Dear Magdala Family, We are about to celebrate an exceptional Christmas: Merry Christmas! As we have expressed on several occasions, our proposal for this Christmas is to have a PANDEMIC OF TENDERNESS. Allow me to share here the definition as I have found it so we may be on the same page. TENDERNESS: “The feeling…
Dear Magdala Family, Since we finished our virtual pilgrimage/retreat I bring to mind a great invitation for each and every one of you: We will prepare the best Christmas of our lives! Yes, I’m not kidding. I am afraid that some of the past Christmas´ we have experienced in the past had so many trees,…
Magdala through history In the year 66 of our era the Jews rebelled against Rome. Josephus, a Jewish priest, about 30 years old, had just assumed the post of chief commander of the Galilean rebels. To prepare the country for war, he fortified the main cities, among them the famous Tarichaea, that is, Magdala. Before…
In Magdala, the path from the synagogue toward Duc in Altum is lined with centuries-old olive trees on either side. By late October, the silvery-green leafed branches bow down to visitors, weighed low by hundreds of fleshy green and brown dangling fruit. In November, a team of volunteers usually rake trees and shake branches until…
By Raquel Hernández When I finished my university studies I decided to pack my bags to come to Israel not knowing exactly what to expect, and, to be honest, not knowing what my heart was looking for. My experience as a volunteer had ups and downs, as is normal in any change of routine, especially…
Have you ever felt such a void in your chest that it doesn’t even allow you to breathe? That’s how I felt, lost. I lived my life routinely, stressed, unhappy and in an automatic mode, not stopping to look back or excited about the future. To be honest, many years ago, I had left God…
My first morning in Magdala a year ago, tall reeds formed a living green tunnel as I made my way with Soter, our guard dog, from Duc In Altum toward Capernaum along the shore. This old path has been underwater since winter, opening up new tracks for hikers on the “Gospel Trail” around the Sea…
by Fr. Cristobal Vilaroig In Galilee, Jesus “went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues” (Mt 9:35). It is clear: Jesus had to pass through Magdala. But do the Gospels explicitly say that Jesus was in Magdala? Magdala appears in the Gospels indirectly through the “Magdalene” people. Mary the Magdalene had been…
Dear friends and family of Magdala The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many evils and we still don’t see the end of the tunnel… But in the midst of these circumstances, God has allowed many good things. One of them has been the virtual pilgrimage that we have carried out, as we have been able to…
By Fr. Eamon Kelly, LC There is something for you here, for sure! Since Covid-19 lockdown started in March, sadly, we had to let our employees in Magdala go home until mid-June when locals were allowed to travel internally and enjoy a stay at our brand-new guesthouse. Our employees could again earn a salary for…
