Fr Michael Winstanley by the Sea of Galilee

Our Provincial, Fr Michael Winstanley, was invited by the Salesian community of Ratisbonne, Jerusalem, to preach their annual retreat from 22nd to 29th January 2006. The fact that the Rector of this House of Studies is Fr Francis Preston may have had something to do with it.

Before setting off for the retreat centre in Haifa, Fr Winstanley was able to spend a few days in Jerusalem and on Thursday 19th January Fr Francis and Fr Gianni Caputa, a member of the teaching staff at Ratisbonne, drove him to Galilee.

They had a wonderful day there. The weather was warm and sunny. When they arrived in Nazareth they were able to celebrate Mass in the Basilica of the Annunciation before travelling on to visit Cana, Tabgha, Capernaum, the shores of the Sea of Galilee and the Mount of the Beatitudes. On their return to Jerusalem they got up early to celebrate Mass at 6.00am on an altar above the tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.