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Pilgrims return safe and sound

As periodically reported over the past few months, four pilgrims from the Lassalle House, the spiritual and dialogue centre in Edlibach, walked most of the 4,300 kilometres from Zug to Jerusalem. The four, Jesuit priest Christian Rutishauser (photograph), Franz Mali, a professor of religious history at the University of Fribourg, Hildegard Aepli, assistant at the offices of the Bishopric of St Gallen and Ester Rüthemann, a pastoral assistant at the Lassalle House, all returned safely on Epiphany Day after an adventurous 7-month trip.
 
The four enjoyed chance meetings with Zug residents of the former Yugoslavia, thanks to spotting cars with ZG plates, humbling hospitality in Turkey but encountered difficulties in Syria with its current unrest. Finally, they were able to take part in a 2-day peace conference in Jerusalem.
 
In an interview with the Neue Zuger Zeitung, Rutishauser explained in more detail what the pilgrimage meant to the four.
 
When asked how he had been able to settle into work after such a long time away, Rutishauser admitted that it had been difficult to get into a working routine again. "We arrived back on 6 January and I started work on Monday 9 January. I had been away so long I had forgotten all my passwords," he said. "But it was good to see all my working colleagues again."
 
As to whether the pilgrimage had changed him in any way, Rutishauser said that he had become more aware of the importance of society and the coming together of people and had clearly been moved by the great hospitality he had encountered from people on the pilgrimage route.
 
Rutishauser felt that Jerusalem, which he knew from having spent a year there in 1998/99, had changed, with its modern buildings and new tramline. But he also added that he felt the atmosphere had become more tense with the building of the Israeli West Bank Barrier.
 
In talking with the local people, the Jesuit priest said, "Many did not believe we had walked all the way from Switzerland; they thought we were joking."
 
And how did the 2-day peace conference in Jerusalem go? "This was organised by the Lassalle House in collaboration with the Eliah Interfaith Institute for 115 participants, of whom 400 were from Switzerland. As the notion of undertaking a pilgrimage is known to all three monotheistic religions, we sought answers to questions such as "How can a pilgrimage contribute to greater understanding between the faiths?" and "How can places of pilgrimage be set up in such a way that they do not just strengthen one's own religion but increase understanding about others?"
 
Rutishauser explained that they had invited the Rabbi of the Wailing Wall, the Custos of the Holy Land and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem to a discussion, though the latter did not appear because of the current tensions.
 
"How can you contribute to solving the great divide between Palestinians and Israelis?" asked the journalist.
"We have been looking at this issue for 20 years. Before things can improve, a radical change in attitude is needed, one based on reconciliation and mutual acceptance. A long-term settlement is required, one which can only be achieved through education. Unfortunately, politicians seem to concentrate on short-term solutions," said Rutishauser, who also went on to explain that fundamentalism arises when religion is excluded. "We Jesuits have been campaigning for faith and justice since the Sixties and at the Lassalle House we have been seeking dialogue for 10 years. Now, at last, people are beginning to take notice of our efforts."
 
Indeed, both the Israeli and Jordanian press reported on the pilgrimage and over 100 newspaper articles were written about it. "We never thought our blog would find so much interest," said the pilgrim, "but we had over 350,000 clicks."
 
Now it is hoped several books will be written about the pilgrimage though this does not mean the end of it all. "We are planning to walk from Zug to Einsiedeln Monastery at Whitsun and hope to motivate people to make pilgrimages to other places. For Swiss people, Einsiedeln is an important place  of pilgrimage, while others head for Santiago di Compostela, or like us, to the Holy City itself. Pilgrimage is not just about the physical effort, it has a spiritual dimension which contributes to peace."
 
 
 
 
 


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