PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

“IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS”

 September 7 -  18, 2008

ST. MARY OF THE ASSUMPTION PARISH

ST. CATHARINES, ON

Spiritual Director: Father Chris Szczepanik

Day 1   -  TORONTO        

Departure from Toronto on El Al at 1:30pm from Terminal 3, on a  non stop flight to Tel Aviv.

Day 2  -  TEL AVIV / JAFFA   http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Telaviv.html           Arriving in Tel Aviv at 7:40am,  we will be assisted at the airport and taken to the tour bus to meet our tour guide.  We begin our tour in Jaffa which affords us a breathtaking view of the city of Tel Aviv. At this picturesque port city of winding alleys, art galleries and crafts boutiques, King Solomon had the cedars of Lebanon rafted for the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem. We will view the spot of the House of Simon the Tanner.

We will be transferred to our hotel in Tel Aviv. The rest of the day will be spent at leisure, to enjoy a walk along the Mediterranean Sea Promenade or just walk around this lively city. Dinner and overnight in Tel Aviv.

Day 3  -  CAESAREA / MT.CARMEL / MEGIDDO   http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Caesarea.html

We drive north along the Plain of Sharon, the Mediterranean and the old coastal road (the Via Maris which linked Egypt and Babylon) as we journey towards Galilee. We stop at Caesarea, the incredible fortress city built by King Herod the Great. Here, Pontius Pilate had his base; where Cornelius lived and was baptized (Acts 10); where Paul embarked to Tarsus (Acts 9:30) and where Philip preached (Acts 8:40). We will visit the Roman Theatre, the Hippodrome, the Crusader City.

We then travel north towards Haifa and ascend Mt. Carmel, the site where the prophet Elijah fought the 400 false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:30). We will stop for an incredible panoramic view of Haifa and the Bahai Gardens. We turn inland and proceed to Megiddo,one of King Solomon’s walled fortified cities (1 Kings 9:15; 10:26), with ruins of 20 levels of civilization. From here the Books of Daniel and Revelation will come alive as we read about the final Battle of Armageddon, while viewing the Plains of Jezreel.

We will then continue to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight at a Kibbuz Guest House on the Sea of Galilee.

Day 4  -  JESUS’ MINISTRY IN THE GALILEE

http://www.bibleplaces.com/seagalilee.htm

After breakfast, we will start our day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee to Kibbutz Ginossar where we meet our bus and travel to Capernaum, the centre of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and the site of many of his miracles (Mark 2:4; Matt.8:5; 14-7; 9;1-7;17:18). We will see the remains of Peter’s house and the synagogue site where Jesus taught and worshipped (Mark 1:21; Luke 4:31).

We will continue our drive to Tabgha and visit the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes. We stop at Magdala (home of Mary Magdalene); visit the Church of the Primacy before continuing to the Mt. of Beatitudes http://www.bibleplaces.com/mtbeatitudes.htm where Jesus delivered what is perhaps the most famous sermon ever preached – “The Sermon On The Mount” (Matt.5).

We will then proceed to the site of the city of Korazim where there are the remains of a First Century Synagogue where Jesus frequently ministered. We will drive north of the Golan Heights and visit Banias, one of the sources of the Jordan River and the site of ancient “Caesarea Philipi”, where Peter made the confession of faith in Christ (Matt;16:16).

We will return to Tiberias via the east side of the Sea of Galilee stopping at Kursi to see the place where the demons entered the swine and entered the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight at the Kibbutz Guest House

Day 5  -  JORDAN RIVER/CANA/NAZARETH/MT TABOR/BEIT SHEAN

We start the day with a visit to Yardenit, the Baptismal Centre on the Jordan River, then drive to Cana (place of the first miracle) and visit the Church of the Wedding.  We proceed to Nazareth, the boyhood town of Jesus, visit the Church of the Annunciation and visit the grotto under the church that is thought to be the home of Joseph and Mary. We plan to visit Mary’s Well and see the Precipice Point.

From there, we continue to Mt. Tabor, http://www.bibleplaces.com/mounttabor.htm traditional site of the Transfiguration and drive by taxis to the top of the Mount where we will visit the Basilica and have a spectacular view of the Valley of Armageddon (Jezreel Valley). We will continue to Beit Shean, where we will walk through the incredible excavations of the largest ongoing archaeological dig in Israel with its Roman Theatre, colonnaded Roman streets, mosaics and Roman bathhouses. It is also the city where the body of King Saul and his son were nailed to the walls by the Philistines (1Samuel 31:10).

We then drive through the lush Jordan Valley, where the desert blooms with flowers and vegetation of every description (Isaiah 35:1-2), then we ascend up the Judean Wilderness to the Golden City of Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 6  -  OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Jerusalem2.html

We will drive to the top of the Mount of Olives, for a panoramic view of Jerusalem and a visit to the Pater Noster Church where Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer to his disciples. Tracing the footsteps of Jesus, we will stroll down the Palm Sunday Route on the Mount of Olives to the Dominus Flevit Church, the spot where Jesus saw Jerusalem and wept, then continue to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations.

From here, we proceed by bus across the Kidron Valley, past the Tombs of Absalom, Zechariah and James and proceed to Mt Zion to visit the traditional site of the Upper Room (Room of the Last Supper), King David’s Tomb and the Church of St. Peter’s in Gallicantu, built on top of the High Priest Caiphas’ house. We will walk to the Zion Gate and enter the Old City of Jerusalem through this gate and walk through the Armenian Quarter to the Jewish Quarter. Then, walk along the Roman/Byzantine Street called the “Cardo” to the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest spot, for a visit.

