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Find Jesus in The Holy Land

For most Catholics, a Pilgrimage to The Holy Land is a Bucket-List trip, and life goal. A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to Holy and Sacred places in our world – God calls on us to take pilgrimages to walk towards Him, deepen our faith, and to know Him more fully. A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land has so much to offer, as you can visit the sites where your favorite Bible verses took place, and literally walk where Jesus walked and feel profoundly connected to Him.

The Holy Land Checklist
Finding Jesus

Here is a checklist of Catholic sites where you can find Jesus in The Holy Land

1. Cana – [John 2:1-11]

This town is the site where Jesus performed His first public miracle, turning water into wine at a wedding, at the request of The Blessed Mother Mary.

Many married couples travel in pilgrimage to Cana and renew their vows at the Franciscan Church.

2. Nazareth – [Matthew 13:54-58]

In Nazareth, you can visit the site of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s home, and tour the town where Jesus lived as a child. Here, you can see the Church of the Annunciation, the Byzantine Church of St. Joseph, and Mary’s Well. Though Jesus lived much of his life in Nazareth, he was famously rejected here by the community upon returning to his home town.

3. The Sea of Galilee – [Luke 5:1]

This astonishing natural beauty is the site where Jesus spoke the word of God to many listeners and encouraged Peter and several fishermen to cast their nets once more after a night of unproductive fishing, to reveal a miraculously fruitful bounty.

4. Tabgha – [Luke 9:10-17]

Tabgha is the town where Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 people from just five loaves of bread, and two fish. Here you can also visit “Peter’s Primacy”, the Church that commemorates Jesus’ reinstating of Peter as an Apostle.

5. Capernaum – [Matthew 4]

Here you can see the Synagogue where Jesus taught and launched His Ministry as well as the Church that was built over the original site of Peter’s home.

6. Mount of Beatitudes – [Luke 6:20-49]

Visit the site where Jesus delivered his powerful Sermon on the Mount.

7. Mount Tabor – [Matthew 17:1-50]

Mount Tabor is where the miracle of Jesus’ Transfiguration took place. You can celebrate Mass at the Franciscan Church of the Transfiguration that sits atop the Mount.

8. Bethlehem – [Matthew 2:1-18]

Bethlehem is home to the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square. It is in the Grotto of the Nativity that you can see the place of Jesus’ birth – marked by a star in the floor. There is also a relic of the original manger there. As “Votive” Masses are said in the Holy Land, St. Catherine’s is where you celebrate Christmas Mass – today and every day!

9. The River Jordan – [Matthew 3:13-17]

At the River Jordan you can experience the place where Jesus was Baptized by John.

10. Gethsemane- [Luke 22:29-53]

Gethsemane sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives. It was in this garden that Jesus spent his final night. Pilgrims come to this beautiful garden, which houses trees with roots that go back to the time of Jesus, to reflect and mourn. Nearby is the Church of All Nations, which houses the Rock of Agony – the very rock which Jesus wept over Jerusalem and prayed alone on the night of his arrest.

11. Mount Zion [Luke 22:33-34] & [Matthew 26:17-30]

At the Church of Peter in Gallicantu, on Mount Zion, Peter denied Christ three times. It was also here that you will find the Upper Room, where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the famous Last Supper.

12. Via Dolorosa & the Church of the Holy Sepulcher [Luke 23: 26-33]

Walk the Via Dolorosa, or The Way of the Cross, in the city where Jesus was condemned to death and crucified. The Stations of the Cross goes through the markets in the Old City and ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where the site of Cavalry and the Tomb of Christ is located.

Traveling through these sites, reflecting in prayer and spirituality, will no doubt strengthen your relationships with Christ. Your footsteps will become His as you celebrate Votive Masses in the very places where these miraculous gifts became pages in the Gospel. See where He was back then and feel how He is still there today!

Join 206 Tours and make your Pilgrimage to the Holy Land to experience Him, follow in His footsteps, and see Him in the works He performed.

To visit these sites, see Tour 111 |  The Holy Land: Walk Where Jesus Walked