Catholic Voice Holy Land Pilgrimage 10 days

Asia
Afghanistan
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
China
East Timor
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian Territories
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Syria
Tadzhikistan
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Aarab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen

Created: 21.05.2016

   Monday, February 6 - 1 tlv - xfer, 8 TM, 1AM, 2 tib, 7.5 Coach, 4 Jer, Farewell, Day 1 - DEPART ??? Today we depart San Francisco to connect with our overnight flight to Tel Aviv. We enjoy in-flight movies, dinner and breakfast aloft. Tuesday, February 7 - Day 2 - TEL AVIV - We arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Our Unitours tour guide will meet us and remain with us for the duration of the pilgrimage. We transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Wednesday, February 8 - Day 3 - TIBERIAS - We depart our hotel for Caesarea along the Mediterranean and visit the Roman and Crusader remains.  We continue to Mt. Carmel, where we visit the site of Elijah's confrontation with the priests of Baal. We drive on to Nazareth and walk through the local bazaars.  Following personal prayer time, we celebrate Mass at the Church of the Annunciation, where the Word became Flesh!  We drive to the village of Cana, the site of Jesus' first miracle, where our married couples may renew their wedding vows. Dinner and overnight at our hotel. Thursday, February 9 - Day 4 - TIBERIAS - This morning we take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to the seaside village of Kibbutz Ginosar to view the historic archaeological discovery of ???The Jesus Boat.???  On to Capernaum, where we see the remains of the village synagogue and the new church built atop St. Peter's house.  Next we drive to the Mount of Beatitudes, where we have time for personal meditation in the beautiful gardens.  Here we visit Tabgha and the Franciscan Church of St. Peter's Primacy, where Jesus made His appearance after the resurrection.  We will also see the Benedictine Basilica of the Loaves and Fishes. This afternoon we drive to Mt. Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration, where we have a time for personal prayer.  Our day concludes in Magdala, where we celebrate Mass in the beautiful boat chapel. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Friday, February 10 - Day 5 - JERUSALEM ??? We begin our day by renewing our Baptismal promises in the River Jordan. On route to Judea, we stop at the newly excavated Roman ruins at Beth Shean.  We continue south through the Jordan Valley visiting Jericho and viewing the Mount of Temptation.  We travel to Bethany and visit Lazarus' tomb and the Church of Martha and Mary where we celebrate Mass. Finally, we make our thrilling entry into Jerusalem before arriving at our hotel for dinner and overnight. Saturday, February 11 - Our Lady of Lourdes - Day 6 - JERUSALEM - This morning we visit the place of the Ascension and pass by the Church of the Pater Noster. We view the beautiful City of Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives.  We then walk down the hill to Dominus Flevit Chapel, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem and on to the Garden of Gethsemane, where we have time for personal prayer and celebrate Mass at the Church of All Nations. Following lunch, we continue to the New City passing by the Knesset and Hebrew University.  We visit Yad Vashem, the moving memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Our final stop will be at Ein Karem, where John the Baptist was born and Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth to utter the words of the Magnificat.  Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Sunday, February 12 - Day 7 - JERUSALEM - Today we drive to Bethlehem, The House of Bread, to visit the Church of the Nativity that commemorates the birth of Christ.  We visit the Manger, Crusader's Cloister, and the Grotto of St. Jerome, where we celebrate the Christmas Mass.  We then return to the Judean wilderness first visiting the excavations at Qumran, the home of the Essenes connected with John the Baptist and the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Weather permitting; we have an opportunity to swim in the salty, yet clear waters of the Dead Sea, the lowest place. (Swim lockers not included.) On our return to Jerusalem, we pass by the traditional site of the Inn of the Good Samaritan.  Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Monday, February 13 - Day 8 - JERUSALEM ??? We will begin our day with a drive along the Kidron Valley stopping at St. Peter in Gallicantu (The Cock Crows), where Jesus was held in the house of the High Priest Caiaphas.  We enter the Old City through Lion's Gate, where we visit the Church of St. Ann (Mary???s mother) and the Pool of Bethesda.  We visit Pilate???s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos, Arch of Ecce Homo and the Convent of the Sisters of Zion.  We prayerfully walk the Stations of The Cross along the Via Dolorosa concluding at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We celebrate Mass in the Old City today.  This afternoon is free for rest, shopping or personal adventure. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Tuesday, February 14 - Day 9 - JERUSALEM ??? Today we visit Mt. Zion to see the tomb of King David, the Church of Dormition and pray in the Upper Room.  We enter the Old City through Zion Gate making our way to the Western (Wailing) Wall.  We also see the Cardo and the remains of Hezekiah's wall. We travel to Abu Gosh, one of the traditional sites of Emmaus, where Jesus appeared on the road on the first Easter Sunday.  We celebrate our closing Holy Land Mass here.  Afterwards we return to our hotel for our final dinner and overnight. Wednesday, February 15 - Day 10 - USA ??? Early this morning, we transfer to the airport to begin our return trip to the USA where we arrive home later today with unforgettable memories to cherish always.  Knowing we have walked in the footsteps of Jesus and the early Christians bring new meaning to our Scripture reading and celebration of Mass.