My pilgrimage to the
Holy Land begins this week. Some of our
pilgrims are already en route. There are
a group of 67 people who will be on this journey together. We carry all of you with us as well. So that you can follow our trek day by day, I
offer you the itinerary planned for the next couple of weeks. You can follow us in spirit. It may be that our schedule changes a bit,
but we’ll be covering everything at one time or another, so you can follow more
or less what we do each day.
Tuesday
November 6 Tel Aviv
Arrive Ben Gurion Airport. Our representative will help you through customs and take you to the bus where you will meet your guide. Transfer to your hotel in Netanya or Nazareth (depending on flight arrival time) for dinner and overnight.
Arrive Ben Gurion Airport. Our representative will help you through customs and take you to the bus where you will meet your guide. Transfer to your hotel in Netanya or Nazareth (depending on flight arrival time) for dinner and overnight.
Wednesday
November 7 Caesarea/Haifa/Mt.
Tabor/Nazareth /Cana
After breakfast, explore the Mediterranean coast. Drive along the Via Maris to Caesarea Maritima and visit the Roman Theater with the 2000 years old Aqueduct and view the Crusader fortifications. Continue to Haifa and Mount Carmel, visit the Church of Stella Maris and Elijah's cave. Take in the magnificent view of Haifa Bay. Enjoy the famous Falafel - a typical Israeli lunch. Drive to Mount Tabor, the Mount of Transfiguration, which dominates the Jesreel Valley, Biblical known as Armageddon. On to Nazareth for a visit to the Church of Annunciation - the biggest in the Middle East, see Mary’s Well and visit the Old Synagogue. On to Cana of Galilee - the site of Jesus’s First Miracle at the wedding. Drive to your hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight. (Mass in Nazareth)
After breakfast, explore the Mediterranean coast. Drive along the Via Maris to Caesarea Maritima and visit the Roman Theater with the 2000 years old Aqueduct and view the Crusader fortifications. Continue to Haifa and Mount Carmel, visit the Church of Stella Maris and Elijah's cave. Take in the magnificent view of Haifa Bay. Enjoy the famous Falafel - a typical Israeli lunch. Drive to Mount Tabor, the Mount of Transfiguration, which dominates the Jesreel Valley, Biblical known as Armageddon. On to Nazareth for a visit to the Church of Annunciation - the biggest in the Middle East, see Mary’s Well and visit the Old Synagogue. On to Cana of Galilee - the site of Jesus’s First Miracle at the wedding. Drive to your hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight. (Mass in Nazareth)
Thursday
November 8 Sea of
Galilee/Capernaum/Tabgha/Mt. of Beatitudes/Caesarea Philipi
After breakfast explore the surroundings of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus began his ministry. Start the day with a cruise in the lake on board a "Biblical boat". Visit Capernaum, "the Town of Jesus", and see the synagogue and St. Peter's house. Continue to Tabgha, site of the miracle of the Fishes and Loaves. On to Mount of Beatitudes for a breathtaking view of the Sea of Galilee. Lunch will be at a typical restaurant, serving the famous St. Peter's Fish. After lunch drive up the Golan Heights to Caesarea Philipi (Banias), which is one of the sources of the Jordan River. Back to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (Mass in Capernaum or Mount of Beatitudes)
After breakfast explore the surroundings of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus began his ministry. Start the day with a cruise in the lake on board a "Biblical boat". Visit Capernaum, "the Town of Jesus", and see the synagogue and St. Peter's house. Continue to Tabgha, site of the miracle of the Fishes and Loaves. On to Mount of Beatitudes for a breathtaking view of the Sea of Galilee. Lunch will be at a typical restaurant, serving the famous St. Peter's Fish. After lunch drive up the Golan Heights to Caesarea Philipi (Banias), which is one of the sources of the Jordan River. Back to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (Mass in Capernaum or Mount of Beatitudes)
Friday November
9 Jordan Valley/Jerusalem/Bethlehem
After breakfast begin your journey to Jerusalem. Start with a visit to the 2000 years old wooden fishermen boat that is hosted at Kibbutz Nof Ginossar – The St. Peter’s Boat. Drive south along the Jordan Valley. On the way view Jericho, the most ancient town in the world and Mount of Temptation. Drive on the Biblical old road to Jerusalem. Enter the Holy City with a special ceremony. Drive to Bethlehem, visit the Church of Nativity and view the Shepherds' Field. Free time for shopping. On the way back to Jerusalem, stop for a visit to the Herodium – King Herod’s fortress and tomb. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (Mass in Bethlehem)
After breakfast begin your journey to Jerusalem. Start with a visit to the 2000 years old wooden fishermen boat that is hosted at Kibbutz Nof Ginossar – The St. Peter’s Boat. Drive south along the Jordan Valley. On the way view Jericho, the most ancient town in the world and Mount of Temptation. Drive on the Biblical old road to Jerusalem. Enter the Holy City with a special ceremony. Drive to Bethlehem, visit the Church of Nativity and view the Shepherds' Field. Free time for shopping. On the way back to Jerusalem, stop for a visit to the Herodium – King Herod’s fortress and tomb. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (Mass in Bethlehem)
Saturday
November 10 Mt. of Olives/Garden of
Gethsemane/Pool of Bethesda/Via Dolorosa/Holy Sepulcher/Mt. Zion
