Dear Micheal, I thought our pilgrimage to the Holy Land was an amazing event. The Carpe Diem Tours website gave good details of what to expect on the trip. The meeting of participants in the SMA about two weeks prior to departure was very informative. The hotels were of a very good standard, and a great variety of food was provided and plenty of it. You were on duty 24/7 always on hand to answer questions and to ensure no one was missing or left behind – like a mother hen looking after her chicks! I was interested in all the sites we visited, and the guide, Alyius, and Fr. John gelled so well together we got maximum benefit from their inputs. I used to dismiss the Old Testament as irrelevant, but now have a better understanding of its importance to Christianity. I was delighted with the opportunity to be baptised in the Jordan, and later visit its source. Floating in the Dead Sea was quite an experience, despite getting salt in my eyes. Once the stinging stopped, I think salt was good for my eyes! Our days were very busy visiting so many sites; however time spent at Mass or prayer was an opportunity to sit and relax. We were quite a diverse group but everyone seemed to fit well together, each looking out for the others, and no cliques developed. Airport delays and military check points we could do without, but no one has control over these. Getting us all on that flight from Istanbul to Dublin last Saturday was quite an accomplishment. Well done. You make a great leader and I would recommend your tours without hesitation. Thanks for the trip of a lifetime. Frances Hedigan 2022

The wonders of the Holy Land were only surpassed by the wonderful people that Mícheál had brought with him to this fantastic place. When one suffered we all were in pain. On Wednesday I met 18 total strangers. Ten days later I left 18 new friends behind at Dublin Airport. The tour as organised by Mícheál de Barra and led by Fr John Newman left nothing to be desired. It took place between 8th and 18th of June. The hotels were great, the food was outstanding and we had a great guide in Nimrod. Yes, it was a pilgrimage but the religion was light and appropriate and Fr John's commentaries on the Gospel readings illuminated not only the life of Christ but brought life to the very stones that were contemporaneous with Him. "John's Nuggets", as we referred to the notes he gave us each evening, informed us about the places we were to visit the next day. It would be difficult for a Christian to visit the Holy Land and not have the trip made more meaningful by the Gospel. From Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee in the North through the Golan Heights and Nazareth and Cana and to Bethlehem behind the Wall and onward to the Dead Sea and Jerusalem we journeyed. Everyone had there own favourite place. Masada was awe inspiring but I was moved by Calvary in a way I could not imagine or describe. It was the most wonderful experience. I returned wealthier and wiser with some long held ideas confirmed and some changed. I am glad that I took my wife's advice (orders) to go. I would highly recommend the trip. Until next year in Jerusalem. Mike Moriarty