About 40 people attended the event, including Franciscans, secular priests, and religious from other orders. On the morning of January 23, numerous priests and religious who spiritually accompany pilgrims on their journeys to the Holy Land and other places gathered at the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande in Madrid. In the Santa Isabel de Hungraí halla of the OFS, and after a few welcoming words from Fr. Pedro González, Commissary of the Holy Land, Fr. Ulise Zarza, Custodial Vicar, took the floor and delivered a message of encouragement and gratitude on behalf of the Custodian, Francesco Ielpo, for the daily service they provide.

“Your work of accompanying pilgrims who want to have an encounter with the Lord is a true ministry in service of the faith — he emphasized — because through a gesture of welcome, an explanation, or some words, pilgrims can hear the voice of the Lord.”

After his intervention, Fr. Luis Quintana spoke and reviewed the 10 rules of the spiritual guide for Holy Land pilgrims, highlighting that “the pilgrim goes to the Holy Land to encounter God, that the pilgrimage is an occasion for conversion, the liturgical cycle within the pilgrimage, the liturgy in the Holy Places, and the importance of coordinated work between the guide, the tour leader, the driver, the group, and the receptive agency.”

Next, Fr. Carlos Molina, delegate of the Custody for pilgrimages, spoke. He stated that “faith is transmitted as it is lived” and that the shrines are the foundation of Christianity and must be known by the pilgrim. “The Holy Land belongs to everyone, and we all make the Holy Land. The fruits are visible and great,” he commented.

Afterwards, representatives of the three main travel agencies that collaborate with the Holy Land Commissary spoke: Halcón Peregrinaciones (represented by Noelia Ávila), José Antonio Hernández of B Travel (Peregrinos viajeros), and Imanol Ilarramendi of Sireica-Interpax, as well as the receptive agency NET. They all agreed that it is safe to travel to the Holy Land, that pilgrimages have already taken place, but that people should continue to be encouraged to overcome their fear of returning to the Holy Places. “In Bethlehem, almost all families depend on tourism and pilgrimages, and the shrines are the guarantee that Christians continue to live there,” said Hader of NET Tour, a Christian from Bethlehem.

About 40 people attended the event, including Franciscans, secular priests, and religious from other orders. After the gathering, a fraternal meal took place where we continued sharing our experiences.