President's Desk
November, 2009

Our Lady and the Holy Land Pilgrimage

We ended up with 17 pilgrims to walk in Jesus' Footsteps in the Holy Land.  As we prepared to go I mentioned to the group that I do not lead the Pilgrimages, Our Lady does. I try to be an instrument, doing the business end of the trip, leaving the guiding to our awesome guide Ricardo and as we work together that leaves our Priest to be only the Spiritual Director of the pilgrimage so that he may experience to the most spiritual pilgrimage possible.

We left Tucson all excited, arrived in Tel Aviv and started out on our journey. One of the first things Ricardo told me was that our Mass at the Holy Sepulcher had been cancelled through a computer or paperwork problem. Our provider in the Holy Land is so professional and never lets anything like this happen, but it did. Ricardo told me to pray, don’t worry he had some contacts. I did that, not letting Father or the group to know as so many times in the past and just “trust” that it will turn out the way God wills it.

As we traveled on we went to the Church of the Primacy of Peter. There was a minister taking up the whole church so that our pilgrims couldn’t get to the rock that is the place where the resurrected Jesus asked Peter 3 times do you love me. Father and I stayed in the doorway to announce that our people wanted to go in, she finally left with her group which made us a little late. I still wanted Father to go down to the Sea of Galilee as it is so peaceful and spiritual which we did. Ricardo came down the hill announcing we were running late to go to the Mt. of the Beatitudes where we had scheduled Mass. (All of our pilgrimages are scheduled around the appointment for Holy Mass, we cannot be late or we can lose the appointed time for our group). We headed out and up to the Mount with Ricardo in a panic. When we got there he was so apologetic because the only place we could celebrate Mass was in the church by the area of the Tabernacle. Wow! We were so excited, Ricardo was so surprised that in 16 years of tour guiding he had never had anyone celebrate Mass there. Our Lady arranged for us to be in the most important spot on the Mt. and as I explained, it was the timing of taking time for Father to experience the whole area for us to be there. (Now Ricardo will arrange it for us as he found out that is the place we would want to be.)

We went to the top of Mt. Tabor and actually had the opportunity to go to the altar to see how it was built on part of the remains of the original structure. Another, that does not generally happen as there is always a Mass or talk going on and you cannot get to that area. It was a first for me as well. That timing was perfect as Our Lady does on all our pilgrimages.

As on trips in the past, I have met people that help when we go back. All is through the intercession of Our Lady to make it better for our people when they go. We have Johnny at the Bethlehem Store that takes care of us when we go there. It gives us the opportunity to help so many families by buying our gifts there. We now have a lot of items from his store here in ours because of this relationship. Genuine Olive Wood Christmas Nativity Scenes, Ornaments and misc. are available here now. He has become such a good friend, we pray for them and they pray for us.

I met the man that discovered the ancient boat that comes to talk to the pilgrims about the discovery whenever I come. He promised me that the first time we went there and has kept his promise to me which was so exciting to our group to know he does this for so few, maybe no one else.

Because of a change in airlines later in the pilgrimage the tour of the tunnel that starts at the base of the Western Wall and goes through to St. Anthony gate had to be rescheduled. Generally that requires at least three month advance notice for an appointment. Ours got rescheduled but with no guide from the organization, Ricardo gave the explanation which was better yet. All in the timing.

There is so much more to tell but it would be great if more people will go to the Holy Land as we try to take more Priests. Father Thomas told me that it changed his Priesthood forever. My prayer is to take as many as possible. We now have the new Holy Land Pilgrimage set for August/September 2010 scheduled and is up on the web site now.

As we were coming back to Jerusalem from the Dead Sea and the Masada Ricardo received a phone call and looked at me and said “it is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.” I was overwhelmed as Our Lady interceded to get us the Mass at the Holy  Sepulcher, not in a Chapel, right beside the Holy Place which had never happened before either.

God Bless You.

Gayle

To start, just a reminder that at Fatima in 1917, Our Lady said: “I am the Lady of the Rosary. Pray the Rosary everyday to obtain peace for the world.” She also demanded that after each decade we should pray the following prayer: “Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of Hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.”

As I mentioned last month it is Our Blessed Mother that will crush the head of the devil and the Rosary is the scourge of the devil. He is not at peace; he is not safe or comfortable in the presence of the Rosary. St. Padre Pio said “The Rosary is the weapon.” With this “Year for Priests” it is noteworthy that St. Jean-Marie Vianny was seldom seen without a Rosary in his hand.

An interesting note: it takes only 1% of your day to pray the Rosary. Our Lady promised her special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. She said the Rosary shall be a powerful ARMOR against HELL. It will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies. She also said that if all people would wear the Scapular and pray the Rosary there would be world peace. It would totally defeat the devil.

And now what we live here in the Ministry. Sister Lucia wrote these words to Father Fuent'’s:
“God is giving two last remedies to the world. These are the Holy Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If we despise and repulse this ultimate remedy we will not have forgiveness from Heaven because we have committed a sin which the Gospel calls a sin against the holy Ghost … There is no problem no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or spiritual, in private life, religious communities or of Nations that cannot be resolved through the prayer of the Holy Rosary.”

I would invite you to join the Universal Living Rosary Association@ www.Philomena.org as this is a great way to stay focused on praying the Rosary with millions of people each day. We have to do all we can in this world we are living in today to promote devotion to Our Lady as she is our HOPE. We depend on her here in this ministry all the time. It is very well known that the devil cannot stand up against her. In an exorcism it is Our Lady that always sends him back to …!

I cannot let this month go without mentioning The Archangels and Guardian Angels. Along with Our Blessed Mother, they are always with us to Enlighten, Guard, and Rule and Guide us from cradle to eternity. I am sure you have seen in the past newsletters how important they have been in my life and I am sure, in yours as well. I would invite you to send me any stories you have regarding the Angels to be shared in future letters.

We have had a devastating event put a financial strain on this ministry as I have alluded to in the past; however we are so grateful to our benefactors that have come forward to make sure that the Holy Land Pilgrimage was not affected by it. I will have more on that next month as we leave on October 12th and return on October 23rd with 17 people. As we have been introduced to St. Philomena we are seeing her intercession in this ministry every day. (She was also the Patron Saint of St. John Vianney). She is very well known for her extraordinary intercession in all events in our lives. We are looking forward (as we will never give up trying to pay our pilgrims for any monies they have paid for pilgrimages that either failed or cost money because of cancellations or any situation we incurred that was beyond our control) through her intercession to satisfy these debts.

As I was talking to my banker to make the wire transfer for the Holy Land Trip she shared that her niece that was given only two weeks to live when I was in about three months ago is still alive and going to have surgery on her first birthday. We will keep her in our prayers. Her thanks go to the entire ministry for their prayers and I might add, all that pray their Rosaries for this ministries intentions.

Please be assured of my prayers on this Holy Land Trip.

God Bless You.

Gayle