13-DAY HOLY LAND & ROME

Today: We start by celebrating Mass at Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle. Here couples may renew their wedding vows and certificate of renewal can be requested from the church. We then go to Nazareth where we visit The Basilica of the Annunciation, St. Joseph’s Church, Mary’s Well and the old market. We also visit Mount Tabor, scene of the Transfiguration. Continue towards Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Tiberias.

Today: We go to visit Mount of Beatitudes (the location of Sermon on the Mount). Tabgha, the site where the miracle of the multiplication of fish and bread took place. Close by, is the Church of Peter’s Primacy the location of the Miraculous Fishing. Continue to Capernaum where Jesus lived, and started his ministry. In the afternoon, Mass will be celebrated on the Boat, on the Sea of Galilee, as was done in the time of Jesus.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Tiberias.

Today: In Bethlehem we visit the Shepherd’s Fields, celebrate Mass here. We also visit the Church of the Nativity that stands upon the site where Jesus was born. In the afternoon, we go to Ein Karem, the birthplace of St. John the Baptist and to the Church of the Visitation, where the Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the ‘Magnificat’.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Today: We visit the Mt. of Olives and The Pater Noster where Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer to his disciples. We walk the Palm Sunday route stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see The Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed his last prayer before his arrest. Mass will be here at the Church of all Nations. We make a stop at the Chapel of the Ascension, located on the site where Jesus ascended into Heaven after his resurrection. This afternoon, we drive to the hill of Mount Zion, the highest point in ancient Jerusalem. It is dominated by the Church of the Dormition. The location is identified in Christian tradition as the place where the Virgin Mary died or “fell asleep”, as the name suggests. End our day at St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied our Lord thrice.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Today: 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 to celebrate Mass. At St. Anne’s Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parent’s Saints Joachim and Anne, we’ll stop for a short prayer. We pass the Ecce Home where Pilate proclaimed “Behold the man”; then on to the Wailing Wall, the most holy place for the Jews. The rest of the day is open for visits to other Holy Sites, shopping or resting at your hotel.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Today: We visit Bethany, site where Lazarus lived with his sisters Martha and Maria. After visiting Lazarus church, continue to the Jordan River to renew our baptismal vows. Drive down the Jordan Valley and stop at the oasis town of Jericho. Visit the excavations of the oldest city in the world. We view the Mt. of Temptation where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan. We will visit the excavations of Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered. 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.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Bethlehem.

Today: Travel to Tel Aviv airport and depart for Rome. Upon arrival in the beautiful city of Rome we board our coach bus for a panoramic view of the “Eternal City”. We stop for lunch and then travel to your hotel to relax and settle in. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore and enjoy the splendor of Rome.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Rome.

Today: Attend a public papal audience. Visit Vatican-Museums. Explore St. Peter’s Basilica. Visit Tomb of St. John Paul II in St. Sebastian’s Chapel. Then we celebrate Mass. The afternoon will be at leisure in the “Eternal City”.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Rome.

Today: We begin our day by traveling to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Mother. It contains a relic from the manger. From here, we visit the Scala Sancta, the stairs Christ climbed to stand before Pontius Pilate. Those who wish may climb the stairs, as is the custom, on their knees. Nearby we visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran which was once the residents for popes. It is here that St. Francis persuaded Pope Innocent III to give permission to begin the Franciscan Order. We visit the Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls where the body of St. Paul is buried. It is the second-largest Basilica in Rome and one of the five largest in the world.  At the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, is located on the spot where tradition says Saint Peter had a vision of the risen Christ while fleeing persecution in Rome. He convinced Peter to turn around and face crucifixion himself in Rome. Christ gave him the courage to follow him to martyrdom, as foretold in the Gospels. Finally, we visit the catacombs of St. Callixtus which are among the greatest and most important of Rome.  Here are buried early martyrs and popes of the early church.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Rome.

Today: We travel to Assisi, the birth place of St. Francis and St Clare of Assisi. Visit the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels, site of the “Porciuncula”. The Convent of St Damian, the Basilica of St Francis where his tomb is. The Basilica of St Clare. Return to Rome.

Evening: Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at your hotel in Rome.

Today: This morning we will transfer to the airport to catch our return flight home.