Pilgrims enjoying a meal in the dining room
Notre Dame Center
Home for us is the Notre Dame Center, a pilgrim-friendly residence run by the Legionnaires of Christ. The Notre Dame Center was originally established by the Assumptionists in the early 1880’s to provide lodging and hospitality to pilgrims coming to the holy land. In the 1960’s the Vatican purchased it with the vision to create a pilgrimage center for religious priests and seminarians. Pope John Paul II entrusted the Notre Dame Center to the Legionnaires in 2004 who have remained committed to this mission, as several other seminaries from the United States and throughout the world come here regularly.
Here, we have learned how to offer words of appreciation to the staff in Arabic, and how to live as friendly neighbors with the other various visiting groups from all parts of the globe. On the first floor, there is a chapel open 24 hours/day with daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Mass. Our “refectory” (the pilgrim center’s restaurant) is located on the ground floor where we have been enjoying the majority of our meals (perhaps a little too much!). The food is delicious –everyday we enjoy a large spread of salads, vegetables, and fruits along with rice and pasta. Beef, chicken, lamb or turkey is also served depending on the day, and a variety of desserts are always available. One reason why the food is so good is because they have a state-of-the-art training kitchen on the premises to train aspiring chefs. Rest assured we have been staying warm and well-fed!
Recreation
There is no better way to get to know a city than to wander amongst those living here. From the rooftop of our pilgrimage center, we can see the same places, which were familiar to Jesus, Abraham, David, and Solomon thousands of years ago. There are no shortage of churches and holy sites to pray in and we each undoubtedly have our favorites. Many of our free-time activities involve talking to local shopkeepers, navigating the narrow streets of the Old City, or finding a new grotto or adoration chapel for prayer.
Class
Just about every day we meet to study the Psalms, Interreligious and Ecumenical Dialogue, and the Gospel of Luke. Faculty from Mundelein who are with us help us to situate our experiences in Jerusalem with the subject matter. In addition to study, our classmates take turns preparing a reflection at the various holy sites. Many of the most profound moments of understanding and prayer have come during these reflections!
We can’t wait to share our own stories with you in person! Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue to immerse ourselves in this holy place for the benefit of our friends, families, and future parishioners. Thanks be to God who has worked miracles in this land and who continues to work through us even in the smallest ways behind the scenes.