Father Michael Nolan, pastor of St. Mary Parish Waltham since 2006, has been leading pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Europe for over 20 years. Since 2017, he has led pilgrimages exclusively for students and young adults providing them with the opportunity to explore their faith in Jesus Christ and deepen their relationship with His Church. Through his relationships with local Christians in the Middle East, he allows the young people a combination of personal spiritual development with charitable and fraternal encounters with the local population.  We work with Christian companies, stay at the Franciscan guesthouses and make charitable visits to an orphanage and special needs school in Bethlehem. 

Father Michael considers it a singular honor to bring young people closer to Christ on these pilgrimages. This is why he works hard to design the trips carefully, be attentive to security concerns and raises the money for those who are unable to cover the trip expenses on their own.

In 2025, Sean Cardinal Patrick O’Malley, OFM Cap, Archbishop Emeritus of Boston, graciously accepted our invitation to be our Patron. We are grateful for his blessing and counsel.