Dear Magdala family, friends, and pilgrims,  

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I wish you a very Happy Easter!  

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From Magdala and alongside Mary Magdalene, we want to share with you the good news that Jesus Christ, "our love and hope," has risen. Indeed, the wonderful liturgical hymn "Victimae Paschali Laudes" puts these words in Mary Magdalene, saying her love and hope have risen. Love that embraces our whole life and hope that illuminates the future. With Easter joy, we wish you that the love of Christ gives meaning to your entire life and that the hope that shines from the empty tomb fills what lies ahead with certainty and confidence.  

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In this newsletter, I want to share many news and new projects from Magdala, so I will be concise.

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First: We happily completed our virtual Pilgrimage of Prayer. We thank all our beloved pilgrims who followed with so much affection and desire to enrich their Christian lives. A particular thank you to all who collaborated in producing and transmitting this new evangelization effort: the Magdala team, volunteers, promoters, apostles of the pilgrimages, and artists. To all, our gratitude and esteem. And to you pilgrims, my recognition for your perseverance and desire to grow in the knowledge of God. Now we wait to see what's next...

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Second: In the last concluding talk, we officially announced that after a year of re-education efforts and many challenges, we acquired a suitable house for our volunteer program.  Thank you to all the friends who supported us with their prayers and donations! Magdala now has a suitable center to house a community of up to 40 volunteers.

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Third: The Saturday of the first week of Easter is traditionally the local feast of Mary Magdalene. This year, we celebrated on the 6th of April with His Eminence Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who celebrated here for the first time as Cardinal. Indeed, at the end of September, the Consistory was held in Rome, where Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal. In the Holy Land, there was a program of celebrations to celebrate with him... but October 7th arrived, and the current armed conflict began. For now we managed to host and celebrate with him his new role in a festive Easter atmosphere. Two other bishops co-celebrated the Eucharist, as well as many priests and a large group of faithful who came from Jerusalem, Nazareth, and the surrounding area. Given the proximity of May 28, when we will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Consecration of the Duc In Altum, we decided to combine the celebrations and thus also thank God and the Church for these ten years of service and ministry here in Magdala.

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Fourth: "Encounter" Magdala 2024. As we have previously mentioned, due to the current situation this year in the Holy Land, our Encounter Youthfest will be held in Puebla, Mexico, from the 25th - 28th of July. Registrations open on the 1st of May. Don't miss it! Limited spots are available.  

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For Youthfest, along with those who want to join the event, we require the presence of former Magdala volunteers who wish to collaborate with us during the event. Those interested, please find out more here. We also require priests who, in addition to participating in the event, can accompany it with their ministerial service, especially with the sacrament of reconciliation and spiritual direction, if you would like to participate as a priest please write an email to liturgiaencounter@magdala.org.

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Fifth: There has been an idea in the air for years, and now we want to put it into practice. It is a network of institutions that recognize Mary Magdalene as a patron or source of inspiration: parishes, sanctuaries, chapels, brotherhoods, etc. We are calling it the "Magdalena Network." This year from the 2nd - 8th of December we will host a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to lay the foundation of this network. We entrust ourselves to Mary Magdalene, proclaimer of the Resurrection, to guide us. Those who know priests or religious whose ministry is carried out under the invocation of Mary Magdalene, please contact us at the following email: magdalenacamino0@gmail.com to send them information about the pilgrimage and the guidelines of what we intend to do.

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Finally, in the coming days, according to various national traditions, "Mother's Day" will be celebrated in many countries. From Magdala, and especially from the Atrium of Women, we gratefully and lovingly remember our mothers, asking God to reward the abundant love we received from them, along with our being, education, and values. May God fill them with his love, and may their example spread among all women of the world so that the value of motherhood shines brighter than ever in our world and our societies.

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We would like to offer you the option of honoring your mother or grandmother with a contribution in her name, whether as a gift for a living loved one or in their memory. This thoughtful gesture shows your love and respect by supporting Magdala's development and being part of the preservation of the hometown of Mary Magdalene, contributing to the daily impact that we have with people who encounter Magdala. It's a meaningful way to celebrate her and make a positive impact in her honor. A mosaic tile will be assigned to your loved one in our Magdala mosaic and you will be additionally invited to send them an e-card to share your gift. Click here to give this special gift.

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Thank you for your continued support and generosity.

Fraternally yours,  
Fr. Juan Solana, LC and the Magdala Team

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