Day 1, Monday 26th April - Journey to the Holy Land
We gather at London Heathrow Airport for our
morning flight to Tel Aviv. On arrival we will be met by our guide
and driven north along the Mediterranean coast to our hotel, Nof
Ginosar on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight
stay by Galilee.
Day 2, Tuesday 27th April - Tabgha, Nazareth, Sephoris & Cana
We begin with prayer at Tabgha, then drive up
to Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up. Here we visit the
Basilica of the Annunciation, built over the traditional site of the
home of the Holy Family. After Mass in the Basilica we continue to
the Greek Orthodox Church, built over Mary’s Well and the old
Synagogue-Church, before breaking for lunch at St Margaret's. In the
afternoon we drive to the town of Sephoris, which is still under
excavation and a possible site where Jesus and Joseph worked. We
then continue to Cana, the site of Jesus’ first sign to visit the
Wedding Church, built to commemorate Jesus First Miracle and where
we will have the opportunity of renewing Marriage Vows, before
finally returning to the lake and our hotel by Galilee for dinner
and overnight stay.
Day 3, Wednesday, 28th April - Primacy, Capernaum & Hamat Gader
After an early breakfast we drive to the
Primacy Church (for Meditation) and after we set off on foot and
walk along the shores of the lake to the ancient fishing village of
Capernaum for Mass over the House of Peter. Visit the excavations of
the old synagogue, foundations date back to the time of Jesus. We
leave Capernaum by boat and sail across the Sea of Galilee to
Kibbutz En Gev on the eastern shores of the lake and proceed to
visit Beth Saida and Kursi, the site of the Gaderine Swine. After a
break for lunch we drive south along the lake to Roman and Byzantine
mineral hot springs at Hamat Gader in the Yarmuk valley for
relaxation. We then return to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay
by Galilee.
Day 4, Thursday, 29th April - Corozain, Dan, & Caesarea Philippi
We begin our day at Dalmanutha for Mass by the
lakeside and then we continue to Chorazin, before driving up into
the Golan Heights via the Hula Valley to visit the ancient ruins of
Dan, the site on the ancient Cannanite town of Laish (Lesham). The
tribe of Dan took the city, rebuilt it and renamed it Dan. We then
continue to Banias (Greek Panias) and Caesarea Philippi in the
foothills of Mount Hermon. A spring fed by the melting snow of Mount
Hermon forms a source of the River Jordan. It was near here, that
Jesus walked with his disciples and Peter made his great profession
of faith in Him. We return to the lake after visiting Nimrud Castle
and nearby Druze villages. Dinner and overnight by Galilee.
Day 5, Friday, 30th April - Safed, Acre & Rosh Hanikra
After breakfast we drive to the Primacy Church
for Mass, then we continue up to the town of Safed, once a great
intellectual centre of the Jewish revival. It is still today, a
centre for Jewish studies of the scriptures, mysticism and
symbolism, based upon the Mishnah and Talmud. In addition it is a
beautiful artists colony with lovely galleries, craft workshops and
ancient synagogues. Leaving Safed we drive down to the Mediterranean
coast to visit the ancient Crusader city port of Acre. After a break
for lunch we proceed to Rosh Hanikra (if open), on the Lebanese
border to descend by lift to visit the sea caves. Return to our
lakeside hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6, Saturday, 1st May - Mount Tabor, Caesarea & Mt Carmel
Leaving our hotel after an early breakfast we
drive to the village of Nain, then on to Mount Tabor, where we
continue by taxi to the summit for Mass in the basilica built on the
site of the Transfiguration of Jesus before Peter, James and John.
From the roof top one can look across the Valley of Jezreel and the
plains of Armageddon. On descending Mount Tabor we drive down to
the Mediterranean and south along the coastline to the Roman and
Crusader city-port of Caesarea Maritima, where we break for lunch.
In the afternoon we visit the ancient harbour, it’s fortifications,
twin water aqueducts and reassembled theatre. Paul was imprisoned
here for almost two years before his trial in Rome. For Christians
it is a place of great significance, as it was here that Peter
baptised the first Gentile, Cornelius the Roman Centurion. From the
coast we drive up in to the Carmel Range of mountain and time
permitting we will visit Mukraka, the traditional site where Elijah
was challenged by the prophets of Baal. Finally we return to Galilee
and our lakeside hotel. Dinner and overnight by Galilee.
