Your spiritual pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on an overnight flight.

Our representative will welcome you to the Holy Land, and then you will transfer to your hotel in Bethlehem. Enjoy dinner before retiring for the night.

Travel to Ein Karem to visit the Shrine of the Visitation and the birthplace of St. John the Baptist, where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth before the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-40). Many people pray the Mystery of the Rosary as they walk up the hill to the Church. In Bethlehem, visit the birthplace of Jesus, marked by the Basilica of the Nativity, and kneel at the place of his birth in the Grotto of the Nativity (Matt. 1:18-25), the Church of St. Catherine, and the Cave of St. Jerome. Celebrate Mass in Bethlehem and then visit Shepherds’ Field, where the Angel of the Lord proclaimed the good news of the Savior's birth (Luke 2:8-18).

After breakfast, visit Bethany, the town where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Celebrate Mass in Bethany and then visit the Qasr El-Yahud baptismal site on the River Jordan, which the Vatican recognizes as the authentic site of Jesus' baptism (Matt. 3:13-17). There you can renew your baptismal vows. Before returning to Bethlehem, there is also time to swim or float in the Dead Sea, Earth's lowest and saltiest body of water.

Visit the Roman aqueduct and theater at Caesarea, a center of early Christianity (Acts 10) and where St. Paul was imprisoned for two years (Acts 23:33), as well as the site where St. Peter baptized the first Gentile convert, Cornelius (Acts 10). Continue to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2:23), and celebrate Mass in the Grand Basilica of the Annunciation. You will also see the House of the Holy Family, St. Joseph’s Workshop, and St. Joseph’s Church. Journey north and visit the Franciscan Wedding Church at Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle, where He changed water into wine (John 2).

Enjoy beautiful Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry, and visit the synagogue located on the site where Jesus taught (Matt. 4:13, 23). Sail across the Sea of Galilee, reflecting on the gospel stories of Jesus calming the storm. Listen to Jesus’ words from His Sermon on the Mount, delivered at the Mount of Beatitudes (Matt. 5-7), and celebrate Mass at the Church of the Beatitudes. At the Church of the Multiplication, the location of the feeding of the 5,000, explore the Church of the Loaves and Fish (Luke 9:10-17). Additionally, we will visit St. Peter's Primacy, where Jesus bestowed church leadership upon St. Peter (John 21:9). In Magdala, once home to Mary Magdalene, we will visit a recently discovered first-century synagogue.

This morning, drive to the top of the Mount of Olives, the place from which Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:9-12), for a majestic view over all of ancient and modern Jerusalem, the center of the biblical world. Visit the Pater Noster Church and the Chapel of Dominus Flevit (where Jesus wept) before walking down the “Palm Sunday Road” to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations (also known as the Basilica of the Agony), where Christ prayed on the night of His betrayal (Luke 22:40-46). Celebrate Mass at the Church of All Nations. Travel to the Upper Room, revered as the location of the Last Supper (Mark 14:12-26), and the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion. Afterward, visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (the former government house of Caiaphas), where Jesus was imprisoned the night of His arrest (Matt. 26:57-65).

Very early this morning, walk together in a prayerful procession along the Via Dolorosa, also known as The Way of the Cross. Start at the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate (John 18:28, 19:16) and received His cross. End at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which marks the place of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection (Luke 23:26-33). After Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, return to the hotel for breakfast. Later, revisit the Old City to see the Church of St. Anne’s, the traditional birthplace of the Virgin Mary. Nearby is the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the disabled man (John 5:1-9). End the day with a visit to the Western Wall, the last remnant of the Jewish Temple destroyed in 70 A.D. Prepare for your return flight to the U.S.A. this evening.

Return to the USA or Enjoy and Extension