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Saint Paul
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Grandparents invited to visit the Holy Land

Kim and Shawn Doyle of St. Joseph in Rosemount celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary July 20. They went extra large on gifts to mark the occasion.

“Shawn and I have wanted to go to the Holy Land,” Kim, 62, said. “And, that’s our gift to each other — to go together to the place where Jesus walked, and grow closer together in our faith and be able to have that experience together.”

They signed up for a Grandparents Pilgrimage to the Holy Land organized by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office of Evangelization that will take place Jan. 7-16. Kim is part of a core team of the grandparents ministry in the archdiocese that came up with the idea two years ago. Father Joseph Bambenek, the ministry’s chaplain, will serve as chaplain of the pilgrimage. Crystal Crocker, director of the Office of Evangelization and a grandmother of three ages 2 and under, also will make the pilgrimage. Deadline for registration is Aug. 10.

“This pilgrimage is meant to be an intimate group… centered around grandparenting,” said Crocker, who will be joined by her husband, Tracy. “We want the pilgrims to be able to be connected with each other. One of the things on a pilgrimage is that we learn how much we do need each other, and that we can share stories and pray for each other on this pilgrimage.”

Like the Doyles, Crystal and Tracy Crocker are making their first trip to the Holy Land. Crystal hopes everyone who comes will, in turn, share the experience with their grandchildren.

Kim Doyle already has plans to do so. She will make prints of photos she takes and create an album, which will include text. She and has done this before after trips and shown photos to her six grandchildren, all of whom live in the Twin Cities. Along with pictures, Kim and Shawn talk about their trips and provide details of their experiences.

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“They love to hear the stories,” she said of her grandchildren, all 10 and under. “And, this is going to be a beautiful way for us to be able to tell the stories of Jesus and where he walked.”

The trip will feature professional tour guides leading daily trips to sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Organizers say the timing is ideal, as temperatures and the number of tourists normally are moderate in January. They also noted that there are no security risks for the trip, despite ongoing military conflicts in the region.

 


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