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Providing Superior Catholic Pilgrimages to
Rome, Italy, Fatima, Lourdes, Medjugorje, Pope John Paul II, Steps of Paul, the
Holy Land, World Youth Day, the Passion Play & more!
The Catholic Pilgrim Office operates tours for
pre-formed groups of 15 or more from U.S. departure cities. Call us about
details and generous host benefits!
The Catholic Pilgrim Office and
The Quest Travel Group
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Day 1:
BEGINNING OUR
PILGRIMAGE. Depart North America via jet
service. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.
Day 2: TEL
AVIV - TIBERIAS. On arrival in Tel
Aviv we are met and assisted and proceed to our
accommodations in Tiberias where our dinner is
served.
 Day
3: TIBERIAS
- MT. OF BEATITUDES - PETERS PRIMACY - TABGHA - CAPERNAUM. We begin our day with a
visit to the most prominent physical landmark around
the Sea of Galilee, towering Mt. Arbel. We then
visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where we celebrate
Mass. We take a walk down from Mt. of
Beatitudes to Mt. Eremos and visit the Cave which
Egeria mentions in her writing.
We visit Tabgha where Jesus fed the
crowd of 5,000. A
short distance away is what is known as “Peter’s
Primacy” - the site where,
after His resurrection, Jesus met with his disciples
and told Peter to “feed my lambs; feed my sheep”
(John 21:9).
From that place we
proceed to Capernaum where Jesus began his
Galilean ministry and see the synagogue that dates
to the time of Jesus and the site of Peter’s home.
Then, an afternoon
boat ride on the Sea of
Galilee, where we recall the episode of Christ
calming the waters. Dinner and the evening are in
our hotel in Tiberias.
 Day
4: TIBERIAS
- NAZARETH. This morning,
we leave for Nazareth -
the site of Mary’s home and the town where Jesus
played as a child, learned a trade and grew to
manhood. Arriving in Nazareth, we
enter the Basilica of the
Annunciation for Mass and continue to see
St. Joseph's Workshop and Mary's Well.
We have the
exceptional opportunity to visit the fascinating
archaeological dig under the Convent of the Sisters
of Nazareth. This
site is not open to the general public.
Day 5: TIBERIAS
- NAZARETH - SEPPHORIS - CANA. This
afternoon, we drive to
Sepphoris to visit the excavations of the ancient
town from the Roman period.
We then travel to Cana, where Jesus
performed His first miracle at the request of his
mother (John 2:1-11).
There, we
visit the Franciscan chapel
where we can participate in the renewal of
wedding vows. We
return to our accommodations in Tiberias for dinner
and the evening.
 Day
6: TIBERIAS
- MT. TABOR - SEA OF GALILEE - JORDAN RIVER - ANCIENT BOAT. We begin today with a
trip to Mount Tabor where Jesus was transformed
before Peter, James and John and they glimpsed a
sign of his glory before
witnessing His passion and death. Following
Mass on Mount Tabor, we travel to the shore of the
Sea of Galilee for an afternoon excursion on the Sea
of Galilee, where we recall the episode of Christ
calming the waters. After our boat ride we head down
to the Jordan River where we recall Jesus’ baptism
in the Jordan River. In this place we have the
opportunity to renew our own baptismal promises.
Before returning to our accommodations for dinner,
we stop to view the ancient boat.
This is a fishing
boat from Jesus' time that was discovered in
the Galilee area. Dinner
and overnight at our hotel.
Day
7: TIBERIAS
- JERICHO - WADI KELT - ST. GEORGE'S MONASTERY - JERUSALEM. Today we travel to
Jericho to get the flavor of the Judean Wilderness
where Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights before
beginning his public ministry. We celebrate Mass in
the Desert overlooking Wadi Kelt. Here also, is
where we find the Greek Monastery of St. George.
The Good Samaritan
story is related to this area. After our visit of
the monastery, we continue
on to Jerusalem. We
enjoy an orientation drive around walls of the Old
City of Jerusalem before checking in at our hotel
for dinner and the evening.
 Day
8: JERUSALEM
- EIN KAREM - SHEPHERD'S FIELD - BETHLEHEM.
