My very dear Magdala Family,

Receive a warm greeting from Magdala during this month of June, when the Church invites us to contemplate in a special way the Heart of Christ, the source of the love that saves and renews us.

From the Holy Land, we continue to raise a very special prayer for peace. We know that many of you, from different countries, continue to follow with attention and affection what is happening in this land. Thank you for  your continued prayers, your persevering efforts, and your love. I thank you from my heart, because your closeness sustains us. Amidst so many wounds, we trust that the Lord continues to touch hearts, console those who suffer, and open paths of reconciliation.

As you receive these lines, Father’s Day has also been celebrated in many countries. We would like to extend a greeting full of gratitude and affection to all our friends who enjoy the gift and vocation of being fathers. We pray especially for you, remembering that, as Scripture teaches us, all fatherhood comes from God. It is His gift, and also a responsibility to be lived with love, dedication, and fidelity.

In this context, the recent encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, offers us an important guide for this moment in history. The encyclical invites us to human people in a time marked by great technological, cultural, and social transformations. In this document, the Holy Father develops an intuition that has been a recurring theme in the magisterium of Pope Francis: we are not simply living in an era of change, but in a true change of era.

These words help us understand that, as the Magdala Family, we are called to live this time with attentiveness, discernment, prayer, and action. We strive to be an active part of the Church in our homes, communities, and daily realities, putting our time, talents, and abilities at the service of meaningful and beautiful human endeavors. From our own small corner, but with love, responsibility, and awareness, we want to respond to what God is asking of us today.

This call to live with greater awareness, communion, and responsibility also sheds light on the path we are walking as the Magdala Family. Last year, we began forming Touching the Cloak groups, and we are grateful to God for the way they continue to flourish today, 283 groups are meeting in 25 countries. In these communities, people come together to pray, receive formation, build genuine fraternity, and renew their commitment to following Christ more closely.

I am moved to see how the Magdala Family continues to grow. This growth confirms that we are not limited by distance. We are united by prayer, spiritual friendship, and the desire to follow the Lord more closely.  

I would also like to share with you some very uplifting news: on May 7, we reopened the Magdala Hotel. For now, we have received only a few pilgrims and, above all, local visitors; but we keep alive the hope that, little by little, an atmosphere of peace will be restored and we will once again be able to welcome pilgrims from all over the world with our usual joy.

The priestly residence holds a special significance. More than simply another building, it will serve as a home that supports and enriches the life of the stable community of priests at Magdala. There they will find a place for rest, prayer, study, and fraternity—a home where they can renew their hearts and spirits, enabling them to serve more generously the pilgrims who come to this holy place to pray, contemplate, and encounter the Lord.

During the difficult months we have lived through, many people have generously joined in making this project possible, and we still need to continue moving forward until it is completed. Each gift has been a concrete expression of trust, hope, and love for the Church. Thanks to this generosity, the priestly residence will have a real and profound impact: caring for those who spiritually care for so many pilgrims, sustaining a living priestly community in the Holy Land, and making it possible for Magdala to continue offering a pastoral service that is close, serene, and fruitful.

We ask God that this house may be a place where many priests can renew their encounter with the love of Jesus Christ, grow in fraternal communion, and go forth strengthened to better accompany all those who come to Magdala.

If you would like to help complete the priestly residence, you may do so here: Support the priestly residence.

We ask you for a special prayer to the Heart of Jesus for peace in the world, and in a particular way for peace in the Holy Land.

We always remain united from Magdala!

Fraternally,

Fr. Juan María Solana, LC. and the Magdala team.

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