Frederik Mayet, third from left, portrays Jesus Christ at the Last Supper during a 2010 media rehearsal of the famous Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. The village has put on the play roughly every 10 years since 1634, fulfilling a promise made by villagers when they were saved from the plague. A Georgia Bulletin pilgrimage in 2022 will include taking in a production of the play.

Atlanta

Georgia Bulletin pilgrimages take flight in 2022

By SAMANTHA SMITH, Staff Writer | Published May 2, 2021

ATLANTA—Reservations are being accepted for two pilgrimages in 2022 sponsored by The Georgia Bulletin.

Travelers are invited to join the archdiocesan newspaper on pilgrimage to Oberammergau, Germany July 6-16, 2022. Bishop Bernard E. Shlesigner III will lead the trip.

Pilgrims will begin their journey in Munich, where they will have Mass at St. Paul’s Church. Additional stops include the Nymphenburg Palace and the famous Glockenspiel. In Oberammergau, pilgrims will enjoy The Passion Play, which depicts the passion of Christ from his entry into Jerusalem until his resurrection.

The 42nd Oberammergau Passion Play was postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and is rescheduled for next year. The village has put on the play roughly every 10 years since 1634, fulfilling a promise made by residents when they were saved from the plague.

Pilgrims will also visit Salzburg, Austria, ancient seat of the archbishop and birthplace of Mozart. Sites on the itinerary will include filming locations for the “The Sound of Music.”

In Vienna, explore rich architecture, including the opera house and Charles church, parliament and city hall. Stops in Prague, in the Czech Republic, include Castle Hill, St. Vitus Cathedral, Wladislav Hall, Golden Lane and a visit to the Infant Jesus of Prague at Our Lady of Victory for Mass.

The 11-day pilgrimage is $5,299 from Atlanta. It includes airfare, transportation, hotel accommodations and most meals.

A Holy Land pilgrimage, Feb. 3-12, 2022, will be led by Father Paul Flood, pastor of St. Benedict Church in Johns Creek. Bishop Luis Zarama, former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, will bring a group of pilgrims from the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, where he now serves.

The itinerary includes many biblical sites. Travelers will depart for Tel Aviv, traveling along the Mediterranean to Tiberias, visiting Mt. Carmel, the Church of the Annunciation, Galilee and the village of Cana. Pilgrims will depart Tiberias for Jerusalem, stopping along the River Jordan, Dead Sea and the Inn of the Good Samaritan.

Stops in Jerusalem include the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of All Nations, tomb of King David and Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In Bethlehem, there will be visits to the Church of the Nativity and Grotto of St. Jerome.

“Pilgrims will see firsthand the places we’ve heard of in Scripture our entire lives,” said Father Flood. “Celebrating Masses and praying where the Word was made flesh, where our Lord was baptized, where he was crucified, died and rose from the dead.”

The cost of the 10-day trip is $4,199 from Atlanta. It includes airfare, transportation, hotel accommodations and most meals.

“In each place, we will recall the words of the Bible that made these places so important, and we will have time to explore and pray, taking in all that God has given us,” said Father Flood.

Both trips will include time for fun, relaxation and an experience of local sights, smells and foods of each location. The pilgrimage are trips of Unitours, an international Catholic tour operator that has been in continuous operation and under the same management since 1957.