‘The Walking Priest’ fulfills dream to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land

During my first Holy Land pilgrimage with my Mama in 2015, everything seemed surreal. Walking in the actual places that I had only read about in books, saw on TV or posters, heard about, and studied in the seminary, seemed like a dream.

While the pilgrimage was a huge blessing, visiting the holy sites significant to my Catholic faith was, however, done in a hurry because plenty of places needed to be covered in the journey to Jordan, Israel, and Egypt. I dreamt of doing more.

In Israel, it was in Dominus Flevit, a Catholic church on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple Mount where the walled Old City of Jerusalem is situated, that I dreamed anew. “I hope I can come back here in chill mode to just sit around staring at the panorama of Jerusalem,” I told myself. As I write this, I am sitting at a terrace in Dominus Flevit overlooking Jerusalem’s most recognizable landmark, the Dome of the Rock, and the Old City of Jerusalem. A dream come true!

Last year, as a newly appointed parish priest of Nuestra Señora de la Annunciata Parish in Sitio Old Boso-Boso, Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City, I joined the diocese’s annual retreat for the clergy in Cavite. On the third day of our spiritual renewal, Antipolo bishop, Most Rev. Francisco M. de Leon, DD, announced: “Next year, if the pandemic situation allows, our retreat will be in the Holy Land.” I was quiet in my seat but my heart was rejoicing: “Oh my God, this is my dream!”

When I came to Boso-Boso, I was given the moniker “The Walking Priest.” This started when I did a walking pilgrimage of Antipolo’s seven Jubilee Churches for the celebration of 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. As a parish priest, I established a personal “walking ministry,” which involves walking every Thursday to remote chapel-communities nestled in the Sierra Madre mountain range for their monthly Masses. With my passion for walking, I added another dream aside from just hanging out at the Mount of Olives. I managed to walk around the Old City of Jerusalem twice. On my first attempt, I passed by Damascus Gate, New Gate, Jaffa Gate, Zion Gate, Dung Gate, Golden Gate (closed), Lions’ Gate, Herod’s Gate, and then back to Damascus Gate. I did the reverse route on my second walk.

I also walked down to Kidron Valley between Temple Mount and Mount of Olives, and at another time walked to Bethphage, where Jesus started his glorious entry to the City of David before his crucifixion on Mount Calvary. I added these to my daily walks inside and outside the old city walls. Maraming salamat po to the Franciscan friars who facilitated my extended stay in Jerusalem after our official clergy retreat-pilgrimage in Israel on May 8-15, 2023.

FR. JOHN JAY C. MAGPUSAO