Priestly renewal course in the Holy Land
****Update****
While the conflict in the Holy Land is not definitively resolved, recent developments inspire hope for significant and lasting improvement in conditions. Partners such as the Latin Patriarchate have judged current conditions to be safe, and organizations have resumed pilgrimages. We, at the Sacerdos Institute, are pleased to announce that the Priestly Renewal Program in the Holy Land scheduled for July 7-26, 2025 will take place. We continue to pray for peace and healing, trusting in God to guide us through these challenging times.
The course takes place in Jerusalem at the Pontifical Institute of Notre Dame and is achieved through an organized program of guided tours, lectures, spiritual retreats based on the renewal of baptismal and priestly promises, daily Eucharistic adoration, ecumenical encounters and the opportunity to visit the places of Christ’s life.The course is aimed at helping each priest renew the sense and purpose of his priesthood by following the steps and mysteries of Our Lord’s life. The course, organized twice a year, lasts three weeks and includes a stay in Jerusalem and Galilee with day excursions to the other significant areas of Christ’s life. Precise and spiritual explanations of each place, and the historical background to the Holy Land, are given by experienced priests, authorized by the Episcopal Commission of Christian Pilgrimages. The participating priests come from all over the world; India, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Austria, England, Ireland, the United States, Mexico and South American countries
Programme
ARRIVAL
Day 1 THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM
Day 2 AIN KARIM – THE ISRAEL MUSEUM
Day 3 THE JUDEAN DESERT AND DEAD SEA
Day 4 BETHLEHEM
Day 5 RETREAT DAY
Day 6 JORDAN RIVER – JERICHO – TRANSFIGURATION
Day 7 NAZARETH – CANA
Day 8 SEA OF GALILEE
Day 9 SEA OF GALILEE
Day 10 RETREAT DAY
Day 11 SAINT JEAN D’ACRE – MOUNT CARMEL
Day 12 CESAREA MARITIMA
Day 13 EMMAUS, SHECHEM, SILO
Day 14 JERUSALEM, FREE DAY
Day 15 JERUSALEM, MOUNT OF OLIVES – MOUNT SION
Day 16 JERUSALEM, VIA DOLOROSA
Day 17 RETREAT DAY
Day 19 JAFFA
DEPARTURE
S.E. Mons Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Fra Francesco Patton, OFM
Guardian of the Holy Land
Fra Artemio Vítores, OFM
Ex-Guardian of the Holy Land
Fra Luis Enrique Segovia, OFM
Guardian of the Franciscan Convent in Bethlehem
P. David Steffy, LC
Chargé Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center
The course in brief
When?
2025:
July 7th (arrival) – July 26th (departure) Spanish and English
Where?
Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center
3, Paratroopers Road 9120502 – Jerusalem
In which language??
English and Spanish
Follow the procedure and sign up now!
Fill out the contact form and receive instructions
You will receive by email all the instructions and the link to the form to complete the registration
Send the requested documents in the registration form
The registration form allows you to send all your data and the required documentation
Receive confirmation of successful registration
We are waiting for you!
Enrolment requirements
- Completing the contact form
- A passport picture;
- A copy of your “celebret” (with expiry date) or letter of good standing;
- A copy of your passport (NB: the passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of the course);
- A copy of your Curriculum Vitae.
- Enrolment for the July 2025 course: open until 1 June 2025
Scholarships
Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, the Perpetual Succour Scholarship Fund is able to offer scholarships for this course. To be eligible to apply you must have been a priest for at least five years. The scholarship is available exclusively to priests who opt for double-room accommodation.
Please follow the instructions below on the application form to apply for the scholarship:
- Select the double room accommodation option.
- Select the ‘Scholarship Application’ option.
- Upload a letter of support for the scholarship application from your bishop or superior.
The scholarship board will review your application and inform you of its decision.
Costs
Registration
€ 2,850.00*
*valid for the year 2025
Single room supplement
€ 500.00
Include
- shared room
- medical insurance during the course
Does not include
- extra days
- laundry service
- airplane tickets
- personal medical expenses and tips*.
FOR CASH PAYMENTS WE ONLY ACCEPT EURO
*It’s part of the local custom to give a tip in restaurants and hotels. For this reason each participant will contribute with an amount of € 50.00 and the tips will be payed as a group.
Location
Our course is based in the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center
3, Paratroopers Road
9120502 – Jerusalem
Tel. (+972) 262.79.111
Website: www.notredamecenter.org
It is located just outside the walls of the Old City and just minutes away from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.