission of building several Churches at holy sites related to the life of Jesus Christ.

During our journey, you will:

• Learn about the life of Antonio Barluzzi.
• Be introduced to 2 churches Antonio Barluzzi built.
• Hear excerpts from his diary.
• Much more!

Click here to see photos of Antonio Barluzzi's work in the Holy Land, download a Guideline of Discerning God's Will, and a map view of Basilica of Agony and the Garden of Gethsemani and The Church of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor!

Jewel for the Journey:

"All men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece." – St. John Paul II. Taken from his Letter to Artist

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

The face of Antonio Barluzzi on the featured image appears courtesy of User:Bonio derivative work: Victuallers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Come along with Mary Jane Fox on this week's spiritual pilgrimage to Milk Grotto, not far from the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square in Bethlehem! According to Tradition, the Holy Family took refuge in this grotto on their way to Egypt as they were fleeing the Slaughter of the Innocents. Listen in, as Mary Jane shares why the Milk Grotto is a pilgrim destination, especially for new mothers and women who are trying to conceive.

During our journey, you will hear about:

• Why is this place called the Milk Grotto?
• What is it like inside?
• Learn the prayer shared by the Franciscan Friars, to all who visit the Milk Grotto to pray for Mary's help.
• Much more!

Jewel for the Journey:

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

This week's spiritual pilgrimage takes us to the scene of the Nativity of Jesus Christ! Join Mary Jane Fox on a walk to the manger in Bethlehem in ancient Palestine. To that simple place where Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, and where she, the infant Jesus, and Joseph his foster father stayed a while after his birth.

During our journey, you will hear about:

• What is the weather and terrain like in Bethlehem during the time of the birth of Jesus?
• Why is it significant that Jesus was laid in a manger?
• What must have Mary and Joseph felt in the moments after Jesus was born?
• Much more!

Click here to see the Nativity through the eyes of a Holy Land pilgrim today, and a map view of the Nativity of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem!

Jewel for the Journey:

Let us rejoice, for Jesus our Savior shows us he is with us at every moment in our lives! Let us rejoice, for Jesus is our Hope!

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

This week's virtual pilgrimage with Angela Sealana takes us on a journey to Christmas! Jump into the holiday spirit by exploring Christmas devotions from around the world; their origins and the deeper meanings behind them that have led millions into the celebration of Christmas for centuries.

During our journey, you will hear about:

• Light in the Window & 'Christmas Lights'
• Advent & Nativity/Creche
• Posadas & Pinatas
• Oplatki
• Epiphany house blessing and traditions
• Much More!

Click here to see the Epiphany House Blessing, photos of Christ Traditions from around the world, and a map view of the Nativity of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem!

Jewel for the Journey:

The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people." (Luke 2:10)

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

Time to add another stamp to your spiritual passport! Come along with Mary Jane Fox on a journey to Bethlehem with St. Jerome. Our journey will take us to Saint Jerome's Grotto, which is accessed from the Church of St Catherine.

During our journey, you will hear about:

• St. Jerome the Man
• St. Jerome Chapel at Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Bethlehem
• Importance of Scripture and Lectio Divina
• Much more!

Click here to see photos of St. Jerome Chapel, download a Guide to Praying with Scripture (Lectio Divina), and a map view of its location!

Jewel for the Journey:

We must love Christ and always seek Christ's embraces. Then everything difficult will seem easy." – St. Jerome

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

Come on a journey with Mary Jane Fox to Terra Sancta Ministries in Pontiac, MI! To help guide us on our spiritual pilgrimage is Fr. Alex Kratz, OFM. He is co-founder & Spiritual Director of Terra Sancta Ministries, oversees St. Joseph Chapel and the Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pontiac where the ministry is headquartered.

During this spiritual pilgrimage, we will:

• Learn about the history of the Shrine and its mission.
• Be introduced to the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary
• Discover what pilgrims can experience while visiting the Shrine
• Much more!

