THE HOLY SEPULCHER 

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher 

We woke up early in the morning and walked what would usually be the noisy, bustling roads of the old city.  But no one was yet awake, offering the perfect setting for the solemn Mass we would celebrate in the tomb of Christ. The site is rather small, with an altar placed above the stone slab where our Savior once laid.  The Holy Mass was celebrated with a reverence befitting this Holy place that has inspired countless Christians by the event of sacrificial love that happened here and continues to this day. 

                                                          The Holy Sepulcher

The Holy Sepulcher is a busy church; once one mass is finished another begins in a minute.  One can even listen and hear many liturgies unfolding at once.  It is a lot to take in and I sense that we will all unpack these experiences over time. It is surreal because whenever the tomb of Christ is mentioned the actual images will be called to mind probably for the rest of our lives.

The Tomb of Jesus Christ

Later on we received some fellow pilgrims from St. Mary of Vernon.  It was really nice to see some familiar faces.  It was really a joyful time and we had many stories to share with them. They have been some of our greatest supporters with their seminarian ministry. All of us are grateful for their kindness and the many ways they help form us to be better future priests.