After breakfast we will dedicate the day to exploring the Holy City. Visit Mount of Olives with its breathtaking view over the Old City of Jerusalem. Here you can see the ancient Jewish cemetery and Oscar Shindler’s grave. Visit the Chapel of Ascension and Pater Noster Church, where we find the "Lord's Prayer" in over 50 languages. Walk down Palm Sunday road to the Church of Dominus Flevit - "the Lord wept". On to the Garden of Gethsemane with the ancient olive trees and visit the Church of All Nations. Nearby we can stop for a short visit at the Garden Tomb. Enter the Old City from the Lions' Gate. Visit St. Anne's Church and the Pools of Bethesda. Continue along the stations of the Via Dolorosa (carrying a wooden cross, if available) to the Holy Sepulcher, where the last Stations of the Cross are located. On to the Jewish Quarter and Mount Zion to visit David's Tomb, the Room of the Last Supper, the Church of the Dormition and the St. Peter in Galicantu Church. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (Mass in Jerusalem)
After breakfast we will dedicate the day to exploring the Holy City. Visit Mount of Olives with its breathtaking view over the Old City of Jerusalem. Here you can see the ancient Jewish cemetery and Oscar Shindler’s grave. Visit the Chapel of Ascension and Pater Noster Church, where we find the "Lord's Prayer" in over 50 languages. Walk down Palm Sunday road to the Church of Dominus Flevit - "the Lord wept". On to the Garden of Gethsemane with the ancient olive trees and visit the Church of All Nations. Nearby we can stop for a short visit at the Garden Tomb. Enter the Old City from the Lions' Gate. Visit St. Anne's Church and the Pools of Bethesda. Continue along the stations of the Via Dolorosa (carrying a wooden cross, if available) to the Holy Sepulcher, where the last Stations of the Cross are located. On to the Jewish Quarter and Mount Zion to visit David's Tomb, the Room of the Last Supper, the Church of the Dormition and the St. Peter in Galicantu Church. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (Mass in Jerusalem)
Sunday November
11 Day 7 - Ein Karem/Yad Vashem/Israel
Museum-Model
After breakfast discover the New City. Drive to Ein Karem, the hometown of St. John the Baptist. Visit the Churches of Visitation and St. John's the Baptists. Continue to Yad Vashem the Holocaust memorial. Drive to the Israel Museum to visit the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are exhibited and visit the Holyland Model of the Holy City as it was 2,000 years ago, in Jesus' times. Conclude the day returning to the Old City to visit the Wailing Wall, the holiest place for the Jewish people. View the Temple Mount with the El Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (Mass in Jerusalem)
After breakfast discover the New City. Drive to Ein Karem, the hometown of St. John the Baptist. Visit the Churches of Visitation and St. John's the Baptists. Continue to Yad Vashem the Holocaust memorial. Drive to the Israel Museum to visit the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are exhibited and visit the Holyland Model of the Holy City as it was 2,000 years ago, in Jesus' times. Conclude the day returning to the Old City to visit the Wailing Wall, the holiest place for the Jewish people. View the Temple Mount with the El Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (Mass in Jerusalem)
Monday November
12 Day 8 - Free Day in Jerusalem
(Optional Bethany/Dead Sea/Qumran/Masada)
(Early morning Mass in Jerusalem) After breakfast free day for personal activities or take an optional tour to Masada at an additional cost ($110 per person):
(Early morning Mass in Jerusalem) After breakfast free day for personal activities or take an optional tour to Masada at an additional cost ($110 per person):
Drive to Bethany, visit the Tomb
of Lazarus and the House of Mary and Martha. Continue to the Good
Samaritan Inn. Drive to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth.
Visit Qumran, where John the Baptist may have lived with the Essenes and
where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls where written and found. Continue
along the Dead Sea shore to Masada. Ascend and descend by cable car. Visit the
amazing fortress built by King Herod. Walk along the remains of the palaces,
bath-house, walls, the synagogue and the Byzantine Church. Hear the tragic
story of the last stronghold of the Zealots fighters. Drive to the Dead Sea,
the lowest point and the saltiest body of water on earth. Enjoy a dip in these
salty waters, where you can float on this amazing lake.
Special Farewell dinner at the hotel with Pilgrimage Certificates and
overnight in Jerusalem.
Tuesday
November 13 Day 9 - Transfer and
prepare to fly back to USA
(Morning
Mass in Jerusalem) After
breakfast pack your suitcase and check out of the hotel. Visit Hadassah Hospital and see the famous Chagall Windows, stop at the Knesset – the Israel Parliament, to see the
famous Menorah and the Eternal Flame. On to visit Yad Kennedy and the Kennedy forest, which is a
memorial for President JF Kennedy. Drive to Old Jaffa where we can see the house of John the tanner. Transfer to the airport for our
different flights back home.
Wednesday/Thursday
November 14/15 Day 10/11 - Arrive back home
Arrive back home
No doubt when I arrive
back home, I will be under jet lag for several weeks. It always bothers me more coming East to
West. Forgive me if I am bleary
eyed. But know too that I will be
grateful to be home and will be glad that you have journeyed with me in spirit. We will have much to be thankful for as
Thanksgiving rolls around once more.
Be sure that I am praying for you and
your families and all who are dear to you.
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