Happy Easter! During these days, we pray that Easter may come like the "mighty wind" of Pentecost, renewing our faith, our hope, and our charity.

In the liturgy, we contemplate the prominent role of Mary Magdalene as the first witness to Christ’s resurrection. This fills us with holy pride, but also with great responsibility. As the hymn proclaims: "I have found Christ, my hope," spoken by Mary Magdalene. In this Holy Year, especially dedicated to the virtue of Hope, we embrace with our holy Patroness that Jesus, crucified and risen, is truly our hope. Christians do not follow a mere philosophy or ideology; we place our faith in Christ, the Lord of History, whose resurrection guarantees His presence among us, here and now, throughout the entire world. Jesus is our hope.

In the midst of this radiant Easter, the Lord has allowed us to accompany, with deep sorrow and reverence, the passing of Pope Francis to the Father's House. His life and pontificate have been a true sign of hope for us: his Gospel simplicity, his tenderness toward the poor, and his tireless call to build bridges marked an era in the history of the Church. As the Magdala family, we pray with gratitude for the soul of this great shepherd who knew how to lead the people of God with courage and compassion. And now, with our eyes fixed on heaven, in communion with the whole Church, we pray with hope for the upcoming conclave, confident that the Holy Spirit, as He has done so many times, will inspire in the hearts of the cardinals the election of the Pope whom God has already chosen for our history. I am certain that God already has in mind the successor our Church needs at this moment in history, and we trust that we will welcome him with faith and renewed hope.

This year, we experienced a rather unique Holy Week: on one hand, the number of pilgrims is still modest due to the ongoing conflict. Yet, pilgrims are already beginning to arrive—and each day, more and more! On the other hand, I had the grace of traveling to Rome to preach a retreat to my fellow young Legionary brothers, who will soon be ordained deacons. It was a week of calm, silence, and deep prayer—a time I truly enjoyed. I could hardly remember when I last had days so serene and centered on the contemplation of Christ, as I am usually occupied with various responsibilities, communities, administration, and organization. Thus, I was able to live the mysteries of Holy Week from the very heart of Catholicism, greatly edified by the fervor and dedication of my young Legionary brothers at the formation house.

Here in Magdala, many of you followed our celebrations through social media. I want to express my gratitude to the entire team for the love, dedication, and care they poured into both the liturgical-sacramental aspects and the technical work, making it possible for our Holy Week celebrations to reach your homes. We are now rejoicing in the "Easter of Flowers," as it was once called in the old catechism, surely alluding to the beautiful springtime experienced here in the northern hemisphere.

This year also brought the joyful coincidence of the Jewish, Catholic, and Orthodox Passovers falling around the same time, resulting in particularly vibrant celebrations. In Magdala, the presence of numerous local tourists celebrating the Jewish Passover, or Pesach, once again highlighted Magdala’s unique vocation as a "crossroads of Jewish and Christian history."

On the First Saturday of Easter, April 26th this year, we celebrated the local feast of Saint Mary Magdalene here in Magdala. This is due to two reasons: July 22nd falls during the peak of summer, when the heat in Magdala is intense; moreover, Saturday is a more fitting day for local community celebrations. That Saturday, during the first week of Easter, the liturgy commemorates Jesus' appearance to Mary Magdalene, making the celebration particularly appropriate. This year, the Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Monsignor Rafic Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar for Israel and Auxiliary Bishop for Galilee. We were joined by numerous priests, religious, and lay faithful from both Jerusalem and Galilee. Thank you for your presence in honoring our beloved Patroness!

We are now preparing for the grand opening and blessing of the "Pentecost Room," which will take place at the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem on June 7–8, on the solemnity of Pentecost. Allow me to briefly update you on the history of this project: For many years, I felt that Jerusalem lacked an adequate commemoration of the great mystery of Pentecost, as the site traditionally associated with it faces both the challenges of time and the tensions typical of holy places disputed by various religious groups. I believed that something significant was missing. Upon meeting Daniel Cariola, the artist who painted the Encounter canvas for Magdala, we agreed to create a new, much larger and more important work depicting the Pentecost scene. This work would be placed at Notre Dame of Jerusalem, a Vatican property managed by the Legionaries of Christ since 2004.

After a brainstorming phase and agreements on the location and scope of the project, the painting began in Santiago, Chile. However, the dimensions of the artwork soon made it impractical to continue there. Thus, the artist relocated to Jerusalem in November 2019. Despite the challenges of these turbulent years, he was able to work almost uninterruptedly, completing the masterpiece just a few days ago. We are now preparing to open it to the public, with the blessing of His Eminence Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M., Patriarch of Jerusalem, on the afternoon of Saturday, June 7, and the official public opening on Sunday, June 8, Pentecost Sunday.  

Besides being a truly majestic work—an oil painting in a hyperrealistic style, covering nearly 200 square meters (the four walls and ceiling of the hall)—the piece depicts 120 characters set in the Jewish celebration of Pentecost according to the customs of the time. The artist has poured all his knowledge and skill into crafting a superb masterpiece that will undoubtedly mark a milestone in Christian art in the Holy Land and beyond.  

In collaboration with the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, we will be launching a special Novena as part of the inauguration celebrations. It will be livestreamed directly from the new Pentecost Room, available in both English and Spanish. Stay tuned to subscribe and receive the Novena straight to your inbox. The Novena will run from May 30 to June 7.

As Mother’s Day approaches in many countries, especially in the northern hemisphere, we also wish to extend our heartfelt greetings to all mothers. Here, we especially celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary, who maternally accompanies, consoles, and protects us.

With renewed wishes for Easter joy,

Fr. Juan María Solana, L.C. and the Magdala Team

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