My name is Fr. David Wathen. I am a priest-leader and guide for Holy Land pilgrimages. I lived there for more than eight years, serving as a spiritual assistant to pilgrims for most of that time. My home base is now the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, where I am the director of the Pilgrimage Office. But I still spend as much as eight months a year in the Holy Land. I stay in contact by email.

"Many memorable experiences of pilgrims to the Holy Land have been possible thanks also to the hospitality and fraternal guidance offered by you, especially by the Franciscan Friars of the Custody. For this service, I wish to assure you of the appreciation and gratitude of the Universal Church and I express the wish that many more pilgrims will visit in the future."

- Excerpt of a message delivered by Pope Benedict XVI in the Upper Room
(Last Supper Room) in May 2009.

"I have traveled on memorable pilgrimages led by Fr. David Wathen, including the Holy Land and Italy. Each journey has given me renewed inspiration and increased devotion, thanks to Fr. Wathen's expertise and guidance. He has the gift to make these holy sites come alive for each one of the pilgrims, no matter their background or station in life. He welcomes each person to walk in Jesus' footsteps, leading with a kind and humble Franciscan example. Fr. Wathen's deep knowledge and love for the shrines makes for an unforgettable, rich spiritual experience."

- Dr. Maria Allende, Rockville, MD

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