"My name is John Martin, a lifelong missionary with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in Ossining NY. In 1975, after 9 years living in Mexico as a priestly minister to the Catholics, I opted to join a new missionary venture to live as brothers and friends with our Muslim sisters and brothers in Bangladesh. I lived there for 6 years and subsequently 3 1/2 more years in India, assimilating the riches of the Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist traditions. I certainly learned about the "hajj" pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca, but actually spent many days on several pilgrimages to Ajmer in the western State of Rajasthan to the tomb of the revered Kwaja Moiniuddin Chisti, one of the 13th century Sufis who introduced Sufi Islam into South Asia. [Some] Muslims in South Asia consider a pilgrimage to Ajmer as equivalent to going to Mecca. But I never heard a description of the "Hajj" from any Muslim in all those years, until I had the privilege of hearing the presentation by Ola Nosseir on her family's pilgrimage to Mecca several years ago. What made it so outstanding for me was the description of one family's experience of the pilgrimage, illustrated by many wonderful photos of many aspects of their stay there. I strongly encourage anyone who wants to get an insider's viewpoint of this "Pillar of Islam" to see this presentation."

Father John Martin

Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Ossining, N.Y.

April 7th, 2017

(Presentation was done in 2015

at Maryknoll Sisters in Ossining, NY)