by James “Jimmy” Hyland
Greetings from the Catholic Journeys Office in New Orleans.
It has been 11 days since we left our dear friends and colleagues in the Holy Land, the memories of their incredible hospitality, kindness and professionalism still fresh in our minds and rooted in our hearts. We are in daily communication with them, and while we cannot be with them right now in person, we stand with them in faith and spirit during these difficult circumstances.
We ask you all to join us in prayer for their safety and the wellbeing of their friends and families. They are strong and resilient, and today I will begin, sharing some of their thoughts, hopes and experiences; some of them quite uplifting and inspirational even in these dark times.
The message I am sharing below is from one our excellent guides who lives in Jerusalem is married and has 2 young children.
I am a local Christian tour guide from Jerusalem, and living through the Israeli-Iranian war feels heavy in ways I can’t fully explain.
This city is my home — the city of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the city where faith teaches us that death was defeated. Yet today, we live with tension, uncertainty, and the sound of sirens interrupting daily life.
As Christians here, we are a small community holding onto hope in the middle of fear. We worry about safety. We worry about the future of our children. We worry about whether our presence in this land will continue.
And still, we pray.
From the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem looks eternal. But on the ground, it feels fragile. I pray for peace — for Israelis, Palestinians, Iranians — for every family affected by this war.
Jerusalem means peace. I still believe it can be.
Issa Majlaton
