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DAY 1: BEGINNING OUR
PILGRIMAGE. Depart North
America via jet service. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
DAY 2: 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 motor coach will transfer you to your hotel
on the Mediterranean seashore. Weather permitting, take a walk on the
beach after dinner.
DAY 3: ALL THE PAST
YEARS WITH HISTORY. Morning
departure to Caesarea Martima in 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 and proceed along
the shores of the Mediterranean. Visit Mount Carmel and the Shrine of
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Visit the Cave of the Prophet Elijah. Proceed
to Nazareth where we 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.
Mass is celebrated
here followed by a visit to the Home of the Holy Family, St. Joseph's
workshop, Mary's Well and the Synagogue where Jesus preached. Continue
to Cana, where Christ performed his first miracle, the Transformation of
Water into Wine, and where any married couples can renew their marriage
vows. Return to your hotel in Tiberias.
DAY 4: 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 taught the Eight Beatitudes to his
Disciples. Mass will be celebrated at the Mount of Beatitudes.
Continue to the ruins of Magdala where Mary Magdalen lived. In the
afternoon, drive to the Golan Heights, overlooking Upper Galilee. Cross
the River Jordan via Jacob's Daughters Bridge and return to your hotel.
DAY 5: ALONG THE
JORDAN VALLEY. After breakfast,
we leave Tiberias and drive to the top of Mt. Tabor, the site of the
Transfiguration where Mass will be celebrated. Continue to Megiddo and
Armageddon - a very important point on the Via Maris connecting Egypt
and Damascus. It is a city which has witnessed many wars and suffered
many destructions throughout the different periods of time. We proceed
through the Jordan Valley / Judean Wilderness to Jericho stopping at the
site of Inn of the Good Samaritan. Visit Elijah'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 along the
shores of the Dead Sea to Ein Gedi where a precipitous cliff, filled
with caves, rises some 2,000 feet. Time is allowed for a float on the
Dead Sea. Proceed to visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were
discovered by a shepherd boy in 1947, before continuing to Jerusalem.
Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.
DAY 6: JERUSALEM AND
BETHLEHEM. Drive to Bethlehem.
Visit the Basilica of the Nativity, built over the site of the
birthplace of Christ where
Mass will be
celebrated. 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 Savior. 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.
DAY 7: MOUNTAINS OF
JERUSALEM. This morning we 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 and
ending at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher - built over the site of
the Crucifixion and the Tomb.
Mass at the Basilica
of the Holy Sepulcher. Visit Calvary and the Tomb of Our Lord followed
by a short tour of the Basilica. This afternoon, we drive to the Mount
of Olives and visit the Church of the Ascension—the spot where Christ
ascended into Heaven. Next is the Pater Noster Church commemorating
Christ's teaching of the Our Father to his disciples. We’ll see the
Dominus Flevit—the spot where Christ wept over Jerusalem—before
proceeding onward to Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations which
houses the Rock of the Agony. In this church is a beautiful mosaic
donated by the United States. Visit the Cave of the betrayal of Jesus
and the Tomb of Our Lady. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
DAY 8: JERUSALEM.
This morning, visit the Church of
St. Ann, built on the site of 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 Aksa
Mosque and then the Wailing Wall which is the most sacred spot in the
world for the Jews. In the afternoon, proceed to the Shrine of the Book
enclosing the Dead Sea Scrolls. Continue to Mount Zion, visiting the
room of the Last Supper, Church of the Dormition. Then, visit the
Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu which was built on the site of the
house of Caiphas. The house of Caiphas encloses the dungeon where
Christ was kept on Holy Thursday night and where Peter denied Christ
thrice.
DAY 9: JERUSALEM /
TEL AVIV / ROME. Travel to Tel
Aviv for some sightseeing including ancient Joppa. After lunch continue
to the Tel Aviv airport for our departure to Rome, Italy. Dinner served
on flight and overnight at our hotel.
DAY 10: ROME.
A morning visit to the Vatican City includes the Museum, the Sistine
Chapel, St. Peter's Square, Church of St. Peter (St. Peter in Chains),
Basilica of St. Paul, the ancient Appian Way, the catacombs of St.
Caliztus and Capitoline Hill. Afternoon sightseeing will include Moses'
Fountain, Quirinale Palace, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Arch of Titus, the
Coliseum - site of early Christian martyrdom - and Mamertine Prison,
possibly the final place of confinement of the Apostle Paul before his
execution. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 11: ROME /
ASSISI. This morning we go to
Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience and Blessing given by
His Holiness, Benedict XVI (if available). At the conclusion we drive
to Assisi to visit the Tomb of St. Francis and the Portiuncula where the
great Franciscan family has its origins. We will also see the relics of
St. Clare, as well as her incorrupt body. Return to Rome and have a
farewell local dinner, on our own to taste the local flavors. Overnight
at our hotel.
DAY 12: ROME / NORTH
AMERICA. After breakfast we
depart for the Rome airport for our return flight to North America - the
end of our most memorable journey. |
