A local travel agent who arranges tours for Catholics to holy sites says people’s desire to visit those places and to explore the world in general seems stronger than ever.

“The aftereffects of the 2020 COVID pandemic continue to play a big role in people’s enthusiasm for getting out and doing the things they missed out on at the height of the pandemic and in 2021, when things were still in a recovery mode,” said Lisa Balek of L&L Travel Co. in Westerville.

“Travel began to get back to normal in 2022, then got crazy in 2023 with lots of groups wanting to satisfy pent-up demand,” she said. “From what I’m seeing, the numbers may get bigger in 2024 for Catholic travel and travel overall.” 

But because of a renewal of strife in the Holy Land, one of the most popular destinations for Catholics, “that region is off-limits again for who knows how long,” Balek said. “I had one group of 53 people from Marion St. Mary Church, with Father Seth Keller leading them, all set to go, but that trip has been canceled until at least April 2025.”

This past March, Balek and Nativity Pilgrimage of Houston, which has an office in Bethlehem, arranged a Holy Land tour for 19 central Ohio pilgrims. It was to have been led by Father Hilary Ike of Columbus St. Elizabeth Church, but he was called to service with the U.S. Army Reserve at the same time of the pilgrimage.

Members and friends of Groveport St. Mary Church were part of that pilgrimage, and one of them said the tour guides in Israel and in Jordan were very knowledgeable and informative.

The pilgrims visited locations central to the Lord’s life on earth, including the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth and the Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem. The Groveport group participated in daily Mass with other tour groups from throughout the world at these holy sites, each with its own religious theme.

Married members of the tour group renewed their vows at Cana in Galilee, and the pilgrims prayed the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem and a daily rosary while traveling between stops on the tour route. 

Tours of Petra, Jerash and Mount Nebo in Jordan and the Western Wall in Jerusalem further enhanced the experience, which included a cruise on the Sea of Galilee, an opportunity to float in the Dead Sea, a cultural dance show and local cuisine. 

“That’s where a group like Nativity, which is on the ground in the Holy Land, comes in handy,” Balek said. “They provided a local priest from the Holy Land to be the pilgrimage’s spiritual leader. The pilgrims would have loved to have Father Hilary, but the local priest’s knowledge of the area led them to many wonderful churches and places they may have missed otherwise. 

“The last Mass of the pilgrimage was in Arabic, and the group couldn’t understand a thing, but it didn’t matter because the Mass is the same everywhere, and the pilgrims said it gave them a powerful sense of connection to Jesus just because of where they were,” she said.

Balek was unable to go on the pilgrimage but visited the Holy Land at another time last year and in 2019. She also has taken part in a “footsteps of St. Paul” pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey. She has 10 years of experience as a travel adviser and joined with fellow agent Laura Hilbig to form L&L. She began offering pilgrimages for Catholic travelers in 2019, “but that was right when COVID hit,” she said, “and that shut down the travel business for everyone.”

Her agency is arranging a pilgrimage in August and September with Father Elias Udeh, CSSp, associate pastor of Powell St. Joan of Arc and Columbus St. Peter churches, to Marian sites in Portugal, France and Spain. The company also offers Catholic tour packages to Mexico, Italy and the Vatican.