Staff reporter
“Thank you from my heart for this beautiful book,” was the message from Pope Francis to Editor of The Irish Catholic Michael Kelly during a recent audience at the Vatican.
Mr Kelly was presenting the Pontiff with a copy of his new book An Irish Pilgrimage Guide to the Holy Land. The fruit of years of travelling to the Holy Land and leading groups with The Irish Catholic and Marian Pilgrimages, the book was recently published by Columba Books.
Mr Kelly described the experience with Pope Francis as “humbling”.
“The Pope sees so many people but he had the time and warmth to stop and take the book and have a good flick through it. He seemed genuinely pleased with it and I know that he has a special place in his heart for the Holy Land,” Mr Kelly said of the meeting.
The book is designed to be both a companion for those travelling to the Holy Land and a virtual experience for anyone who cannot travel to the Holy Land. “I really wanted to help people see the Biblical sites come alive in a fresh way that would increase their faith as well as their knowledge of these sites that are so important,” Mr Kelly said. The book also looks at the peoples, cultures and foods of the land sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians.
An Irish Pilgrimage Guide to the Holy Land by Michael Kelly is available from Columba Books and all good bookstores.