Editors’ Note: Pilgrims of Healing and Hope is a new series launched to commemorate the centennial of the founding of CNEWA in 1926 as a papal initiative of healing and hope.
From time to time, this series will profile the men and women whose time, treasure, talent — and faith — have brought to life this unique effort of the Holy See. For generations, their generosity in support of the works of the Eastern churches has empowered each community of faith as they strive to follow the lesson of the Good Samaritan to “go and do likewise,” helping to bind the wounds of a broken world.
Thirty-five years ago, a Catholic priest walked into the offices of Peter Bahou, a New York-based tour operator; the priest said he wanted to take his seminarians on a tour of the Holy Land.
The two men struck up a friendship. The priest, Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, now heads Catholic Near East Welfare Association, and Mr. Bahou heads Peter’s Way Tours; they have been working together ever since.
“It’s a relationship, a long relationship together,” Mr. Bahou said.
Peter’s Way Tours started when Mr. Bahou began taking choral and performing arts groups to Italy, where he lived for a brief time. But because he was born and raised in the Holy Land, “I know the Holy Land like the back of my hand,” he said.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he had close to 100 groups per year visiting the Holy Land. In 2023, after the pandemic, when business was picking up, he had close to 60 groups.
“When 7 October happened … we canceled everything,” he said, referring to the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing invasion of Gaza. He said he had two tour groups there at the time, but the company managed to get them home safely.
Since then, he has focused on pilgrimages to Marian shrines across the globe, as well as travels in the steps of the apostles in Greece and Italy.
“We will not put anyone in harm’s way,” he said.
Mr. Bahou spoke of how the ongoing war has affected local businesses in the Holy Land. One local family owned four hotels in Jerusalem and two in Bethlehem; currently, only one of those hotels, in Jerusalem, remains open, and 20 percent of those who stay there are war reporters.
Even as his business grows, Mr. Bahou continues to help Msgr. Vaccari with his pilgrimages and travels, and supports CNEWA, because “the organization does good work.”
“I’m trying to bring people to get familiar with CNEWA and to contribute to CNEWA,” he says, by sponsoring a table, for example, at CNEWA’s annual Healing & Hope Gala in New York City.
“A lot of people don’t know about CNEWA,” he adds, “and the gala is a very good introduction.”