Our first stop is in the city of Ein
Karem, the home of Elizabeth and
mother of John the Baptist. It was here that Mary,
the Mother of Jesus, visited her
cousin Elizabeth
following the news that she was with child by the
Holy Spirit. We visit the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist
and the Church of the Visitation. This afternoon we
travel to the Shepherds’ Field and visit the
Shepherds’ Cave. We enter the town of Bethlehem for
Mass at the Church of the Nativity. We return to
our hotel for dinner and the evening.
 Day
9: JERUSALEM
- MT. OF OLIVES - GETHSEMANE. Today
begins with a ride to Mt. Scopus and the Mt. of
Olives where we gain a panoramic view of the old
City of Jerusalem. We
celebrate Mass in a beautiful little church
- Dominus Flevit (“The
Lord wept”.) It was here
that Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke
19:41) prior to his
death. We then walk down the Mt.
of Olives on “Palm Sunday Road” to the Garden of
Gethsemane and we visit the garden and the Church of
All Nations located there. The balance of the day
is at leisure for our private reflections. Dinner
is at our hotel this evening.
Day
10: JERUSALEM
- DOME OF THE ROCK - ST. ANNE - ECCE HOMO ARCH.
Our day begins with a visit to the El
Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, which is built
on the ancient site of Solomon's Temple (Genesis
22:9d-14) and over the Rock of Sacrifice where
Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22),
and the ceremonial
sacrifice of animals took place. Next, we visit the
Church of St. Anne. The church marks the
traditional site of the House of Anne and Joachim
- Mary's parents. Though
various traditions claim Mary was born in Nazareth
or Bethlehem, remnants of the small oratory found
near the church show that the site was revered for
its association with Mary as early as the 3rd
century. We visit the Pool at Bethesda where
Jesus healed the paralytic and visit the Shrine at
the Ecce Homo Arch. Mass is celebrated at the
Convent of the Sisters of Zion. We return to our
hotel for dinner and the evening.
 Day
11: JERUSALEM
- DORMITION ABBEY - CENACLE - CHURCH OF HOLY
SEPULCHER. This morning, we travel
by bus across the Kidron Valley to the eastern slope
of Mt. Zion - the site of
Caiaphas’ Palace where Jesus experienced the Jewish
portion of His trial. The site is known today as
St. Peter in Gallicantu (“crowing
rooster”). Here we
celebrate Mass.
Later, we return to Jerusalem for a visit to the
Dormition Abbey and the Cenacle, where we recall the
Last Supper. We also
visit the restored Roman Cardo. Next,
we visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for a tour
of Calvary and the Tomb of Jesus. There is much
history connected with these sites that is
explained to us by our guide. We return to our
hotel for dinner. Later
we make our way to the Garden of Gethsemane for a
Holy Hour of prayer and reflection.
 Day
12: JERUSALEM
- VIA DOLOROSA - WESTERN WALL. We
begin the morning early as we gather at the Antonia
Palace to walk the Via Dolorosa -
the Way of the Cross. We conclude the Way of the
Cross at the site of Calvary for Mass at the
Crusader’s Chapel in the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher. Following Mass, we return to the hotel
for breakfast. Later, we visit the Western
Wall (Wailing Wall) where the faithful Jews cried
their petitions to God and the Southern Wall
excavations. The balance of the day is at leisure.
We return to our hotel for dinner and the evening.
Day
13: JERUSALEM
- EMMAUS & ABU GHOSH. Today we
drive to Emmaus. It was on the road to Emmaus that
Jesus appeared to his disciples following his
resurrection and revealed himself in the breaking of
the bread (Luke
24:13-35). Our next
stop of the day is at Abu Ghosh, where we recall the
disciples’ post-Resurrection recognition of Christ
in the breaking of the bread. We
celebrate Mass at the Crusader’s Church. We also visit the Benedictine Monastery at Latrun for a
tasting of their ‘heavenly’ elixir. We return to
Jerusalem for dinner and the evening.
Day
14: JERUSALEM.
Today is our day at leisure in the Old
City, and our guide will have some suggestions for
us on possible places to visit.
Day
15: TEL
AVIV - USA. Transfer to Tel Aviv
airport for our return flight.
For Biblical & historical backgrounds of sites in
the Holy Land, see
the Holy Land in Depth at
www.questtravelgroup.com. |
