|
|
| ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
|
|
If you desire to draw closer to Jesus of Nazareth, come, as we follow in His footsteps. Each day of your pilgrimage you will have time to renew and affirm your faith; to pray and reflect. The Scriptures will come alive as you visit Our Lord's homeland. You will be inspired by the natural beauty of the landscape, in addition to its rich historical heritage It is an encounter that has changed the lives of many pilgrims, an act of faith and prayer. Pilgrims have been traveling to the Holy Land for hundreds of years, and as part of your pilgrimage, we include many of the rich traditions that have evolved over time.
YOUR TRIP INCLUDES:
~ 1 night: Mercure Suites, Bat Yam ~ 3 nights: Hotel Cicerone or Quirinale, Rome
~ 2 nights: Hotel
Gran Paradiso, San Giovanni Rotondo ~ 2 nights: Hotel Mediteraneo, Florence ~ 2 nights: Hotel Biri, Padua ~ 4 nights: A modern home/hotel with private baths in Medjugorje  Breakfast and dinner daily Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach Guided tours and admission fees Catholic Priest as Spiritual Director and Mass daily Luggage handling
Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Lunches, Drinks with dinners, Travel Insurance optional at $99-$225. Tips to your guide & driver (Euro 6-8 per day) Items of a personal nature.
Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - USA- Warsaw Board a transatlantic flight bound for Poland. Dinner served on board. Day 2 - Warsaw Your tour director is at the airport to warmly greet you and soon you're comfortably settled at your hotel. Upon arrival Mass at St. James Church, the church St. Faustina went when she arrived in Warsaw. The rest of the day is to relax. This evening enjoy welcome dinner and a show at a local restaurant. After breakfast we visit all the landmarks of Warsaw: Old Town, Market Square, the Barbican, the Warsaw Ghetto monument, Lazienki Park, the Chopin statue, and the magnificently restored Royal Castle. Visit and Mass at Visit 3-9 Zytnia Street where Faustina entered the convent. Dinner and overnight. After breakfast, we travel to Czestochowa, with a stop in Swinice Warckie to visit the parish church St. Casimir where St. Faustina was baptized Helen Kowalska. Continue to Niepokalanow, see a franciscan Monastery founded by St. Maximillian Kolbe and home of Basilica of Virgin Mary. Next stop is the site of Poland's greatest pilgrimage shrine, Our Lady of Czestochowa. Dinner and overnight
Mass and Visit Jasna Gora Monastery with the Black Madonna picture. One of the most important places of religious worship in the Christian world, with tradition of pilgrimages that goes back to the 14th century. Our Holy Father has frequently visited Jasna Gorna Monastery, known as the Shrine of the Black Madonna. We celebrate Mass at the Pauline Monastery and venerate the priceless treasures contained within, including the Miraculous Icon. Next travel to Zakopane, with a stop along the way in Wadowice, the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla. Visit the house where the Pope, John Paul II, was born. It has since been turned into a shrine-like museum. We will also visit the church he was attended and was baptized as a child. Next we continue on to Zakopane, a resort village nestled in the splendor of the Tatras region. This afternoon we take a cable car ride to the nearby mountaintop for extraordinary views. Dinner and overnight. Before we leave beautiful Zakopane, for the great city of Krakow, we invite you to follow a short distance on one of John Paul II's walking trails of the Zakopane region, a beautifully situated place within Tatras Mountains in the valley between Gubalowka and Giewont. Zakopane and its vicinity is something of a mountain folklore reserve, with many pearls of typical wooden architecture. Horse-drawn carriages will take you to Kalatowki (optional). Admire picturesque landscapes of Polish highest mountains and visits the Hermitage of St. Brother Albert, founder of the Albertines Order. A short walk along colorful Krupowki Street for some last minute shopping in the local bazaar. On route to Krakow we will stop at the Tieliczka Salt Mines. Upon arrival in Krakow, settled in, then perhaps a short stroll in the old city before or after your dinner.. After breakfast we explore Market Square and hear the silver trumpet of the bugler from St Mary's Tower. Within the Cathedral you may pray before the extraordinary Wit Stwosz altar. The surroundings of the square have remained unchanged for almost 700 years and contain buildings of historic value such as St. Mary’s Church with the famous wooden altar, the Town Hall Tower, the Cloth Hall and the burgher’s houses. Tour the Cathedral, Coronation Chapel and the Royal Chambers where a superb collection of Arras tapestries is on view. In the afternoon we go to Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration camp. We will see the cell that imprisoned St Maximillian Kolbe and the Martyrdom Museum recalling the horrors of the Holocaust. Return to Krakow for dinner and overnight.
After breakfast we depart for our day's excursion to Lagiewniki. The capital of the Divine Mercy. It was here that originated the message of the Divine Mercy, which Christ Himself wished to pass on to our generation, through the mediation of St. Faustina. The Sanctuary houses grace-working image of Merciful Jesus and the relics of St. Faustina. We will visit the Shrine of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina's convent chapel, and we will visit St. Faustina's Tomb. Return to Krakow for our farewell dinner.
Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. Exit terminal at the sign marked "groups" and meet your local guide who will escort you to our hotel on the coast. Dinner and overnight.