Day 7, Sunday, 2nd May - Mount of Beatitudes, Beit Alpha,
Today we leave Galilee and proceed south to
Jerusalem. We begin by driving up to the summit of the Mount of
Beatitudes for Mass in the open air overlooking the places where
Jesus lived and worked, then south along the shores of the lake via
Deganya to the new baptism site at Yardenit, where we will have the
opportunity of renewing our Baptism Vows. We then visit the recently
excavated Decapolis city of Beit Shean, biblical Scythopolis and the
mosaics of the Beit Alpha synagogue, before proceeding along the
Jordan Valley to the oasis city Jericho, the city of palms and break
for lunch. In the afternoon we view the Mount of Temptation before
driving up through the hills of the Judean Wilderness towards the
summit of the Mount of Olives and we will have the opportunity of
seeing the stark reality of the vast separation wall being built
around the West Bank. If time permits w will drive to the summit of
Mount Scopus for a breathtaking view of the Old City and its
magnificent medieval walls, before proceeding down to our hotel by
the Old City. Dinner and overnight stay at the Notre Dame Centre
Day 8, Monday, 3rd May - Bethlehem & Ein Karem
After breakfast we drive through the nine-metre
high “separation wall” to Bethlehem and visit the Church of the
Nativity, the oldest in Christendom and built over the cave.
Christmas Mass will be celebrated by St Joseph’s altar close to
Jerome’s Cave below the Church of the Nativity. After visiting the
Milk Groto we proceed to the Shepherds Fields. After a break for
lunch leaving Bethlehem we drive to the village of Ein Karem, to
visit the church of the Visitation and home of John the Baptist.
Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9, Tuesday 4th May - Bethany, Qumran, Masada, The Dead Sea & Ein Gedi
Today we leave Jerusalem after an early
breakfast for a full day tour of the Dead Sea basin. We begin with
Mass in Bethany, the home and tomb of Lazarus, before driving down
to the Dead Sea. We begin by visiting Qumran, the site where the
Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in a nearby cave by a Bedouin
Shepherd. We will also visit the excavations of the Essene monastery
where the scrolls may have originated. We then continue south along
the shoreline to Masada and ascend the summit by cable car to visit
Herod’s Palace. It was here that Jewish Partisans committed mass
suicide during the Jewish revolt. From Masada we will continue
driving south to Ein Gedi and break for lunch and the opportunity to
bathe in the unique mineral laden waters of the Dead Sea. We then
return north and back up to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10, Wednesday, 5th May - Mount of Olives & Mount Zion
Today we drive to the top of the Mount of
Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem, before visiting Beth
Phage. We then walk down the Palm Sunday path to the Garden of
Gethsemane and on route we visit the Church of the Pater Noster
which attests to the existence of a cave on the Mount of Olives
associated with Jesus’ teaching and the Ascension to the Church of
Dominus Flevit, commemorating the site where Jesus wept over the
destruction of the city. Visit Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed
by Judas. The Church of All Nations is located on the traditional
site where Jesus prayed and built over the agony rock. We the cross
the Kidron Valley and drive up Mount Zion to visit St Peter in
Gallicantu, the house of Caiaphas, the pool of Siloam and the
Cenacle, Franciscan Room of the Last Supper, and where we will
celebrate Mass. Evening Holy Hour at Gethsemane. Dinner and
overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 11, Thursday, 6th May - The Old City & David's Citadel
After breakfast we enter the Old Walled city by
St Stephen’s (Lion Gate) for a mornings tour of the Old City foot.
We begin by visiting the Crusader church of St Anne’s by the pools
of Bethesda, before beginning the Way of Cross (Full scriptural
stations visit) along the Via Dolorosa including the Ecce Homo Arch,
the Lithostratus “the pavement. View from the roof of the Antonia
Fortress the Temple Areas. Proceed through the Souks and over the
roof of the Holy Sepulchre and through the Ethiopian Monastery to
the Holy Sepulchre. Visit the Basilica built over the tomb on
Calvary. We will celebrate Mass (Resurrection) in the Franciscan
Chapel. We then visit the Citadel. After a break for lunch we will
be free to explore the Old City. Dinner and overnight stay in
Jerusalem.
Day 12, Friday, 7th May - Emmaus & Joppa
This morning we set off after breakfast for
Emmaus at Abu Ghosh for mass in the beautiful Crusader Church and
after we visit the the Monastery (Kiriath Jearim). From Emmaus we
drive to Joppa, modern Jaffa on the Mediterranean visiting Ha Elah,
the battlefield of David and Goliath and Beth Shemesh on route.
After time to explore Jaffa we return to Jerusalem for dinner and
overnight stay.
Day 13, Saturday 8th May - Mount Zion & Our journey home
In the morning we drive up to the Dormition Abbey, on Mount Zion,
where we will bring the Pilgrimage to a close with a Pentecost Mass
and visit the Shrine of Our Lady in crypt. We then continue to Tel
Aviv's Ben Gurion visiting Kiriath Yearim Church on route. Afternoon
flight to London, arriving back at Heathrow in the evening. |
