Christopher Cross, KHS made his first pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1982. On the last day of his journey, he decided to go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray the rosary and to thank God for permitting him to make this most holy pilgrimage. In those predawn hours in the Garden of Gethsemane, Chris asked God if it was possible that he could make another trip to the Holy Land. He never dreamed that
God would see fit to permit him to make fifty-five more pilgrimages! His first sixteen trips consisted of groups of priests from the United States, Canada and Europe. After numerous trips to Israel, there were many priests who asked him if he would be interested in taking over groups of lay people. This was the beginning of his ministry of leading many pilgrims to the Holy Land and showing them where Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead. Chris believes that most people who travel to the Holy Land will never experience what his groups experience mentally, physically and spiritually. Several priests who had traveled to the Holy Land with other groups have said that they had never seen some of the sites that they saw with Chris and that they had never experienced a more spiritual pilgrimage. Chris has had four priests who traveled with him come up to him at the Tel Aviv Airport and tell him that they were considering leaving the priesthood until they took this trip. These pilgrimages with Mr. Cross have a life changing effect upon all those who undertake them. Chris has made over 91 pilgrims to the Holy Land and is a very experienced licensed tour guide. He is well known throughout the Holy Land both by the Franciscans and tour guides. Christopher Cross is from AuSable Forks, New York. He attended Adirondack Community College in Glens Falls, New York until his mother died during his freshman year and he was forced to work full-time and attend college part-time. Chris was drafted in the U.S. Army in April of 1968. He was sent to Vietnam with twenty-four fellow soldiers. When his tour of duty was over, only four of his comrades returned back home alive. He admits that he was very fortunate to make it back alive and he thanks God each day for sparing him. Chris returned to college and got his Associates Degree from Adirondack Community College and his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University. Chris worked for the Lexington Metropolitan Police Department first as a uniform officer and later was promoted to detective. He left the police department and became a police instructor for New York State. In 1977 Chris made a career change and started working for Sentry Insurance Company. In 1980 he started his own insurance agency. Chris retired from the insurance industry in 1999 and started taking more trips to the Holy Land. After September 11, 2001, many Americans stopped traveling to Israel and Chris began writing his book entitled “Walking in His Footsteps” which is used exclusively on all of his trips. The book contains scriptural references as well as reflections for all of the holy sites that are visited on the pilgrimage. The book is available now to the general public through http://www.amazon.com/ . Chris also wrote a small prayer book entitled “To Jesus through Mary”. He has printed over 120,000 copies. Chris is a man of deep spirituality yet he also has a humorous side through which he is able to connect with people in amazing ways. He is very athletic and enjoys playing golf. In May 2023 Chris just completed his 91st trip to the Holy Land and will do 3 more pilgrimages in 2023. Chris, who currently lives in Huntersville, North Carolina has been married to his wife Linda for 51 years. In 1993 Chris was inducted into the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City by the late Cardinal O’ Conner.
