HOLY LAND - MEDJUGORJE

Category: Medjugorje Tours

 HOLY LAND - MEDJUGORJE
June 14 – 28, 2012

View on the Old Jerusalem from the "Dominus Flevit" chapel

ITINERARY
SEE THE TOUR ON THE MAP

Day 1 – Departure from you gateway airport, June 14, 2012
Transatlantic flight to Tel Aviv, meals served on board of the plane.

Day 2 – ARRIVAL TO TEL AVIV – June 15, 2012
Upon arrival to Tel Aviv, meet with your Catholic guide for Holy land, time permitting opening holy mass and then transfer to hotel. Your first dinner and overnight in the Holy land.

Day 3 – CAPERNAUM - TABGHA - SEA OF GALILEE - JORDAN - June 16, 2012
Today we will literally follow the "Footsteps of Jesus". First in the morning we will leave 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 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. Same day 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. We will enjoy a boat ride from Capernaum, chance to experience the “spiritual storm” Christ’s followers experienced. 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. Driving around the Sea of Galilee you will end by the baptism site on river Jordan – time for the renewal of our Baptismal vows. In the early evening we are back to our hotel, dinner and overnight in Tiberías.

Day 4 – MT. TABOR - JERUSALEM - June 17, 2012
This morning we will leave Northern Israel and Sea of Galilee are and head to Jerusalem. On the way group will first visit Cana the site of Jesus first miracle. In this little town church we will have the renewal of the marriage vows and blessing of families. Next stop will be at the Mt. Tabor – site Transfiguration. Our pilgrimage continues then through the Jericho dessert, visiting the oldest city in the world - Jericho. Same afternoon you will be on the coast of the Dead Sea where will have a chance to float in with the minerals richest water in the world. Arrival to Jerusalem will be in the early evening, dinner and overnight.

Day 5 – JERUSALEM - June 18, 2012
After breakfast we start our day with a view of the Holy City from the Mount of Olives following the Palm Sunday Road, the road Jesus followed on His way to Jerusalem. We stop at the 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: "Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but thy, be done". In the afternoon we will visit the area of 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 where the Blessed Virgin Mary fell into Eternal Sleep.

Day 6 – BETHLEHEM – JERUSALEM – June 19, 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. Here is beautiful view on Mt. Herodian and Judean Hills. 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 church we visit.

Day 7 – JERUSALEM OLD CITY - June 20, 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 one of the rare churches that was spared from destruction of Moslems because was built over the crypt venerated as a birthplace of Mary and a home of her parents Joachim and Anne. Today we are also see the Temple Mount with the Al Aqsa Mosque, and the Wailing Wall. After rather long day you will have a chance to spend rest of the day on your own, shopping or additional sightseeing. Dinner will be at the hotel.

Day 8 – FLIGHT TO CROATIA – MEDJUGORJE – June 21, 2012
Early morning transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for flight to Croatia. Arrival to Medjugorje same day, check in to your hotel, dinner and overnight in the village.

Day 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 – MEDJUGORJE – June 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27
On your first morning in Medjugorje after the breakfast you will meet with your local English-speaking guide who will give you an introduction, little walk from your hotel to the Church St. James just before English language mass at 10:00 am. You will have a chance to participate in many activities during your stay in Medjugorje. With thousands of pilgrims from all over the world you will celebrate daily mass at St. James church. Visiting Bijakovici village, all 6 visionaries come from it, you will go up the Apparition hill, Podbrdo place where Our Lady first appeared. Guide will schedule visits when possible to one or more visionaries, maybe Ivan, Marija, Vicka, Jakov or Mirjana. Each evening at 5:00 pm (at 6:00 pm during summer) you and thousands of other pilgrims will pray the rosary. All three Mysteries are prayed during the evening program. In Our Lady’s messages it was repeated many times how important is to come to mass where “we meet Jesus alive”. Messages of Prayer of the Rosary, Holy mass and Confession are the center of the evening program in St. James church. The apparition takes place at 5:40 pm or 6:40 daylight savings time, and even today according to the words of three visionaries apparition takes place every day to Vicka, Ivan and Marija. Mirjana, Jakov and Ivanka are the three visionaries who don’t have daily apparitions but once a year.
Guide will see to arrange the meetings with them during the time of your stay in Medjugorje but this depends on their availability and presence in the village.
Pilgrims can attend after evening mass (in Croatian language) on Thursdays and Saturdays Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and on Fridays Veneration of the Cross in the Church. After the Mass, there is the Blessing of the Sick and blessing of the religious items, souvenirs you have with you. Among other activities you will have a chance to climb the “Cross mountain”, Krizevac as Croats call it, visit the “Blue Cross”, another place of the apparition of Our Lady also nearby Oasis of Peace and community - Cenacolo. Each pilgrim will have time for private devotions, lunches, shopping, or simply enjoying you own “freedom of prayer”.

Day 15 – FLIGHT BACK HOME – June 28, 2012
Today after early breakfast transfer to airport for flight back home, arrival to US same day.

TOUR PRICE - based on min 20 pilgrims in the group: 

 LAND - per person in twin room - $ 1840.00
 LAND - per person in single room  - $ 2290.00
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LAND & AIR   SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT - TBA 

Services included:

o *Airfares round trip from San Antonio, tax included
o 7 nights in Medjugorje, dinner and breakfast , drinks included
o 6 nights in Holy land 4* first class hotels, dinner and breakfast daily
o English speaking Catholic guides in Medjugorje and Holy land
o Escort guides
o High class air-conditioned tourist bus, transfers according to the itinerary
o All entrance fees according to the itinerary
o Farewell dinner in Medjugorje, 3 courses meal, dessert and wine

Not included:

o Tips for guide, drivers and hotel staff
o Travel insurance - strongly recommended
o Third meal daily, lunches, personal expenses

FEW PHOTOS FROM OUR TRIP TO MEDJUGORJE & HOLY LAND