Catholic Tour to the Holy Land and London

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HOLY LAND & LONDON

APRIL 20 - 30, 2012

Pilgrimage with the Capuchins of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

Father Tom Franks cap. - Spiritual Director
Carmine Marotta - Pilgrimage Coordinator

ITINERARY
NAZARETH - JERUSALEM - BETHLEHEM - LONDON

see the map of Europe and the route of our pilgrimage

Day 1 – Departure, April 20, 2012
Overnight flight to Tel Aviv, meals served on board of the plane.

Day 2 – Arrival to Tel Aviv, April 21, 2012
Today your catholic tour continues with flight to Holy land, to Tel Aviv. Upon arrival to Israel group will meet with your Catholic guide and head on to the Mediterranean Sea on the way to the crusader port city of Caesarea and the Roman capital of Israel. Here, we will see the archaeological ruins of the Roman amphitheatre from the days of King Herod. Our next stop is in Haifa, and on to Mount Carmel, we will visit Carmelite Monastery, Chapel of the Holy Family and Elijah’s cave where we celebrate the Holy Mass. Dinner is in our hotel.

Day 3 – Nazareth – Cana, April 22, 2012
We will leave our hotel and drive for Nazareth, the boyhood of Jesus and the place where He spent the first 30 years of His life. We will say many prayers in the most inspiring churches of St. Joseph and the basilica of the Annunciation where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that She would be the Mother of God see the Well where our Mary went for the water. Next place of our visit is Cana the site of Jesus' first miracle. In this little town we will have the renewal of the marriage vows and blessing of families. Return to our hotel for dinner.

Day 4 – Capernaum - Tabgha - Mt. of Beatitudes – Sea of Galilee
Today we will follow the "Footsteps of Jesus". We will visit Capernaum where Jesus spent most of His preaching; new church built at the site of the Home of St. Peter, ruins of the synagogue that had being built in the time of Jesus. Through story of our guide we will get to know more of the Life of Jesus in Capernaum. Than we drive to Mt. Of Beatitudes where the Lord Jesus preached Sermon on the Mountain celebrate the mass here and continue to Tabgha the site of the Multiplication of the loaves and fishes and the church of St. Peter's Primacy. We will enjoy a boat ride at the Sea of Galilee. Return to our hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 5 – River Jordan – Jericho – Jerusalem
After breakfast, we depart Tiberias to Jerusalem towards river Jordan, here we will celebrate Holy mass, outdoor near the spot where Jesus was baptized, same spot Pope John Paul II visited. Before going to Jerusalem we will also visit the river Jordan for a renewal our baptismal vows, same river in which John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Later group will continue through the Jordan Valley towards Jericho, the oldest known continuously inhabited city in the world, through Judean Desert, pass by Mt of Temptation. Long day ends in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

Day 6 – Jerusalem, April 25, 2012
After breakfast we start from the Mount of Olives following the Palm Sunday Road, the road Jesus followed on His way to Jerusalem. Visit chapel of Dominus Flevit where our Lord wept and shed a tear for the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19: 37- 42). We than proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane and pray at the church of All Nations (Church of Gethsemane), where Jesus prayed: "... not my will, but thy, be done". In the afternoon we will visit Mt. Zion. We will visit the church of St. Peter Gallicantu; church built on the site of the house of high priest Caiaphas, where Jesus spent night in the rooms (dungeon) that are still there. On this site Peter denied Jesus three times. We will also see the room of the Last Supper, church of Dormition. Return to hotel for dinner.

Day 7 – Bethlehem - Jerusalem, April 26, 2012
This morning we drive south of Jerusalem to Bethlehem (house of bread in Hebrew), to see the church of Nativity built over the tomb of St. Jerome. In the Grotto under the central altar one can see the Holy Manger, and the Silver Star with the Latin inscription "Hic de Maria Virgine Jesus Christus Natus est". After the visit to a birthplace of Jesus we will visit Shepherd’s field where Angels appeared to the shepherds (Luke 2), to announce the Birth of Jesus. In the afternoon we drive towards Ein Karem. We will visit the Church of Visitation the site of the Blessed Virgin Mary's visit with her cousin Elizabeth. This is the place where Our Lady said Her "Magnificat". The birthplace of St. John the Baptist is the last place we visit today.

Day 8 – Jerusalem – farewell dinner, April 27, 2012
Jerusalem as our destiny, today early in the morning you will enter the old town and follow the Stations of the Cross or the Via Dolorosa – from the Pilate’s fortress to the today Church of the Holy Sepulcher, site of Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will see the pool of Bethesda where Jesus Christ healed a man who was crippled for 38 years. The church of St Anne venerated as a birthplace of Mary and a home of her parents Joachim and Anne. Today we are also visiting the Temple Mount with the Al Aqsa Mosque, and the Wailing Wall. After rather long day the you will have a chance to spend rest of the day on your own, personal devotions, shopping or additional sightseeing. Farewell dinner before your last night in Jerusalem.

Day 9 – TEL AVIV – LONDON, April 28, 2012
Group will leave Jerusalem arrive to Tel Aviv, flight to LONDON.
Upon arrival at the London airport, you will met by a local guide and will embark on a Panoramic Tour of London including most of the key sites such as the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, and Piccadilly Circus. We will also visit Westminster Cathedral, London’s Catholic cathedral.
Westminster Cathedral is one of the greatest secrets of London; people heading down Victoria Street on the well-trodden route to more famous sites are astonished to come across a piazza opening up the view to an extraordinary facade of towers, balconies and domes. Its uniqueness is, however, not merely in its external form. Visitors find in Westminster Cathedral a very special place of prayer, a refuge from the busy city, a space to find one's own thoughts. This spiritual atmosphere, shaped through the silence as well as through the music of its celebrated choir, is the chief glory of the Cathedral, and the most extraordinary treasure to be discovered by visitors.

After a Holy Mass stop you will check into your London hotel and the rest of the day will be at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (London)

Day 10 – London, Thames cruise, April 29, 2012
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, you will enjoy a cruise on the Thames passing many London landmarks such as Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, The London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and HMS Belfast before arriving at the Tower of London.
The Tower has been an integral part of British history for a 1000 years. Here, you will meet the famous ‘Beefeaters’, marvel at the breathtaking Crown Jewels, stand on the execution site of three English queens and hear the myths and legends that make a visit to the Tower ‘a must’ for any visitor to London.
After a Holy Mass stop, your afternoon will be at leisure for independent sightseeing or shopping. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (London)

Day 11 – Flight home, UK – USA, April 30, 2012
Breakfast at the hotel. Today, transfer to the airport for your flight home.

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