Day 10 – Galilee Caesarea, Mt Carmel, Stella Maris, Carmelites, Cana, Nazareth, Basilica of the Annunciation We travel via the coast to Caesarea, where the Romans held Paul prisoner. Visit the Roman and Crusader ruins. Drive through the Carmel Mountains heading for the Galilee. In Haifa, visit Stella Maris, a Carmelite Monastery with the Madonna of Mt Carmel. Continue to Mukhraka where Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal and where the Carmelite Order was started. Drive to Cana, the village of Jesus' first miracle of changing water into wine; here couples may renew their wedding vows. Continue to the Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth where we will celebrate Mass and visit Mary's Well and the Church of the Angel Gabriel. Dinner and overnight in the Galilee.
Day 11 - The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee: Tiberias, Boat ride, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt. Beatitudes, Caesarea Philippi Some of today's highlights are a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to see the synagogue and St Peter's house, a visit to the Mount of the Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount was given, to Tabgha to see the splendid mosaic about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and to the nearby Church of Peter's Primacy where Peter was told " Feed my lambs, feed my sheep." There will be an unforgettable Mass near the shores of the Sea of Galilee at the Primacy or Mt Beatitudes. In the afternoon we visit Caesarea Philippi, location of the testimony of St. Peter and where Jesus answered him “You are the Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church.” Dinner and overnight at your hotel in the Galilee.
Day 12 – Jordan River & Mt Tabor We start the day by going remembering our Baptism at the Jordan River. Continue to Mount Tabor, scene of the Transfiguration, where we will have Mass. Drive down the Jordan Valley and head towards Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 13 – Jerusalem and Bethlehem: Mt Olives, Church of Visitation, Shepherd’s Fields, Church of the Nativity On the first day in Jerusalem we present an overview for a better understanding of its geography and some of the key sites surrounding the area. This includes a dramatic view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives, revealing a city with 4000 years of history. From this vantage point see much of what makes Jerusalem such a unique city to the three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We then head to the village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of St John the Baptist and to the Church of Visitation where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the 'Magnificat'. In the afternoon we drive to the Shepherd's Fields where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. Then we visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem that stands upon the site where Jesus was born. Mass in Bethlehem or the Shepherds Fields. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 14 – Jerusalem, The Passion of Jesus' Last Hours: Mt Olives, Palm Sunday, Dominus Flevit, Gethsemane, Cave of Betrayal, Cave of Assumption, Pater Noster We begin our day with a visit to Mt. of Olives to walk the Palm Sunday route stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Then to Gethsemane, the Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed His last prayer before his arrest. Visit the cave of betrayal then the cave of Assumption of Mary to heaven. Back on the Mt of Olives we visit the Pater Noster with the Lords Prayer in many languages, and the Ascension from where ascended to Heaven. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 15 – Stations of the Cross, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, St Anne’s Church, Ecce Homo, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Wailing Wall, Upper Room, Dormition Early in the morning we retrace the last steps of Jesus. As we walk along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow), through the markets of the Old City praying the Stations of the Cross, we reflect on the greatness of His sacrifice. Finally we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Mass. After breakfast at our hotel we return to the Old City of Jerusalem to visit St. Anne’s Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parents Saints Joachim and Anne. We pass the Ecce Homo where Pilate proclaimed “Behold the man”; then the Wailing Wall, the most holy place for Jews. Nearby is the Dome of the Rock and the Haram al Sharif or Temple Mount. We exit at Mt Zion. At the Cenacle we visit the Upper Room of the Last Supper. Next we go to Dormition Abbey where we believe the Blessed Mary died. We end the day at St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Him thrice. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 16 - The Wilderness: Bethany, Jericho, Mt Temptation, Dead Sea We begin our day with a visit to Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The desert east of Jerusalem is rich in Christian tradition. Further east, just off the Roman road that Jesus 'walked', is Wadi Qelt gorge, site of the Monastery of St George. At the oasis town of Jericho, visit the excavations of the oldest city in the world and view Mt. Temptation where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan. On the way back there is time for a swim (or rather a float!) in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, renowned for its healing properties. In the afternoon, there will be time for you to revisit some of your favorite sites and time for last minute buying of gifts for your loved ones. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 17 - Jerusalem - Tel Aviv - Rome Early morning departure for Tel Aviv airport for our flight(s) to Rome. Upon arrival your escort will warmly greet you this morning and welcome you to Italy. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy a free afternoon for rest, relaxation, or exploration. You tour escort can suggest sights or walks for you to enjoy
Day 18 - Rome (Papal Audience and Vatican Museum Tour)Wake up in Eternal City, one of the greatest centers of Western Civilization and the first truly cosmopolitan city on earth! It is also spiritual capital for all the Catholics around the world. Today is truly a day we will have in our minds for many years to come. This morning we go to Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience or Blessing given by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (pending papal schedule). Following the audience visit of the Vatican Museums, a group of most impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries filled with art treasures. See awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We'll cover The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms and the most overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Masterpiece, restored mural of the Last Judgment. Later, enter the largest church in Christendom St Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty, a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims come from around the world, St Peter's is the grandest of the world's churches. Marvel Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. We will also visit the grave of Pope John Paul II located at the Vatican (time permitting). Before dinner, we'll have some time at leisure, to explore your own paths, to shop, or just to sit in one of the outside cafes and watch the world go by.
