Relaunching Pilgrimages

My dearest Magdala family,

Warm greetings from Mexico City, where I have come with a very special mission: to relaunch our pilgrimages and our agency, New Gate Tours. As you can imagine, after the pandemic and two years of war in Israel, the situation has not been easy. But that does not stop us. People continue to seek spiritual, religious, cultural, and meaningful destinations. That is why we are preparing a series of journeys called Itineraries of Holiness, where we hope to combine faith, history, culture, gastronomy, and nature.

The summer has flown by, as it always does. I hope and pray that it was a time of rest and family for all of you. With my community, we enjoyed a beautiful vacation in the Italian Alps. Later, in Madrid, we lived the Magdala Encounter (from now on it will be called Rabbuni), which left us with such moving experiences. In August, we spent time in Magdala preparing for the upcoming virtual pilgrimages, and now I am in Mexico, where I have visited several cities for the very first time: Xalapa, Poza Rica, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and as I write, I am on my way to Cancún and Cozumel before returning to Mexico City and eventually back to Israel.

I am deeply grateful to the directors of Escuela de la Fe (School of faith) in Mexico for inviting me to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their foundation. It was a wonderful experience that helped me understand even more the importance and scope of this institution that forms people in faith so that they, in turn, may share it. The celebration concluded with a Eucharist at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. From my heart, thank you.

During the first week of September, we held a gathering with all the staff of New Gate Tours in Poza Rica, Veracruz—the travel agency we founded 20 years ago to promote pilgrimages. They were days of intense work, programming, and planning, but also of rest and discovery. I am grateful to our hosts who gifted us with unforgettable days of nature, gastronomy, faith, and prayer. As part of the gathering, we also celebrated the first retreat Touching the Hem of Jesus, with nearly a thousand participants. Judging by the testimonies we received, God poured out many graces and blessings upon them.

Afterward, I began a tour of several cities to preach the same retreat. The dynamic lasts about three hours: it includes a reflection on the Gospel passage of the woman with the hemorrhage, a time of Eucharistic adoration during which people can come forward to touch the mantles, and concludes with Holy Mass. Since we first introduced this format at the Encounter in Puebla in 2024, it has become more a profound moment of prayer, encounter with Jesus, and interior healing. So much so that prayer groups called Touching the Hem have begun to form.  

From Magdala, we now send them a monthly Adoration, along with messages and catechesis. You can find more information on our website. I am especially grateful to the organizers of these events in each city, for their hospitality, support, and prayers—and to the many priests who joined us during the retreats to hear confessions and offer spiritual guidance.

Finally, I ask for your prayers. Our congregation is preparing for a General Chapter in January 2026—a moment of grace, discernment, and renewal. May the Holy Spirit guide us always with His light, His grace, and His love.

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

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