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Seven Miles From Jerusalem is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2017 under the leadership of Fr. Michael Nolan. We bring young adults of any and all religious backgrounds on pilgrimage to the Holy Land to encounter Jesus Christ. Our trips focus on the Holy Land so we can also support the local Christian communities with employment, charity and solidarity. We have brought 140 pilgrims to Israel, Italy, Jordan and Palestine since 2017. We have donated over $50,000 in charity to an orphanage and school for special children in Bethlehem, $10,000 to the Churches and Shrines under the care of the Franciscans and the Latin Patriarchate, as well as $15,000 to travel industry workers who lost their jobs after October 7, 2023.
The name, Seven Miles from Jerusalem, comes from the Gospel of St. Luke (Ch. 24) which describes how the hearts of two of the disciples burned with hope and love as they walked with the Lord to a town called Emmaus that first Easter day. Emmaus is seven miles outside of Jerusalem.
May 2017 – First Pilgrimage to Jordan and Israel: 16 Pilgrims
2018 – Travel Suspension due to Fr. Michael’s illness.
May 2019 – Second Pilgrimage to Jordan and Israel: 41 Pilgrims
2020 – Travel Suspension – Pandemic
2021 – Travel Suspension – Pandemic
January 2022 – Seminarian Pilgrimage to Italy: 17 Pilgrims
2023 – First year with two pilgrimages:
January Israel / Italy: 21 pilgrims
May Jordan / Israel: 15 pilgrims
2023 – Establishment of Board of Directors
January 2024 – Cancellation of Israel / Italy trip due to Oct. 7th attack on Israel. Replaced with Italian pilgrimage: 20 pilgrims
May 2025 – Jordan / Israel: 13 Pilgrims
Our timeline shows numerous interruptions for pilgrimages. Yet we are still here and looking ahead. To what do we attribute this survival? It can only be the blessing of the Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for blessing Seven Miles. Our Lady of Palestine, St. George and St. Charles Borromeo pray for us
Seven Miles wants to do more in 2026. We want to bring more young people to Christ. We want to do more to help maintain a Christian presence in the Holy Land. The goal is to bring 120 pilgrims to the Holy Land next year. This means more work, more planning, more fundraising and more prayer that this will succeed. Two trips to Israel and Italy in January are planned. One is for young people in their twenties. The second trip, is for MBA Graduate students. This was the done at the suggestion of one of the pilgrims on the May 2025 trip. We also hope to offer two trips in May of 2026 to Jordan and Israel. One of these trips is for any and all young men and women. The second trip will be offered for seminarians and candidates for the priesthood. Please pray for our efforts.