In 1988, five years before the founding of Pilgrim Center of Hope, Deacon Tom and Mary Jane Fox were asked by three couples to guide them on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. At the time, the Foxes were deeply committed to full-time, door-to-door ministry at St. Matthew Parish in San Antonio, Texas, and had assumed their days of extensive travel were behind them. However, God had other plans.
This journey marked the beginning of a profound calling for Deacon Tom and Mary Jane, who would go on to lead over 60 pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Their story offers a beautiful reflection on how God leads us to unexpected places and how Mother Church guides us deeper into the sacramental life.
Discovering New Perspectives
Deacon Tom recalls from memory: “Mary Jane and I take our friends to all the places that have become so significant to us. We expect these days to be beautiful rediscoveries, and they do not disappoint, but what we did not anticipate was how sharing this experience with others would affect us. Witnessing the Gospels, learned through years of catechism classes, bible studies and Mass, travel from the imagination into reality for our fellow pilgrims. We feel humbled and blessed that our Lord has given us this awesome opportunity and so thankful that we are able to share the Holy Land with our friends.”
For Mary Jane, the pilgrimage also offered a deep connection with the local people: “Tom and I reconnect with many of the local people who have become so important to us. Even though we are now eight instead of two, they warmly welcome us into their homes. They cook us grand meals with food strange to our 1980s American palates. . . yet all of them delicious! We are also not accustomed to sitting and talking for hours. Our fast-paced Western way of always being on the go is brought up against the slower, relationship-oriented lifestyle of the Middle East. By the end of the evening, lasting friendships were made through conversations founded on our shared Christian faith. Just like a good mother, Mother Church gathers her children together.”
The Gift of Silence
Mary Jane reflects, “Our Catholic tradition has developed Latin prayers of Benediction to adore Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist. What these beautiful prayers tell us is that as fantastical as it may appear, our God and Creator is actually present in the Bread placed before our eyes. It is overwhelming amidst the incense, candles, music and prayers in a Benediction Service, and it is just as overwhelming to kneel before a tiny tabernacle inside a small hermitage and realize our King is before us patiently waiting for us to spend time with Him.”
“Once home in San Antonio, we committed to an hour of Adoration each week at St. Matthew’s. How fortunate that we belong to a parish that offers perpetual adoration. Many graces are granted to a parish that offers perpetual adoration and many graces are received by the adorer.”
The Journey Continues
This first pilgrimage not only deepened Deacon Tom and Mary Jane’s faith but also planted the seeds for what would become Pilgrim Center of Hope. Their story reminds us of the power of answering God’s call and embracing the journey He lays before us.
As you reflect on their story, consider how Mother Church is guiding you in your own journey of faith, inviting you to a deeper connection with the sacramental life and a closer relationship with Christ.
Nan Balfour is a grateful Catholic whose greatest desire is to make our Lord Jesus more loved. She seeks to accomplish this through her vocation to womanhood, marriage, and motherhood, as a writer, Missionary of Hope, Prayer Intercessor, Speaker Team member, and Volunteer for Pilgrim Center of Hope.
Answering Christ’s call, Pilgrim Center of Hope guides people to encounter Him so as to live in hope, as pilgrims in daily life. See what’s happening & let us journey with you! Visit PilgrimCenterOfHope.org.
