Letter from Fr. John (XLXIII)

Dear Magdala Family, We are close to celebrating Thanksgiving here at Magdala with our guests, pilgrims, and team members. As you know, this is a festivity allowing us to reflect on Divine goodness and be grateful for the blessings we receive. This year, 2022, we in Magdala have a lot to be thankful for, and…

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Letter from Fr. John (XLXII)

Dear Magdala Family:   October has us hooked on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. This month, the Church wants us to once more return to those mysteries that embody the life of Christ and for us to contemplate them by the hand of the Virgin Mary, the most important protagonist in salvation history.    Last month you joined…

Horns of Hattim

Magdala Through History | A Church in Sad Condition

A Church in Sad Condition By Fr. Cristobal Vilaroig On July 4, 1187, the Crusaders were defeated definitively in the Horns of Hattin. The Holy Land returned to the hands of the Muslims. Christian holy places started falling into oblivion, and their destiny was abandonment and deterioration. One hundred years after the Muslim conquest, a…

The Sound of Rosh Hashanah

The Sound of Rosh Hashanah By Kathleen Nichols Since the beginning of September, I have seen many early risers from the Magdala Guest House approach the shores of the Sea of Galilee silently and with a tender step, priming their senses to experience the sunrise as Jesus had done so long ago, perhaps from this…

Letter from Fr. John (XLXI)

Dear Magdala family:  I just returned to Magdala from a family visit to Mexico. The reason, obviously, was that I had not visited them during the pandemic, but also the state of health of my older brothers. I greatly appreciate your expressions of affection and support for these reasons, but above all, I appreciate your…

Letter from Fr. John (XLX)

Dear Magdala Family, Greetings from Magdala, where in the middle of summer, we find ourselves sizzling with heat. The warm weather is accentuated as we find ourselves 211 meters below sea level. Nonetheless, even among this, we are working hard to prepare ourselves for a cooler autumn and one filled with many pilgrims wishing to…