A trip to Israel is more than a vacation. It’s a tour through biblical history, as well as an inner journey to meet Jesus. The people and places of the Holy Land testify to Him as a living Gospel account. On Catholic Focus, we take a pilgrimage to Israel. There, we go behind the scenes ...read more

When comparing long-term travel plans among Christian friends, the one country on everyone’s list, without exception, is Israel. But obstacles like cost — a typical return flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv will run well over $1000 — mean that many pilgrims tend to make the journey later in life. Looking back on my own ...read more

Tonight on Perspectives: Leaders of different faiths gather in Assisi to pray for peace and justice. Plus, we take a look at what’s happening across the country. ...read more

“Violence and terrorism are incompatible with the authentic spirit of religions.” -Rt. Rev. Dr. Munib Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land “We, humanists in dialogue with believers, commit ourselves together with all men and women of good will to building a new world in which respect for the ...read more

300 More than three hundred religious leaders from across the globe gathered in Assisi for the “Day of reflection, dialogue, and prayer for peace and justice in the world”. 25 We celebrate twenty-five years since the anniversary of the first Assisi interfaith prayer summit. 19 St. Francis of Assisi was nineteen years old when he ...read more

Here is Pope Benedict XVI’s speech in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, Italy, before representatives of the world’s religions and non-believers: Dear Brothers and Sisters, Distinguished Heads and Representatives of Churches, Ecclesial Communities and World Religions, Dear Friends, Twenty-five years have passed since Blessed Pope John Paul II first invited representatives ...read more

Twenty-five years ago, John Paul II joined leaders of other world religions for a historic encounter in Assisi, Italy. Tomorrow, his successor makes his own journey to the town of St. Francis for the “Day of Reflection, Dialogue and Prayer for Peace and Justice”. Benedict XVI typically travels by plane, but tomorrow he will be ...read more

Alicia gives us the basics about today’s walking route that will take pilgrims from downtown Madrid to Cuatro Vientos Air Base for the prayer vigil and closing Mass with Pope Benedict XVI. ...read more

Pilgrims have been walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage for over 1000 years. Its history and significance make it a spiritual epicentre for the Christian faith after Jerusalem and Rome. Tonight’s episode of Catholic Focus features stories of modern pilgrims who have walked one of the longest pilgrimages in the history of the Christian faith ...read more

Muslims around the world celebrated Tuesday the feast of Eid al-Adha – commonly known as Eid, which marks the end of Hajj. Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the city in Saudi Arabia, regarded as the holiest site in Islam, since the prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in that city in the 7th century. Hajj ...read more