January 21, 2009

Dear friends in life and in ministry . . .

Pat and I returned to Corning on Tuesday afternoon just two hours after President Barack Obama took the oath of office on the steps of the Capital. Because we were "in the air", we watched reruns of this historic moment after our plane landed - and then throughout the evening. How exciting and inspirational. We join our prayers with those of millions throughout the world for the success of this presidency.

Over the past two weeks, Pat and I enjoyed a part leisure, part work cruise in the Eastern Caribbean with brief stops at San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Just to be away from the fridged temperatures that blanketed the Northeast US was a special blessing. But the cruise also placed us out of internet, email and cell phone range when we decided not to pay .75 per minute for wi-fi and exorbitant "at sea" cell roaming fees.

While at sea we attended a series of meetings for ministers and others who serve as Tour Hosts and Directors of Travel Ministry for Educational Opportunities, a wonderful Christian Travel ministry that over the past 35 years has taken over 300,000 people to the Holy Land and numerous other pilgrimage sites.

On either side of the cruise, we were house guests of our friends Orlando and Ligia Chacon who reside in Weston, Florida near Fort Lauderdale with their beautiful one-year old daughter Andrea. Some years ago, the young newlywed couple were parishioners of mine at St. Patrick's Church in Corning. Later they lived for a short while in Waverly while Orlando was preparing for a job change. They were gracious hosts and we are most grateful for the hospitality and friendship of this young couple.

While away from the parish, our parish youth minister Mary Carol Wall and parish priest Fr. Jim Jaeger have taken responsibility for filling the space usually reserved for my 'words of wisdom". Today, I'm attaching Mary Carol's articles from the January 11 and 18 parish bulletins.

Below, you'll find information about our next travel adventure - a Lands of the Bible Cruise scheduled for November. Consider yourself personally invited to join us on this wonderful journey. Pat and I will be announcing informational meetings in several Southern Tier communities over the next few months. But you can get immediate information by personally contacting us by email or telephone (607-426-1100).

TRAVEL WITH US IN 2009
Pat and I invite you to join us on a "Lands of the Bible Cruise" that we've scheduled for November 11, 2009. Follow the link below to download our itinerary. Then, if you are interested, drop me an email and I'll send you a brochures and registration form. (http://www.deaconray.com/travel.htm)

Lands of the Bible Cruise

Our itinerary includes an over-night flight to Athens where we will visit the Acropolis and the biblical city of Corinth before boarding the mv Cristal, a new 471 passenger cruise ship. We’ll dock at Port Said for a visit to Cairo (the Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids at Giza) then on to the port of Ashod in Israel. For two days we’ll visit sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem returning to the ship each evening for dinner and overnight.

Our next port is Haifa where we’ll disembark to tour the Galilee with stops at the Mount of the Beatitudes, Tabgha (the site of the miracle of the loaves and fish), a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and renew our baptismal vows at the Jordan River.

After a day at sea we’ll visit the Isle of Patmos where John wrote Revelations and then to Ephesus, Turkey where St. Paul established a Christian community on his first missionary journey. After a visit to Piraeus we’ll return to Athens for our return trip home.

The price of this journey of a lifetime(including roundtrip airfare, chartered cruise ship, guided shore excursions, daily breakfast, lunch and dinner while aboard ship, study guide, entrance fees and deluxe motorcoaches), starts at $2398 plus taxes, tips and fees.

This cruise is expected to sell out so early reservations are very important. For more information and a brochure, please contact me by email or phone (607-426-1100).

Have a good week. Serve one another well!