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…
Dear Magdala Family, In the midst of the whirlwind of events that surround us in this time and with the many “this never happened to me,” or “I had never done it like this…” and where our human organizations and institutions are attempting to re-invent themselves to pull ahead and through the obstacles that this…
By Kathleen Nichols R.C. Consecrated Woman Close to the top of Mt. Arbel facing Magdala, the mouth of a large cave calls down to visitors, “come up… come up here and see!” I have heeded this invitation numerous times, making my way up rocky terrain riddled with caves that housed people at some point in…
By Nicole Chuey My name is Nicole Chuey Mendoza, and I am 22 years of age. I came to Magdala with the purpose of volunteering and putting into practice some of my professional knowledge from my studies in Gastronomy. I am originally from Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico where I´m currently studying in Le Cordon Bleu IEST…
