Nelson Dean leads pilgrimage to Holy Land

Dean of Nelson’s Christ Church Cathedral Mike Hawke is on a four-week pilgrimage to the Holy Land – his seventh.

They’ve read the book, now ‘the greatest story ever told’ is about to come to life for a group of Kiwi Christians

Nelson Cathedral Dean Mike Hawke will spend the next three weeks guiding a group of 25 from around NZ on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land..

The biannual trip will be Hawke’s seventh, after first travelling with his wife Patsy in 1991. 

Cultural and political tensions within the middle east have never been far from the pilgrims’ view. This photo is taken the near the Israeli border with Syria.

“I came back thinking what would it be like if I could take other people with me to share the experience, because many people wouldn’t have the confidence to do it on their own.”

“The reputation of the holy land is that it’s too unsafe to visit and people believe that rhetoric and don’t go … the pilgrimages are designed to open the way for folk who’ve always had an interest in going, because of the bible, to realise a life’s dream.”

He said the pilgrimages continued to enhance his own faith and inspired others to return at a later date.

Article source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/103677103/nelson-dean-leads-pilgrimage-to-holy-land