A Catholic pilgrim’s harrowing escape from the Holy Land as Iranian missiles lit up the sky

CameronMumfordcametoJerusalemonasoloCatholicpilgrimagetoretracethestepsofChrist.Bytheendofhisjourney,hehadfledamodernwarzonealongsideaRomanianOrthodoxnun,takingcoveramidmissilestrikesirensattheJordanianbordercrossing. “Ididnotletgoofmyrosaryormybrownscapular,”the29-year-oldBritishpilgrimtoldCNAofhisharrowingfinalnightsinIsrael.“Ikeptprayingforpeopletobesafe.” Mumford,aCatholicfromtheDioceseofNottingham,England,hadlongdreamedofreturningtotheHolyLand.Hisfirstvisitwithatourgroupin2017feltrushed,andthistime,hewantedtospendmoretimeinprayerattheholysites.HearrivedaloneonJune6andcheckedintoahosteljustafive-minutewalkfromtheBasilicaoftheHolySepulchre—thesitewhereJesuswascrucifiedandrosefromthedead. Atfirst,itwaseverythinghehopedfor.HejoinedtheFranciscanfriarsfordailyMassandprocessionsatthetombofChrist,prayedattheGardenofGethsemaneforoveranhourinnearsilence,andreceivedabrown