In April 2025, two of our members from Los Angeles, Fr. Felix Just, SJ and Gail Gresser, co-led an EOHSJ pilgrimage of over 40 people to Greece, following the footsteps of St. Paul and other early Christians. They explored many of the sites we know from the letters of St. Paul and the Acts of the Apostles — Philippi, Thessaloniki, Neapolis (today’s Kavala), Athens, Cencheae and Corinth, and were able to take a cruise ship to others near the Aegean Sea, such as Ephesus and Crete. In addition to the biblical sites, they were able to climb to the centuries-old Greek Orthodox monasteries of Meteroa, to observe the painting of icons, to take in the wonders of ancient Delphi and the Acropolis of Athens – as well as the natural beauty of the legendary islands of Mykonos and Santorini. Best of all, these pilgrims, from various places throughout the US, became a strong and deeply spiritual community that shared prayer, learning, food and laughter, and formed enduring new friendships.
On our last day in Greece, we visited the ancient Port of Cenchreae, the home of St. Phoebe, to whom Paul entrusted a letter she was to deliver to Rome. The women of our pilgrimage gathered for a photo to honor Phoebe! On our last day in Greece, we celebrated Mass in the ruins of ancient Corinth.
Two views from the monastery of St. John on the island of Patmos, where the Book of Revelation was written.
In Ephesus, at the site of the ancient Library of Celsus and the legendary Great Theater, we took a couple of photos of our pilgrimage’s EOHSJ members: Fr. Felix Just, SJ and Gail Gresser (from Los Angeles), and Mary Jane & Morris Jensby (from Phoenix).
From Athens, we sailed to Kusadasi, Turkey. We visited “Mary’s House” in Ephesus, where it is thought that the apostle John cared for Mary in her later years. Near the home is “Mary’s Wall” — where Christians and Muslims tie their requests, written on cloth, asking for Mary to intercede on their behalf.
We visited Father Pefkis’ Workshop of Byzantine Icons, and observed he and his wife creating these beautiful paths to prayer. When Father Pefkis learned that Fr. Felix was a Catholic priest and a scripture scholar, he embraced him and gave him his clerical hat as well as an icon of St. Paul. This moment of warm ecumenical unity was one of the highlights of our pilgrimage.
The quiet and beautiful archeological site of Philippi, the home of an early community of Christians especially beloved by Paul.
We are profoundly grateful for the unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of St. Paul and the early Christians: praying, reflecting and celebrating together in the holy places of Greece. The deep connections forged among our pilgrims, united for this time in faith, prayer, and shared wonder, have enriched our lives for many years to come. These transformative experiences, amidst the timeless beauty of Greece’s majestic landscapes and rich archeological wonders, will continue to inspire and guide us in our own spiritual growth in communion with the Church and her history.