We will view the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque on top of the Temple Mount. We continue our walk along the Via Dolorosa to visit the Pools of Bethesda, St. Anne’s Church, Chapel of the Flagellation and Pilate’s Judgment Hall. We pass through the colourful bazaars, alleyways and market places and reach the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for a brief visit, then walk through the Old City alleyways and exit through the Jaffa Gate, where our bus will be waiting for us.  Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 7  -  NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM/BETHLEHEM

http://www.bibleplaces.com/bethlehem.htm

We start the day in the New City of Jerusalem by visiting Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust commemorating the six million Jews who perished. We will visit and walk through the newly opened Museum, visit the Children’s Memorial, walk along the Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles for those who risked their lives to save Jewish lives, then drive to Ein Kerem to visit the Church of the Visitation and Church of John the Baptist.

We will continue to the Israel Museum and visit the Shrine of the Book housing the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest manuscripts of the Bible ever found. We will visit the model of Jerusalem from the Second Temple Period as it looked from the time of Jesus; then drive to the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament and take a picture of the large Menorah symbolizing the state of Israel.

We will drive south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem for a visit to the oldest church in the world, the Church of Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus and Shepherd’s Field.  We will then return to Jerusalem to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 8  - JERUSALEM

Day of leisure for last minute shopping in the Old City Bazaars or just relaxing. Dinner & Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 9 – MASADA / QUMRAN / DEAD SEA / EILAT

http://wikitravel.org/en/Dead_Sea

We will leave Jerusalem and travel along the shores of the Dead Sea to Qumran for a visit to the place where a young shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. These scrolls are the oldest scriptures of the Bible ever found.  We will continue to drive south to Masada, where we will take a cable car to the summit of this magnificent fortress built by King Herod the Great and the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots. We will walk around the historic ruins  where we will see the palaces, bath houses, swimming pool, the oldest synagogue in the world on this mountain in the middle of the desert. 

After descending this mountain by cable car we continue to the shores of the Dead Sea for a “float” in the saltiest body of water in the world. We continue our drive south to the most southern part of Israel to the resort town of Eilat on the shores of the Red Sea. Dinner and overnight in Eilat

Day 10  -  EILAT http://mosaic.lk.net/g-eilat.html OR OPTIONAL TOUR TO PETRA

http://nabataea.net/petra.html Today is a free day in this beautiful resort town on the Red Sea for swimming, relaxing by the pool, snorkeling or taking an optional tour to Petra, Jordan  one of today’s Wonders of the World.. Dinner and overnight in Eliat.    

Day 11  - NEGEV http://www.netours.com/jrs/2003/Negev.htm  / TEL AVIV

We will leave Eliat in the morning and drive up the mountains above Eliat for a panoramic view of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea and Egypt. We will then drive through the magnificent scenery of the Negev Desert to Beersheva then onto to Tel Aviv. We will enjoy dinner at the hotel and then a late evening transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our El Al non stop flight to Toronto.

Day 12- TORONTO

Arrive at Toronto’s terminal 3 at 6:20am (ETA)

Single supplement: $500.00 (For those who want their own room)

Price includes the following hotels and services:

* Round trip airfare from Toronto to Tel Aviv on El Al Israel Airlines (non-stop)

* 10 night’s hotel accommodations in the following hotels:

   - 1 night Metropolitan Hotel, Tel Aviv

   - 2 nights Ramot Guest House on the Sea of Galilee             

   - 4 nights Novotel Hotel, Jerusalem

   - 2 nights Dan Panorama Hotel, Eliat

   - 1 night Metropolitan Hotel, Tel Aviv

* Airport transfer upon arrival and departure

* Breakfasts and dinners daily in the hotels in Israel

* 7 full days of sightseeing in Israel

* Modern Air-conditioned motor coach

* All Entrance Fees to all selected places of interest as per the program

* Services of an English speaking licensed tour guide throughout Israel    

* Porterage of 1 piece of luggage per person for the airport and hotels to the reception area.

Price does Not Include:

* Airport departure taxes and fuel surcharges of $180 per person (subject to change at anytime)

* Tips to the tour guide, driver and hotel staff.

                    Suggested tipping:

                    guide $6 USD + driver $3 USD + hotels $ 1 USD = $10 USD per person per day (payable by cash by June 30, 2008)

* Lunches

* Travel Insurance

*OPTIONAL TOUR TO PETRA, JORDAN 

      $185.00 (CDN) cash payable by June 30, 2008

    + $35.00 (USD) border taxes and tips payable in cash at the Jordan border

TIC Travel Insurance

All-inclusive Package Plan (Emergency Medical and Hospital and Trip Cancellation Insurance)

Amount of Insurance:

          Prior to departure: ............................... $3,000.00

          After departure .................................. $25,000.00   

Emergency Medical Coverage: ... up to $2,000,000.00

Coverage is calculated for 12 days

 Non-Medical Trip Cancellation Insurance only:

RBC Travel Insurance

Deluxe Package (Emergency Hospital Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance)

Amount of Insurance:

          Prior to departure: ............................... $3,000.00

          After departure...................................... unlimited