Day 19 - RomeThis morning we depart for a sightseeing tour with focus on "Christian Rome" .Touring we will see many important cultural and monumental sights around Rome. Stop for a visit at three major Basilicas: St Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, a shrine that contains a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus. The Basilica of the St John in Lateran, is the former residence of the popes prior to their return to Rome in 1377. St Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St Paul under its main altar. We will also see the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus, Chapel "O'Domine Quo Vadis?" the remains of imperial tombs, Tomb of Celilia Metella, and the catacombs of St Callixtus where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. Dinner and overnight for your last evening in Rome.
Day
20
-
Rome
- Monte Cassino -
San Giovanni Rotondo
Day 21 - San Giovanni Rotondo- Monte Sant’AngeloAfter celebrating Mass at the tomb of Padre Pio, we tour the sanctuary, see the old church and the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918. We will have an opportunity to view his exhumed body (through September 2009). You will see the confessional where Padre Pio spent innumerable hours with a multitude of pilgrims, directing them on their journey toward God. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Cargano Peninsula and a visit to the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Six different popes, St Francis and at least four other saints have knelt in prayer at this grotto, seeking the protection of St Michael. A panoramic view of the ocean and the surrounding countryside awaits you at this most celebrated shrine of early Christianity, a shrine consecrated by St Michael himself in 490. Return to San Giovanni for devotions, reflection, and a restful overnight.
Day 22 - San Giovanni Rotondo - Lanciano - Loreto - Assisi We will have breakfast at our hotel before we embark on a drive up the Adriatic coast to Lanciano where we will see the Eucharistic Miracle and celebrate Mass. We then continue on to the great Marian shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto. More than 50 popes have made a pilgrimage to the house transported by angels to this hill in central Italy in 1294. Tradition has it that this is the house in which Mary first prayed the Magnificat, in which Jesus grew to manhood, and in which the Holy Family lived. Continue to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 23 - Assisi Visit the tomb of St Francis. Explore the quaint hilltop birthplace of St Francis that still retains something of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period when St Francis began his ministry. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of the saint's possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St Francis, asking him to rebuild His church. It was in St Mary of the Angels Basilica where St Francis spent most of his life. Here we visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retired for prayer. Stroll the medieval streets of the compact little town. After stopping at an outdoor cafe with a view of an ancient Roman temple, we go to the Church of St Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. We will visit these two saints' tombs before dinner and retiring for the evening.
Day 24 - Assisi - Sienna We are off to the beautiful town of Siena, the birthplace of Saints Catherine and Bernardine and one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities. Here we will stroll the Piazza Del Campo, one of Italy’s finest squares and visit the Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Francis, containing the miraculous consecrated hosts that remained intact since 1730. View the incorrupt head of St. Catherine at the Basilica of St. Dominic. Return to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 25 - Assisi - Florence After a brief drive through the beautiful Tuscan countryside, we arrive in Florence. A paradise for art lovers, Florence drew to itself the greatest artists of the Renaissance: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello and many others. Dinner and overnight. * Special groups may chose to make a stop or travel via Norcia, Cascia and city of Spoleto. (Cascia including basilica and monastery of St.Rita and St. Francis; Norcia surrounded with town walls includes the St.Benedict's basilica and cathedral of Santa Maria Argentea; Spoleto to visit the Cathedral and the old town.)
Day 26 - Florence (afternoon optional tour to Pisa ) After Mass, we will enjoy guided tour of Florence which includes magnificent Franciscan church of The Holy Cross or Santa Croce with the beautiful facade, church is a burial place of nobles, among which is Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Walking tour through Piazza Signoria, pass by Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio. Continue through Republic Sqare to the Santa Maria del Fiore 13th century cathedral.
Day 27 - Florence - Padua
Next stop is Padua, where St Anthony, patron saint of lost things is honored. After Mass, at the Basilica built in his honor, we continue on a sightseeing tour including one of the oldest universities,
Tomb of St. Anthony and his relics . Pass by Pratto Della Valle, one of the biggest squares in Italy, basilica of Santa Giustina. Some time to relax before dinner. Overnight in Padua. Day 28 - Padua : Excursion to Venice After breakfast leave for Venice (Padua is Only * 25 miles away from Venice) for tour and visit of some of the greatest sights you’ll ever see: St. Mark’s Square, The Golden Basilica of San Marco, the Bridge of Sighs, and the extraordinary visit of Dodges’ Palace. After tour you will have some free time to shop, to explore Venice on own and perhaps take an optional gondola ride, or enjoy an afternoon at a charming cafe. Return to Padua for our dinner and overnight.
Day 29 - Venice -
Note:
For more general information on Israel please visit the Israel Government Tourist Office
For Additional Information & Travel Tips Visit: What to Know Before You Go to Israel Any questions? Call 800-206-TOUR - or - E-Mail Us
| ||||||||||||||
