Very dear Magdala Family,

May our greeting reach you in this month of May with a deeply Marian and maternal spirit, as we keep the Blessed Virgin Mary at the center of our faith and devotion.

We have just celebrated Mother’s Day in the northern hemisphere. I like to think that no mother was left without a special remembrance in our prayers and Eucharistic celebrations, especially during the first two Sundays of the month. In any case, once again: Happy Mother’s Day! From Magdala, we send you our grateful affection and admiration for the beautiful vocation God has entrusted to you.

For us at Magdala, May is also a month filled with memories and gratitude to heaven. On May 12, we remember the anniversary of the day Pope Benedict XVI blessed the first stone of Magdala in the auditorium of Notre Dame of Jerusalem. In that same place, on May 26, 2014, Pope Francis blessed the tabernacle for Duc In Altum, which was consecrated two days later by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of many bishops, priests, and faithful pilgrims.

How many memories filled with gratitude! In the midst of these anniversaries, we also celebrate Pentecost, which unites Christians and Jews in remembering the gift of the Torah to Moses in the desert and the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room, after the mysteries of the Resurrection and the Ascension. So many occasions to look toward heaven and raise a prayer of grateful trust, and also of supplication, as we continue forward in God’s plan.

We look forward to seeing you in Kraków from July 19 to 26 for our “Rabbuni Magdala 2026”! The years continue to pass, and this journey is gathering more and more pilgrims on the road toward the Jubilee of the Resurrection in 2033. It is of great notice that, during his return flight from Beirut to Rome, Pope Leo mentioned his desire to come to the Holy Land in the year 2033.

We are preparing ourselves to live that extraordinary year: the 2000th anniversary of the Resurrection of Christ, of which our Mary Magdalene was such a great witness and messenger. Let us allow her once again to announce to us that Jesus is risen and let us welcome the most important message of all time.

We will gather in Kraków as the Magdala Family, together with friends, young people, and all those who are young at heart, to celebrate our faith through singing, walking, celebrating, and sharing. Kraków and its surrounding areas are filled with beautiful places of nature, history, and faith that will help us encounter God, the Church, and our Magdala Family.

Please note that this year’s Rabbuni Magdala will be held in Spanish.

Do not miss it. In addition, for those who wish, there will be an optional extension to Bratislava, Vienna, Padua, Assisi, and Rome from July 26 to August 3. Follow this link for more information and registration. Invite your family and friends. Come and let us enjoy this journey together.  

This month, I would especially like to emphasize that the Magdala Family is a community. As such, it is a group of people united by the same spirit and the same purpose. We are united by our love for God and by the inspiration that flows from the Holy Land and from Magdala. We want to work together to extend the Kingdom of God.

We hope that this year’s Rabbuni will be a moment to witness the wonders God is doing in so many places and through so many “Touching the Cloak” groups around the world. Come and share your experience with us. Tell us what has helped you, what has inspired you, and what God has been planting in your heart. May we all enrich one another and encourage one another to keep growing.

I would like to close with heartfelt gratitude for your prayers, your donations, your affection, and your messages. In these times of stress and war, we feel connected to and supported by people from so many parts of the world. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We deeply appreciate and need your support.

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

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