For more information about Terra Sancta Ministry and Shrine, click here.

Image courtesy Terra Sancta Ministries. All rights reserved.

Jewel for the Journey:

"Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received–only what you have given; a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage." – St. Francis of Assisi

Click here to see photos of Terra Sancta Ministries and a map view of its location!

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

Join Mary Jane Fox as she guides us into a deeper understanding of St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus! In Scripture, Joseph is silent in words, but only in words. His response to God's call for him to take Mary and Jesus to his care was an ultimate act of faith, hope, and charity!

During this episode, our Host will discuss

• Scripture references to everything we know about St. Joseph
• Apostolic Letter titled Guardian of the Redeemer (1989), written by St. Pope John Paul II
• Apostolic Letter titled Patris Corde (With A Father's Heart) dedicated to St. Joseph, written by Pope Francis
• ... and much more!

Click here Spiritual Exercises and access links to Apostolic Letters Guardian of the Redeemer, and Patris Corde (With A Father's Heart)

Jewel for the Journey

"I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to the glorious St Joseph, for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God. I do not remember that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant." - St.Teresa of Avila

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

Come on a journey with Angela Sealana to the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA! To help guide us on our spiritual pilgrimage is the rector of the shrine, Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC.

During this spiritual pilgrimage, we will:

• Address the question of God's mercy; Does God really forgive me? Why do we often struggle with forgiveness and our relationship with God, and how can we embrace God's mercy for us and for others?
• Hear the amazing story of how the message of God's mercy was given to us in modern times through a very special diary, and the miraculous journey of how it made its way from Poland during World War II all the way to Massachusetts!
• Learn how the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy came to be established, what it's like, and what pilgrims can experience there.

For more information on the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy, click here to visit their website.

Jewel for the Journey:

ABCs of Divine Mercy: Ask for Mercy, Be Merciful, and Completely trust in Jesus.

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

Featured Images captured from the Official Facebook Page for the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy.

This week's spiritual pilgrimage takes us to 140 Rue du Bac, in the heart of Paris, France. Join Mary Jane Fox, as she takes us on a new journey to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal! In this very chapel, the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830 and instructed Catherine to have a medal struck after the model image that was presented to her. It was called the Medal of our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the beginning. However, as medals were distributed and worn by Christians; many conversions and even miracles occurred! For these reasons, the Medal came to be called the Miraculous Medal.

During our journey, you will hear about:

• Mary's apparition in Paris and to whom she appeared
• The incorrupt body of St. Catherine Laboure
• How people have experienced miracles and graces related to the Miraculous Medal
• … much more!

For a complimentary Miraculous Medal along with a pamphlet explaining its significance, call us at 210-521-3377.

Featured Image: "The Protection of God is Always There!", by Lawrence OP, CC BY-SA 2.0

Click here to see photos of the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal and a map view of its location!

Jewel for the Journey:

"From Mary we learn to surrender to God's Will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God!" – St. Pope John Paul II

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate

Join Mary Jane Fox and Nan Balfour, as they guide us through a pilgrimage to the Holy Land unlike the ones of today; but like the ones, many faithful pilgrims took in the middle ages! Our journey will be with a woman who lived during the same time as St. Ignatius of Loyola. She was born in Italy in the late 15th century, and her name is Angela Merici. This woman, now a canonized saint, was an incredibly strong woman of faith and courage. St. Angela Merici is the founder of the Order of Nuns called the Ursulines and made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land as well.

During our journey, you will:

• Learn about the life of St. Angela Merici
• Discover what the pilgrimage experience was like during St. Angela's time.
• Gain some insight into discerning God's Will through the example of St. Angela Merici
• … much more!

Click here to see photos of St. Angela Merici and a map view of the Holy Land!

Jewel for the Journey:

"Do not lose heart, even if you should discover that you lack qualities necessary for the work to which you are called. He who called you will not desert you, but the moment you are in need he will stretch out his saving hand." - St. Angela Merici

Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate