Southern Nebraska Register
A group of 32 people from the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, the Archdiocese of Omaha and the Diocese of Des Moines were on pilgrimage in the Holy Land when war broke out last week.
Father Sean Timmerman, pastor of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Plattsmouth, was one of the leaders of the group. He said they were about 90-percent complete with their tour of the holy sites in the region when the conflict began.
“We were near the Sea of Galilee in Nazareth when the war started,” Father Timmerman said. “So we were farther away from the conflict and felt safe. We continued with the pilgrimage.”
The group then returned to Jerusalem where they visited Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
“We had good guides who we trusted. They said their number-one priority was to keep us safe, “ Father Timmerman said.
He said there was one night when they were eating at their hotel in Jerusalem when the air raid sirens rang out. Father Timmerman said the waiters escorted everyone into another room, but it was soon determined to be a false alarm.
The group eventually was able to make it across the border into Jordan, where they stayed for several days. On at least one day, they were advised to remain in the hotel there, which they did. Small groups were able to get flights out each day over the course of the next five days.
During an interview while they were in Jordan, Father Timmerman said they were doing well considering the circumstances, but they were very much looking forward to getting back home.
