Medjugorje Pilgrimage

March 12-22, 2010  -  $1,429 from Newark

with Father Neil Buchlein

Pilgrimage to Medjugorje & Oberammergau

September 17 - 27, 2010  -   $ 3,649 from Newark

The Oberammergau Passion Play will take place from May 15 through October 3, 2010. The Oberammergau Passion play was first performed in the time of the plague that decimated central Europe during the Thirty years War at the beginning of the 17th Century. In 1632, the plague even penetrated the remote mountain valleys of the Alps. Although the villagers kept guard to prevent the plague reaching the village, a man from Oberammergau working as a farm laborer in a village not too far carried the disease home. Within a year, the Black Death had claimed over a fifth of the approximately 1,500 inhabitants of Oberammergau. With no end to the plague in sight, the village council and council of elders vowed on 27th October 1633 in the parish church to perform Passion plays depicting the passion of Christ (AS) every ten years if God would Only * show mercy and release their village from the clutches of the plague. The rest is history; from this hour on, no more villagers in Oberammergau died or became infected with the plague. The Passion play was performed for the first time in 1634. And throughout the intervening centuries, despite many dangers and threats, and historical and cultural changes, the villagers of Oberammergau have maintained their solemn promise.  The text and music are based on material from the19th Century-according to a decision reached by the villagers .More than 2,000 villagers take part in the Passion plays-mainly on stage, in the choir and in the orchestra. As in covered seating for around 4,600 spectators is available from May through end of September every 10 years. Over the whole season, this means that half a million visitors can enjoy the world famous performances. Tickets are generally sold out well in advance.