Holy Land Pilgrimage

DEC 27: BEGINNING OUR PILGRIMAGE Depart New York or Chicago via jet service. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.

DEC 28: INTO THE LAND OF THE BIBLE Upon arrival in the afternoon, you will be met by our representative who will assist you with formalities. A luxury motorcoach will transfer you to your hotel in Jerusalem.

DEC 29: JERUSALEM This morning visit the Church of St. Ann, built on the site of the birthplace of Our Lady where Mass will be celebrated. Continue to the Pool of Bethesda, where Christ healed the paralytic. Visit the Temple area, the spot where the original temple was built and which was the scene of many episodes from the life of Christ, such as the expulsion of the money changers. Here now stands the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest spot in the world for the Moslem faith. Visit the El Aqsa Mosque and then the Wailing Wall which is the most sacred spot in the world for the Jews.  In the afternoon proceed to the National Museum, the Shrine of the Book. Continue to Mount Zion, visiting the room of the Last Supper, Church of the Dormition and then visit the Church of St. Peter in Gailicantu built on the site of the house of Caiaphas which encloses the dungeon where Christ was kept on Holy Thursday night and where Peter denied Christ thrice.

DEC 30: MOUNTAINS OF JERUSALEM Drive to the Mount of Olives and visit the Church of the Ascension, the spot where Christ ascended into Heaven; the Pater Noster Church commemorating Christ’s teaching of the Our Father to his disciples; Dominus Fievit, the spot where Christ wept over Jerusalem and onwards to Gethsemane to view the ancient Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane and to visit the Church of All Nations which houses the Rock of the Agony of Christ on Holy Thursday; in this Church is a beautiful mosaic donated by the United States. Celebrate Mass at the Church of All Nations. Visit the Cave of the betrayal of Jesus and the Tomb of Our Lady.  In the afternoon, visit Ein Karem, the place of the Visitation where Our Lady came to visit her cousin Elizabeth. View the plaques with the Magnificat in most languages of the World. Visit the parish church of St. John the Baptist, and the Grotto of his birth. Return to your hotel.

DEC 31: JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM Drive to Bethlehem. Visit the Basilica of the Nativity, built over the site of the birthplace of Christ. Visit the Cave where Christ was born and it is the occasion to sing the traditional Christmas Hymns. A visit is made to the Chapel of St. Jerome, who lived here for many years and translated the Bible into Latin. The nearby Church of St. Catherine is the venue for the midnight Mass which is broadcast all over the World from Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Continue to the Shepherds field, recalling the "great throng of the heavenly hosts" who appeared to the Shepherds and told them of the birth of the Saviour.

This afternoon tour the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting the Chapel of Flagellation, the chapel of Condemnation and the Lithostrotos, the site of the Antonia Fortress where Julius Caesar resided at the time of Christ and where Christ was tried and condemned to death. Beginning the way of the Cross here, join the walk along the Via Dolorosa led by the Franciscans - ending at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the site of the Crucifixion and the Tomb. Visit Calvary and the Tomb of Our Lord followed by a short tour of the Basilica.

JAN 01: THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA After breakfast, drive to Bethany and visit the new Church, built on the site of the house of Mary and Martha, where Mass will be celebrated. Visit the Tomb of Lazarus. Proceed through the Judean Wilderness to Jericho stopping at the Inn of the Good Samaritan. Visit Elisha’s Fountain and the ancient city of Jericho from which you can view the Mount of Temptation, where Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, before returning to Jerusalem.

JAN 02: JERUSALEM TO GALILEE This morning drive north from Jerusalem to Galilee. Drive to the top of Mt. Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration.  Proceed to Nazareth where you will visit the Basilica of the Annunciation enclosing the remains of the house of Joachim and Ann and the site where the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she was to become the mother of God. Visit the home of the Holy Family, St. Joseph’s workshop, Mary’s Well and the Synagogue where Jesus preached.  Drive to Cana, where Christ performed his first miracle and where any married couples can renew their marriage vows. Proceed to your hotel on the Sea of Galilee for overnight.

JAN 03: THE SEA OF GALILEE AND UPPER GALILEE In the morning, we cross the Sea of Galilee by boat from Tiberias to Capernaum, now in ruins but once a thriving town where Peter lived and where much of the public ministry of Christ took place. See the Church of the Primacy of Peter, where Christ confirmed Peter as Head of the Church and we visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where Christ taught the Eight Beatitudes to his Disciples. Mass will be celebrated at the Mount of Beatitudes. Proceed to Tabgha, the place of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish. Continue to the ruins of Magdala where Mary Magdalen lived. In the afternoon, drive to the Golan Heights in Upper Galilee. Visit the Sources of the Jordan. View Tel Dan. Return to the River Jordan where a Baptismal Service can be arranged. Return to your hotel.

JAN 04: ALL THE PAST YEARS WITH HISTORY Morning departure from Tiberias to Meggido, Armageddon, a very important strategic point on the Via Maris connecting Egypt and Damascus. It is a city which has witnessed many wars and suffered much destruction throughout the wars and different periods of time. Continue to Haifa, visiting Mount Carmel and the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, where Mass will be celebrated, and the Cave of the Prophet, Elijah. Proceed along the shores of the Mediterranean to Caesarea Martima on the Plains of Sharon to visit the ruins of the Crusader's City, surrounded by a moat and a city wall enclosing the ruins of the Roman city. Visit the Roman Theater. Proceed to Tel Aviv for dinner and overnight.

JAN 05: TEL AVIV/NEW YORK OR CHICAGO Transfer to the airport for your return flight to New York or Chicago.