Page 30 - Holyland Magazing - Catholic Edition 2016

Privileged to have
On that day, we had planned to take the
seminarians on a cultural visit to the World
Trade Center. So, the night before, we were
talking at dinner and someone suggested
going somewhere else instead. I am still
amazed, to this day, that I changed the
plans at the last moment. Normally, we have
a program set up that is approved and well
prepared by the team, and it usually doesn’t
change, especially not at the last minute.
But that night, I mysteriously changed
the agenda and suggested that we go to
Philadelphia instead and go to the Twin
Towers another day.
The next day, on the way to Philadelphia,
the bus stopped on the Washington Bridge.
Traffic was completely stopped. They turned
on the radio, and they listened and watched
the towers collapsing. I was not with them, I
was at the seminary, watching the television
and I asked my assistant, “Where are the
seminarians?” It was so tough for me at that
moment. When I finished watching the news,
I could barely stand up. I went to my room,
fell on the bed, and slept for hours. At this
point, I fell into a depression that lasted for a is such a gift from God.
few years.
When I was told to come to Holy Land,
it was very tough for me to think of a new
assignment, because of the depression I was
living in. I went to Rome for some spiritual
guidance. Entering a small chapel at the
Vatican, there was a mosaic on the wall,
a scene of Jesus and Peter on the Sea of
Galilee. Above the mosaic, Jesus’ words to
Peter were written: “You of little faith, why did commonalities we share. I think this is a very
you doubt?” I feel that this experience in the
chapel was a divine message and marked a
1st Century Synagogue, Magdala
Photo: David Delgado
30
been ordained by
St. John Paul II
25 years ago.
turning point for me. I really consider that this As we came to the end of our interview, Father
depression was the training that God used in Solana drew my attention, not to himself, but
my life to prepare me for this task at Notre to God. He said, “I am convinced that Magdala
Dame and now, Magdala. is not my project, it is God’s project. I would go
crazy if I believed that this project depended on
Shortly after arriving in Holy Land, I went to me.” He went on to say, “Everyday, we have
the Galilee for the first time and spent the miracles at Magdala. There are miracles with
night there. At dawn, I went down to the lake the volunteers, with the benefactors and with
and a fisherman came out and threw his net the ongoing development of the site. There is a
into the lake, right in front of me. It was a very rosary of miracles at Magdala.”
special experience.
In 2004, Father Juan Maria Solana, L.C.
I began to think, “What can I do here?” was appointed by Pope John Paul II to be
After several months I realized that being in Chargé of the Holy See for the Pontifical
Jerusalem was only half of the mission. We Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.
needed the natural partner in Galilee. So, the He has been serving in that role ever since.
practical idea of having a guesthouse in the In 2005, Father Solana initiated the Magdala
Galilee was born. project and continues to direct its ongoing
development in the Galilee.
How would you describe Magdala’s www.notredamecenter.org
mission and message? www.magdala.org
I have always felt that Magdala was
something big. I really don’t know what the
end of this discovery will be. The archeology
and its richness, consistency and the state of
preservation of what we discovered - all of it
Magdala is a crossroads of Jewish and
Christian history. The pillars in Duc In Altum
have the names of some of the first women
who followed Jesus etched into them. These
pillars are connected by a mosaic taken from
the synagogue that we discovered there.
There is a continuity and interconnection
between the synagogue and the church.
It underlines, not the differences, but the
strong message for today’s world.
Walk on Water Chapel, Magdala “O you of little faith, why
did you doubt?” Mathew 14:31